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Prompting AI to Help Design Semester-long Group Project Assignments

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Description

The prompts below will help you design a comprehensive, engaging semester-long group project assignment that incorporates authentic learning experiences and real-world applications, designed by an expert in both the subject area and project-based pedagogy.

As the instructor you will of course bring your knowledge, expertise, experience, and creativity to making any teaching resource your own–especially those you have begun with AI–, AI can be a valuable partner in helping you get started. The suggestions below are organized according to assignment development purposes. You can start at the beginning, or dip into one specific purpose depending on your needs.

Steps

As with any Generative AI tool, working with Claude is most effective if you approach it as an iterative process. This guide chunks the task of designing a group project into four phases:

  1. Idea generation
  2. Project description
  3. Project details
  4. Project assessment

Phase 1: Idea Generation

  1. Explore possibilities for the scope and focus of your project, using some version of the suggested prompt and resources below. Potential resources to upload with the prompt include an anonymized version of your syllabus, learning outcomes, and relevant course materials.

Prompt: You are an expert in [SUBJECT] and assignment design at an R1 university. Please suggest 3-5 ideas for a semester-long group project for a [LEVEL] [SUBJECT] course with approximately [NUMBER] students, primarily [SUBJECT MAJORS OR NON-MAJORS] that incorporates project-based learning principles and practical real-world applications. Your ideas should reflect authentic problems from the discipline or related industries.

The course covers the following key concepts, theories and skills: [LIST CONCEPTS, THEORIES AND/OR SKILLS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT]. The course runs for [NUMBER OF WEEKS]-weeks and students should spend a total of approximately [NUMBER] hours on the project

  1. Evaluate the ideas Claude has generated. If none of them appeal, ask for others. Tell Claude what specific characteristics you are looking for that are different from what it produced. If you have questions or want to tweak one idea, ask Claude to do this. You may also want to ask Claude to provide an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of each idea.
  2. Select one of the ideas Claude has suggested to develop further.

Phase 2: Project Description

  1. Students will perform better in the project if they understand its purpose, process, and expectations. Enter the following prompt to help generate a project description.

Prompt: I would like to develop [PROJECT TITLE] in more detail. Please write a student-facing explanation of the project that includes the following:

–The final product that students will be producing
–What they will learn conceptually
–What disciplinary skills they will gain
–What transferable skills – like teamwork, time management and communication – will be gained
–How this project will be relevant to future work.

Phase 3: Project Details

  1. It’s helpful to break things down into a timeline with milestones and deliverables, and process for team division of labor

Prompt: Please suggest a series of interim deliverables, that will be completed over a total of [NUMBER] weeks, along with a project schedule described in weeks. For each deliverable, suggest feedback that would be useful to receive from peers or instructors. Also suggest roles that would be useful for group members to play in the project.

Phase 4: Assessment Plan

  1. It’s important to clarify for yourself how the work will be assessed, and to consider how you will explain the assessment component to your students.

Prompt: Create an evaluation rubric with criteria that clearly reflect the course outcomes and significant points of knowledge and skill development. (For more detail on using Claude to create a rubric, see the the CATLR Tip, Working with AI to draft a Rubric [LINK].

Suggestions

Establish Clear Expectations and Roles from the Start: Clearly define the purpose, deliverables, and individual roles within group projects early in the semester. Transparent expectations reduce ambiguity, encourage accountability, and foster positive collaboration among students throughout the term.

Facilitate Ongoing Group Accountability and Communication: Implement structured checkpoints (e.g., periodic progress updates or peer evaluations) to maintain accountability, monitor group dynamics, and support effective communication. Regular checkpoints help faculty intervene early if conflicts arise, ensuring groups stay focused and cohesive.

Provide Explicit Instruction on Teamwork and Collaboration: Directly teach teamwork skills (e.g., conflict resolution, equitable participation, effective communication strategies) rather than assuming students already possess them. Building students’ collaborative competencies enhances both learning outcomes and preparation for future professional settings.

Design Assessments That Balance Individual and Group Contributions: Include both individual and collective assessment components to fairly evaluate each student’s contributions and the group’s overall accomplishments. Balanced assessment methods prevent free-riding, incentivize active participation, and promote equitable grading practices.

References

Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Oakley, B., Felder, R. M., Brent, R., & Elhajj, I. (2004). Turning student groups into effective teams. Journal of Student Centered Learning, 2(1), 9–34.

Michaelsen, L. K., & Sweet, M. (2008). The essential elements of team-based learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2008(116), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.330

Millis, B. J., & Cottell, P. G. (2023). Cooperative learning for higher education faculty: Effective strategies and best practices (2nd ed.). Stylus Publishing.

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