ChatGPT for Beginners
Build confidence with ChatGPT, step by step. Learn by doing inside your own conversation.
Course outline
Learn the essentials. Then put them to work.
Coming soon. This is our planned syllabus; content and timing may change.
Syllabus
9 chapters · 24 short lessons · 1 final project
Includes 2 optional connected-tool labs- Choose a small, real task to start with
- Understand what ChatGPT can and cannot know
- Send your first request and inspect the result
Turn a messy to-do list into a manageable plan.
- Use goal, context, output, and boundaries
- Add examples, audience, and useful constraints
- Ask for clarification when details are missing
Improve a vague prompt until it produces an email you would actually use.
- Give specific feedback and ask for a revision
- Branch a conversation to compare two approaches
- Keep a focused chat or carry a short brief into a new one
Create two versions of the same plan and choose the better fit.
Branching controls vary by client. If unavailable, use a short context brief in a new chat.
- Know when to ask for web search
- Open sources and check dates and claims
- Separate evidence, assumptions, and unanswered questions
Compare two options using sources you can check yourself.
- Ask focused questions about a document
- Use a screenshot to explain what you need
- Check a summary or table against the original
Turn a sample document into a brief with clear next steps.
Sample files are provided. Upload limits and supported tools depend on your account.
- Create a project around one goal
- Add useful reference material and instructions
- Name and find your conversations
Set up a reusable project for a personal goal or recurring task.
- Connect an available app and review its access
- Find a relevant document or email with a focused request
- Draft a response and check its source before sending
Prepare a meeting brief from a document and an email.
Optional lab. Requires access to the relevant plugins/apps and a Google account. A sample-document version is included if you cannot connect them.
- Set up a supported browser extension
- Ask about a page or selected passage
- Continue the conversation in the ChatGPT app
Turn a page you are reading into an explanation and a short action list.
Optional desktop/browser lab. Requires a supported ChatGPT browser extension and available features. You can use pasted text instead.
Choose a task, gather context, prompt and revise, verify the result, and save a reusable starting point.
Final project: a personal plan, a research brief, or a polished draft. You choose the outcome.