AI is only as powerful as the person using it. Most people just use it to look up stuff they're too lazy to figure out. That's the problem because spoon feeding answers doesn't equal learning. So instead of using AI to replace our thinking, we want to use it as an extension of our thinking to learn faster and actually retain it. And in order to do that, we have to understand how the brain learns. So our framework was designed around cognitive load theory. So we see learning as a three-part cycle. Construct, connect, and challenge. We construct chunks of information, connect the dots with what we already know to form an understanding and then we put that understanding to the test. But the main purpose of our framework and actually the purpose of learning in general is to encourage critical thinking. In each step, there are specific thought processes we can train to engage that type of thinking to learn more effectively. And these are the skills we teach thousands of students in Study Quest. But even with the framework, we still encounter roadblocks. We still need to know what to think about and then we have to go find it. We've all been there before, right? flipping through textbooks, watching YouTube videos without even knowing, is this what I'm looking for? And these roadblocks stand in the way of learning and add to cognitive load or the mental effort we experience when we're learning. And this is where AI steps in. AI can help guide our thinking, search for relevant information, and generate insights. And by offloading a lot of that cognitive load to AI, we can focus on the most important part of learning, the critical thinking. That's AI's role in the process. So now, let's dive deeper into how to use it in each part of the CCC cycle. The construct phase is all about how to gather new information because not all information should be collected at the same time. Some of it doesn't have to be collected at all. There's a sequence to learning that allows us to learn the most effective way possible. Think about learning how to play the piano. It would be most valuable to start with the names of the notes first, right? That sets the foundation for learning scales and together those can set the foundation for learning chords. Sure, we can start with chords first and then work backwards, but the cognitive load of starting there is a lot higher. By starting with notes and then scales, we construct little chunks of knowledge starting with the fundamental principles and then slowly build on top of it with more advanced chunks. So the order of learning is super important, not just for comprehension, but also to save time so you don't struggle trying to learn something before we're ready for it. But figuring out that order can be stressful, especially if you don't have a textbook or we're self-studying or if your professor confuses you more in lecture than helps you. So one of the best ways to use chatbt is to roleplay and ask it. You are an expert at this topic. How would you recommend a beginner to learn this topic? Create a syllabus and lesson plan for me to learn this information effectively. Now, we're reducing the cognitive load by creating a sequence to the way that we should approach this topic. If you want to take this a step further, you can tack on this. Then, give me a list in bullets of other topics and concepts I should explore to understand this topic more completely and then also tell me why. Here's the next prompt. Let's say that we're learning about blood pressure. Explain the concept of blood pressure in simple terms for a beginner. Then explain how it relates to the big picture of cardiovascular health. So with this prompt, the emphasis is not on defining unfamiliar terminology, although that is helpful, but more so in facilitating critical thinking to figure out why it's important. You know, when we're learning, we get those light bulb aha moments when we realize that something matters and something's important. And especially with construct, when we're viewing information for the very first time, we have to know why it's important to the main idea. And every concept we learn after that that's also relevant to the main idea will now also make sense in the context of the first one. And so if I can zoom out again and look at the big picture. The way that chat GBT reduces the cognitive load here is by helping us create a sequence to approach learning and then to guide us in critically thinking about that information to create an outline or skeleton of how all the information might be related to each other. Let's move on to the next step now which is connect. This is where we take that skeleton that we just made and we try to fill in and develop some kind of understanding of how it works because the goal here is to connect ideas. Now the critical thinking question of this phase is how does this concept relate to other concepts? We know that all of these concepts somehow fit in the skeleton. But now we try to understand which bones are touching which bones, which ones are not touching, how is this bone similar and different from this bone? And how does this bone affect the overall structure of the skeleton? What we're doing here is moving beyond definitions and starting to analyze and compare relationships. Because remember, if it doesn't seem like it's relevant, then we're less likely to understand why it's important and then we're not going to remember it. And this is where AI really shines. We don't need to search for those relationships anymore. It can compile a great starting point for us in seconds. For example, try out this prompt. Create a table to compare and contrast topics 1, 2, and three, and then explain why the relationship of these concepts matters and how it helps me understand this concept as a whole. This is such a powerful prompt because it focuses on the relationship, you know, both the similarities and the differences, and it ties it back to the big picture. So, what if we're completely stumped and we don't even know what to compare to what? Well, here's another good prompt to get started. Help me explore additional concepts related to this topic. Give me a table of their similarities and differences, and then explain to me in simple terms why those relationships are important, and then follow it up with this. Thanks. What are other related concepts I might