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1Tutorial 1 · Baseline

The AI Engagement Plan

Where do I stand?

The Skill

This first tutorial isn't about learning a new skill. It's about capturing how you use AI right now, before you know any of the framework. That baseline becomes your starting point. Every other tutorial in this course measures growth against it.

Most people default to two or three modes without realizing it. Some ask AI for answers and accept them. Some treat AI like a draft generator. Some try to learn from it. The point of this assessment isn't to judge any of those patterns. It's to make them visible so you can choose differently when you want to.

Based on the 40% problem (Dell'Acqua et al., 2023): the same AI tool produces 40% better work for structured users and 19% worse work for unstructured users. The difference is how you engage, not which tool you pick.

The Mode Path

For the baseline, there is no recommended path. The whole point is to capture what you do naturally. Use whichever modes feel right for the topic you choose. The system will analyze your transcript and show you exactly which modes you used and how often.

Don't try to use specific modes you've heard about. Don't try to impress the system. The honest baseline is the most valuable data this course collects.

Choose Your Scenario

Pick the context that fits you. Then choose one of the prompts below.

Academic Prompts

  • 1.Should college students be required to take a public speaking course? Explore both sides with AI.
  • 2.Pick a career you're considering. Ask AI to help you understand what daily life in that career actually looks like.
  • 3.You have a friend who says AI will make college degrees worthless. Use AI to think through whether they're right.
  • 4.Choose a topic from another course you're taking. Use AI to help you understand something you're struggling with.

Rules of Engagement

  • 15 minutes minimum. Have a real conversation, not a two-message exchange.
  • Use whatever feels natural. Whatever AI tool you normally use. Whatever questions come to mind. No rules for how to interact.
  • Don't game it.Don't try to use modes you think the system will reward. The honest baseline is the most useful one.
  • Don't edit afterward.Submit the unedited transcript. Even if you notice something you wish you'd done differently after the conversation, leave it as is.

Practice

Open your AI tool of choice (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or anything else) and have the conversation. When you're done, come back here and submit it.

Open Claude →Open ChatGPT →Open Gemini →

Submit Your Conversation

When your conversation is done, submit it for analysis. Make sure to select Baseline Assessment as the task type.

Submit Baseline Conversation

What You'll See

After your analysis runs, you'll see:

  • Your mode breakdown across all 8 engagement modes
  • Your tier split: Passivity, Partnership, and Agency percentages
  • Your overall engagement score (0-100) calculated from 6 components
  • A message-by-message timeline showing which mode each of your messages used
  • Personalized feedback based on what your conversation reveals about your patterns

Most students are surprised by their results. The gap between what you think you do with AI and what you actually do is the most useful thing this course measures. You can't fix a habit you don't know you have.

Wondering how the score is calculated? See the full methodology with theory citations and the 6-component formula.