AI and Research, Step 1: Task Definition

Explore how AI can be integrated into Task Definition, the first step of the research process.

Teaching in a Tech-Empowered Classroom
Grades K-12 10 min Resource by:
Listen to this article

Note: This is the first of a seven-part series exploring possible integration of AI into the research process.

Resource: Students may use this Step 1 Planning Template to help guide their work. Revise as needed for your classroom.

In the not-so-distant past, information was scarce. Students chose universities based on the quality of their libraries and staff, as those resources largely determined what information students could access. Better resources meant better education.

Then came the internet, and suddenly, information was everywhere. It was available to everyone, not just the select few who could afford to attend the best schools. It was a great democratization of information. Students needed a computer, internet connection, and skill in effectively finding, evaluating, and accessing the resources that were available, and it was there at their fingertips.

Now, AI has entered the equation, once again changing how we get answers to our questions. A student can ask an AI chatbot a question and receive a fully fleshed out answer drawn from a large number of source documents. It can seem a little bit like magic.

Unfortunately, this new functionality has the potential of short-circuiting student thinking and making the process too easy. It’s also less transparent, making it more difficult to discern what information is true and what is an AI hallucination.

Because of the changes that AI has introduced into the information gathering process, students must now develop new skills. They must learn to conduct quality research and seek credible answers to their questions within an ecosystem permeated by AI.

Step 1: Task Definition

In this first step, students begin the research process by clearly defining the problem or task at hand. Before students can effectively search for information, they need to understand what they are being asked to investigate, explain, solve, compare, or create. Sometimes, the task will be narrowly defined by the teacher, while other times, the students will have more autonomy and flexibility in what they’ll be researching.

Specific and Defined Task

If the task is specifically defined when presented to the students, the main task will be to break it down and clearly understand what is being expected.

One effective way to do this is to take a pen and underline or circle the key words in the task. This may include the topic to be researched, the extent to which it should be researched (perhaps the number of required resources), the types of resources allowed or required, and the expected output.

It’s critical that students understand what they will need to do with their research at the end of the project. When deconstructing this, students should pay particular attention to the action words. Are they being asked to describe, compare, evaluate, argue, design, or propose a solution?

After completing this initial analysis, students might use AI as a task-clarification partner. They could paste the assignment directions into an AI tool and ask it to identify the topic, required actions, source expectations, constraints, audience, and final product. Students could then compare the AI response with the words and phrases they marked themselves. Did AI notice something they missed? Did either they or the AI misinterpret any part of the assignment? This comparison requires students to evaluate the AI response in relation to their own, rather than simply accept it.

AI might also help students restate the assignment in their own words, convert the requirements into a checklist, or ask clarifying questions about parts of the task that remain uncertain. For example, students might ask AI to explain the difference between being asked to summarize a topic versus evaluating it. They could also ask AI to review their proposed plan and identify any assignment requirements that are not yet addressed.

The goal is not for AI to define the task for students. Instead, AI should serve as a second reader that helps students check their understanding, recognize missing details, and develop a clearer plan for completing the research task.

Here is a sample prompt that a student could use:

“Here are the directions for my research task: [paste directions]. Identify the topic, action words, source requirements, limitations, audience, and expected final product. Then, create a checklist of what I must complete. Do not begin the research or complete any part of the assignment for me.”

Open-Ended Task

If the research task is more open-ended, the student’s work will look slightly different. They would still need to break the task down into meaningful parts as they did in the prior example, but with an open-ended option, students would need to go further. For instance, students may be asked to choose their own topic or develop their own research questions. This is a heavier cognitive lift than simply understanding a predefined task.

To do this effectively, students need to identify an area of interest, consider what they already know, identify a research goal, and potentially develop a question that gives their investigation direction. When doing this, students need to make choices that are focused enough to accomplish. A topic that is too broad becomes unmanageable and potentially meaningless. A topic that is too narrow doesn’t leave much for the student to research and discover. It should be more complex than something that can be answered with a simple fact. Ideally, the topic should also be of interest and relevance to the student. And of course, it must meet the requirements of the teacher’s assigned research task.

The more that a student knows about a topic, the easier this stage will be. However, it’s very likely that the student is not an expert on the topic. After all, that’s why they’re researching it. The students might find that they need to do a little preliminary research about the topic, so they can make educated decisions about the direction of their continued research.

In this situation, AI can potentially assist students in a number of ways without undercutting their learning. Here are some tasks that students may consider completing with AI assistance:

  • Restate an assignment in clearer language.
  • Identify the purpose, audience, and expected product.
  • Break a complex task into smaller parts.
  • Brainstorm possible topics and subtopics.
  • Narrow a broad topic by time, place, population, cause, effect, or perspective.
  • Compare several possible research questions, providing pros and cons.
  • Provide feedback on whether a question is too broad, too narrow, or unclear.

AI can be especially useful as a questioning partner. Instead of supplying the final topic or question, it can ask students to clarify what interests them and what they hope to discover.

Here’s a nine-step Task Definition Conference approach that you might use with students:

  • Give students a research assignment or information problem.
  • Ask students to identify the task’s purpose, audience, expected product, requirements, and constraints.
  • Have students select a broad topic connected to the task.
  • Students then independently write an initial research question.
  • They use AI as a conference partner to clarify the task and narrow the topic.
  • AI asks questions and offers several possible directions.
  • Students compare the suggestions with the original assignment.
  • Students write their own final research question.
  • Students explain which AI suggestions they accepted, rejected, or modified and why.

Another approach is to give students a single prompt to use as a starting point. Here’s an example:

“I am beginning a research task. Here are the assignment directions: [paste directions]. Help me define the task by identifying the purpose, audience, expected product, requirements, and constraints. Then, ask me one question at a time to help me narrow my topic and develop a focused, open-ended research question. Do not choose the final topic or write the final research question for me.”

Regardless of the approach you take, it’s important that students do the heavy lifting. AI can be a helpful assistant, but you don’t want it to take over and do the work for the student.

By the end of this first step, students should have a clear vision of their research task and be ready to move on to the next phase of research.

AVID Connections

This resource connects with the following components of the AVID College and Career Readiness Framework:

  • Instruction
  • Rigorous Academic Preparedness
  • Opportunity Knowledge
  • Student Agency
  • Insist on Rigor
  • Break Down Barriers

Extend Your Learning

Topic Collections

This course is part of the following collections:

AI in the K-12 Classroom

Did you find this resource useful?

Your rating helps us continue providing useful content in relevant subject areas.