have missed when learning about this topic? I'm having ChatGBT search for other potential connecting points that I didn't even think about. One of the best things about chat GBT is that it learns from the conversation. So, as long as we're specific in the prompt, we'll avoid getting repeat information. Let's look at another example. One of my favorite ways to connect is to use analogies. Because it could be tough to visualize how a brand new concept works. But if we can relate it to something that we do know how works, it clicks a lot faster. But pulling analogies out of thin air is not easy. And it requires a lot of cognitive load to come up with something that actually fits into the skeleton. So why not remove that friction and ask JBT create three analogies to explain this concept to me from different perspectives and then explain the strength of each analogy and the limitations of it. And now we can save our mental energy for critically thinking and evaluating whether or not these analogies actually make sense and what other insights we can get about the relationships of the concepts. Now, I want to be clear that even with the help of AI, our attempts at connecting, you know, are at least initially probably going to be messy and potentially inaccurate. And that's totally fine because the goal of the next step in the cycle challenge, is to critically evaluate if our current thought process makes sense. One of the simplest ways to challenge oursel is with practice problems. Makes sense, right? We apply what we've learned. of finding problem sets and looking up answers can be tedious, especially if our teachers don't provide resources or they're behind a fat payw wall or something. But we can ask chat GBT to remove that barrier, reduce unwanted cognitive load, and create challenge for us. For example, try out this prompt. You are a physiology professor. Create a 10 question short answer practice test on the topics of cardiac physiology to evaluate how well I understand why this topic is important. And you can substitute short answer for multiple choice or true false to get different variations depending on how you're going to be tested. But personally, I like short answer questions the most because they really force us to retrieve information from our brain because we don't get any context clues or hints from the answer choices. And of course, after you take the practice test, remember to check your work. So follow it up with this prompt. Thanks. I just took the test. now provide me with the answers along with detailed explanations about why the answers are correct and common pitfalls that students make who answer them incorrectly. Not only am I asking for a detailed thought process behind the correct answer, I'm also evaluating how this concept might confuse me or other students. I'm having Chat GBT challenge me and bring in different perspectives I might not have considered to assess my knowledge. Here's another banger prompt I've been using. I'm learning about this topic. Is my thought process accurate? provide feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of my understanding and which other points to explore for a well-rounded perspective and then type out your response below. So, this is an incredible prompt because it forces me to explain what I know in my own words first as if I'm teaching, which is probably the most underrated study strategy out there. And we have a whole video about how to teach effectively if you're interested. But this way, I'm not just plugging and chugging to search for an answer, but I'm forcing myself to critically think first. Right? Sometimes we think we understand something, but when we're put on the spot and we have to explain it, it's obvious that we don't know anything. And in the second part of the prompt, I'm asking for feedback so I can properly fill in the gaps of knowledge I hadn't considered. But remember that the quality of the output is directly proportional to the quality of the input. And from here, whatever insights I pull from learning, I'll feed back to constructing new chunks and repeating the cycle. Now, as revolutionary as AI is, I do want to address some limitations that at least currently exist. First, don't accept everything Chat GBT says as absolute truth. You can even ask ChatGBT itself and it will tell you that it still makes mistakes and sometimes generates inaccurate information. So, it's still up to us, the human, to do our due diligence and take responsibility for learning and not to rely too much on ChatGpt as a crutch. Next, although chat GPT has an incredible depth of knowledge, at a certain level of depth, it falls off. And the best way I can describe this is that Chat GPT is incredibly books smart, way more so than any human brain could possibly be. But it physically can't acquire street smart. You know, real world experience. A couple months ago, we even conducted an experiment to see if ChachiBt could think and potentially replace a doctor by grilling it with questions that our patients have had. And we found that the more specific and interpretive we got with our questions, it just couldn't keep up because there are so many nuances and subtle decisions that doctors make which come from years of practice and experience. And Chat GBT couldn't replicate that. So if you're looking to gain the mastery and insight of a top 0.1% expert, Chat GBT probably won't be able to get you there. But let's be honest, for high school, college, and most graduate level programs where the education is very standardized, that level of depth is usually not necessary to perform well. And who knows, it's very possible that with the next versions of AI that all of these limitations will be addressed. I actually think it's more a matter of when than if. Cool. So, that is my ultimate guide for how to use AI as a cheat code for learning. If you made it this far in the video, I truly appreciate you. So, here's a little gift. In the description, I'm going to drop a link for my personal favorite chat GPT prompts. You know, managing that cognitive load for you. But just to reiterate, if you want to actually learn with AI, remember it's an extension, not a replacement for critical thinking. Honestly, if you understand the principles of this video and how I created these prompts, you won't even need them because you'll be able to make your