UNESCO defines Generative AI as an artificial intelligence technology that generates content in response to natural-language conversational interfaces. It does this based on the dataset it is trained on, which includes all sorts of documents, webpages, and more that its engineers have trained it upon. Generative AI can produce new content, whether that is text, images, code, audio, or other media.

The interaction with Generative AI is done through prompts, using a technique called prompt engineering. Unlike search engines where the trick was to summarize your question with keywords, prompts allow for more conversational and iterative refinement. Generally, UNESCO recommends the following practices for effective prompt-engineering:

Simple, clear, and straightforward language
Include examples of the desired outcome
Include context, such as audience and desired environment
Refine and iterate as necessary
Be ethical in prompting

Multiple Dutch universities have been developing 'prompt libraries' that include ready-made prompt templates for educational purposes that can be reused by teachers. For example, check out resources from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam the University of Maastricht and the University of Tilburg.