Domain Expertise + AI
Use your professional knowledge to guide and verify AI assistance
Your Irreplaceable Value
AI has broad knowledge but shallow understanding. You have deep expertise in your specific context. This isn't a competitionâit's a collaboration where each party brings something the other lacks.
What AI Brings
- ⢠Vast general knowledge
- ⢠Pattern recognition across domains
- ⢠Rapid content generation
- ⢠Tireless availability
- ⢠Multiple perspective synthesis
What You Bring
- ⢠Knowledge of your specific students
- ⢠Understanding of your school context
- ⢠Professional judgment from experience
- ⢠Relationships and trust
- ⢠Accountability for outcomes
What Only You Know
AI cannot access this information unless you provide it. Your expertise in these areas is what makes AI outputs useful rather than generic.
Your Students
Their names, personalities, struggles, strengths, home situations, learning histories, social dynamics, interests, fears. AI sees âYear 8 classââyou see 30 individuals.
Your School Context
Resources available, timetable constraints, colleague expertise, leadership priorities, community expectations, physical space limitations, budget realities.
What Has Worked
Your experiential knowledge about what actually works with your students, what has failed before, what engages them, what falls flat.
Professional Relationships
The trust you've built, the rapport with parents, the collaborative relationships with colleagues. These can't be delegated to AI.
Curriculum Nuance
How your school interprets the curriculum, exam board quirks, moderation expectations, what inspectors actually look for, unwritten expectations.
Leveraging Your Expertise in Prompts
Your domain knowledge should shape every AI interaction. Here's how to use it:
1. Front-load Context
Share what you know before asking for help. The more relevant context you provide, the more useful the output.
âMy Year 9 science class has 8 students with EAL needs, limited lab equipment (no Bunsen burners), and 45-minute lessons. We're following the AQA curriculum and students struggled with the particle model last term. Given this context...â
2. Share What You've Tried
Your experience is valuable data. Tell AI what has and hasn't worked.
âI've tried group work but one student dominates. Traditional worksheets bore them. They responded well to the competitive quiz format last week. What approaches might work given these observations?â
3. Describe Specific Students (Anonymously)
When relevant, describe individual learners so AI can tailor suggestions.
âI have a student who is exceptionally able but refuses to write more than a sentence. She'll talk brilliantly about ideas but shuts down when given a pen. What approaches might help?â
4. Apply Constraints from Experience
Use your knowledge of what won't work to guide AI away from dead ends.
âDon't suggest anything requiring internet accessâour WiFi is unreliable. Avoid activities needing students to move aroundâour classroom is cramped. We can't do homework-dependent projectsâcompletion rates are below 40%.â
Expert Verification
Your expertise is your verification tool. Use it to catch what AI gets wrong.
Subject Knowledge Check
Is the content accurate? Does it reflect current understanding in your field? Are there oversimplifications that would mislead students?
Pedagogical Check
Is this good teaching practice? Does it align with how learning actually works? Does it match your understanding of effective instruction?
Context Fit Check
Will this actually work with your students? Does it account for your specific constraints? Is it realistic given your resources?
Professional Standards Check
Does this meet professional standards? Would it pass scrutiny from leadership, inspectors, or parents? Is it ethical and appropriate?
The Expert + AI Workflow
You Define the Problem
Use your expertise to identify what you need. What's the actual challenge? What would success look like? What constraints exist?
You Provide Context
Share your domain knowledge, student information, and situational factors. The more relevant context, the better the output.
AI Generates Options
AI produces possibilities based on your input. It can draw from broad knowledge to suggest approaches you might not have considered.
You Evaluate and Select
Apply your professional judgment. What fits your context? What would actually work? What needs modification?
You Adapt and Implement
Take what works and make it yours. Modify for your context, add your personal touch, implement with your professional skill.
Note: Steps 1, 2, 4, and 5 require your expertise. AI contributes step 3. You are essential; AI is helpful.
Key Takeaways
- Your domain expertise is irreplaceableâAI has breadth, you have depth in your context
- Front-load your knowledge in prompts: students, constraints, what's worked, what hasn't
- Use your expertise to verify outputs: subject accuracy, pedagogy, context fit, standards
- The workflow is: You define â You provide context â AI generates â You evaluate â You implement
- You are the essential expert; AI is the useful assistant
Interactive Lab
Context Builder
Build a context-rich prompt that leverages your domain expertise