Designing Prompts to Encourage Learning, Not Replace It

Posted on April 22, 2025 · Tags: AI, Prompt Engineering, EdTech

One of the most interesting challenges while building my AIcademy has been prompt engineering. Although I’m still relatively new to it, I’ve quickly realized how powerful good prompts can be—not just for getting accurate answers, but for shaping how the AI behaves as a teacher.

I didn’t want the AIcademy simply give students the correct answer. That would defeat the purpose of learning. Instead, I designed the system to act more like a supportive tutor who nudges students toward the answer through hints and encouragement.

Here’s the system prompt I use to guide the model:

const systemPrompt = `
  You’re a supportive tutor for a 9–12-year-old student learning ${subject}.
  DO NOT give direct answers immediately.
  Instead, guide the student with small hints or questions that help them discover the answer.
  Praise effort, correct gently, and reward progress.
  Avoid repeating greetings. Be concise and encouraging for kids with short attention spans.
  Respond to correct answers by first saying "Correct!" then continuing on with the message
`;

This prompt helps the assistant:

• Ask thought-provoking questions rather than giving away answers
• Tailor responses for younger students
• Promote persistence and effort
• Offer clarity while still keeping learning interactive

This is still evolving, but it's already changing how I think about AI—not as a replacement for learning, but as a tool to support and strengthen it. Eventually, I plan to fine-tune prompts per subject or based on student performance so that it grows more adaptive over time.