Separate a fluent answer from a reliable answer
Explain what generative AI can and cannot do to a colleague.
Use this lesson with the “Understand AI before using it” skill builder. Allow about 30 minutes for reading and practice; provider training is additional.
1. Learn the principle
An AI assistant can produce plausible wording without establishing that its claims are true. Treat its output as a draft to investigate, not as a source of authority.
2. Study a worked example
A draft says that water always boils at 100°C. A teacher adds the missing condition: at approximately standard atmospheric pressure. The fluent sentence was incomplete.
3. Practice with your own example
Write three claims on a familiar topic. Label each as verified, needs checking, or outside your expertise. Find a trustworthy reference for one claim.
Produce: A one-page AI strengths-and-limits guide.
Review your work: Your guide names two useful applications and two limitations, with a verified example.
4. Check your understanding
Which matters more: confident wording or supporting evidence?
Reveal the explanation after you answer
Supporting evidence. Explain the relevant conditions and uncertainty instead of relying on tone.
5. Extend the skill
Apply the same review to a topic you know less well; identify when to ask a subject specialist.
Continue with an official resource
Microsoft Learn: Empower educators to explore AI ↗
The lesson above is an original NextGen-AI practice guide. The external link is supplementary provider training, documentation, or curriculum; it is not required to access this lesson. Providers control accounts, pricing, and course availability.
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