Student Resources

UT AI Hub is designed for users who want greater control over how they use artificial intelligence. It is the recommended platform for building custom AI solutions, creating reusable workflows, and experimenting with different AI models.

Best Uses for UT AI Hub

• Build custom AI agents tailored to specific tasks or workflows.
• Save and reuse prompt templates to improve consistency and efficiency.
• Experiment with different AI models to find the best fit for your needs.
• Monitor token usage and model consumption to better manage resources.

Advanced Capabilities

UT AI Hub supports:

• AI skill development and customization
• Workflow design and automation
• Content drafting, rewriting, summarization, and brainstorming
• Creation of reusable workflows and prompt libraries

Considerations

UT AI Hub includes some pre-configured assistants, but this is not its primary focus. Users seeking extensive Microsoft 365 application integration may find other AI tools better suited to those specific tasks.

When to Choose UT AI Hub

Choose UT AI Hub when you need:

• Advanced AI customization
• Custom AI agents
• Reusable prompt libraries
• Workflow automation
• AI model experimentation
• Usage and consumption monitoring

Microsoft Copilot is a good starting point when you need fast help with everyday tasks such as writing, summarizing, studying, or working in Microsoft 365.

What Microsoft Copilot Is Best For

Drafting, rewriting, summarizing, brainstorming, and study support

Best choice

Use Microsoft Copilot for everyday writing and learning tasks, including drafting content, rewriting existing content, summarizing information, brainstorming ideas, and getting study support.

Using AI inside Microsoft 365 apps

Best choice

Microsoft Copilot is a best choice when you want to use AI within Microsoft 365 apps.

Quick answers and everyday support

Best choice

Use Microsoft Copilot when you need quick answers or assistance with common, everyday tasks.

General learning and writing help

Good option

Microsoft Copilot can also provide general assistance with learning and writing.

Areas Where Microsoft Copilot Is More Limited

Microsoft Copilot has more limited functionality for:

• Pre-configured assistants
• Reusable workflows
• Saved prompt templates

The following are not primary features of Microsoft Copilot:

• Custom AI agents
• Model experimentation
• Token usage monitoring

UT Verse is a good choice when you want structured help, ready-made assistants, and a balance of simplicity and customization.

Best Choices

• Quick answers and everyday support
• Pre-configured AI assistants for specific tasks
• Pre-configured AI assistants for specific tasks

Good Option

• Draft, rewrite, summarize, and brainstorm

Available

• Save and reuse prompt templates

Limited

• Custom AI agents and advanced model experimentation

Not Primary Features

• Microsoft 365 app integration and token usage monitoring

Artificial intelligence can help with studying, writing, research, brainstorming, and productivity. To use AI effectively, start with your goal rather than choosing a tool first. Select the tool that best matches your task, verify AI-generated information, and follow university guidance regarding privacy, security, and academic integrity.

Your Simple Path to Responsible AI Use

Before using any AI tool, keep these principles in mind:

Protect Your Information

Never enter confidential, sensitive, restricted or patient information (including PHI), PIl, research data or student information unless the tool is specifically approved for that type of data.

AI Can Be Wrong

AI-generated content may contain mistakes.

Always verify:

• Facts
• Citations
• Calculations
• Clinical information
• Conclusions

Cross-check important information using reliable sources and course materials.

Use AI to Learn, Not Just to Finish

AI works best as a learning partner.

Use AI to:

• Understand concepts
• Brainstorm ideas
• Practice knowledge and skills
• Ask questions
• Improve critical thinking

Always follow your instructor's expectations for AI use in coursework.

Five Steps for Responsible AI Use

1. Start with Your Goal
   Define what you are trying to accomplish before selecting a tool.
2. Choose the Right Tool
   Select the AI platform that best fits your needs.
3. Protect the Data
   Only use appropriate information in AI tools.
4. Verify the Answer
   Check facts, sources, and important details before relying on AI output
5. Keep Learning
   Use AI to deepen understanding and build skills over time.

Choose the Right Tool for Your Goal

UT AI Hub

UT AI Hub is best for: research, writing, analysis, and complex problem solving

Use AI Hub when you need to:

• Explore complex topics
• Research and compare options
• Draft and edit reports or outlines
• Analyze information
• Brainstorm ideas

Recommended starting point: If you are unsure which AI tool or model to use, begin with AI Hub.

UT Verse

UT Verse is best for: UT-specific information and campus resources

Use UT Verse when you need:

• University resources and services
• Policies and procedures
• Campus and student information
• Answers based on UT information

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is best for: learning, studying, productivity, and Microsoft 365

Use Copilot when you want to:

• Understand difficult concepts
• Generate practice questions
• Create study guides and summaries
• Draft documents
• Work within Microsoft 365 applications
• Helpful UTHS AI Resources

Helpful UT Resources

UT Data Classification Matrix: Learn what types of university data may be used with different AI tools.

UT AI Hub: Explore AI models, capabilities, and tools available through the university.

AI Hub Guide: Use a decision guide to help select the right AI tool for your task.

UT Artificial Intelligence Resources: Review university AI guidance, best practices, and frequently asked questions.

What Is UT Verse?: Learn how UT Verse supports students, faculty, and staff with university-focused assistance.

Introduction to Prompting: Learn how to write more effective prompts and improve AI-generated responses.

Voice-First AI Tips: Think. Talk. Learn.

Voice-enabled AI tools allow you to interact naturally using speech instead of typing. Whether you are studying, preparing for an exam, reviewing course materials, or exploring a new topic, voice interaction can help you learn more efficiently.

Leverage Voice Interaction

Use the microphone feature available in tools such as Microsoft Copilot, UT Verse, and UT AI Hub.

Voice-first AI can help you:

• Think about what you want to learn
• Speak naturally to ask questions
• Receive personalized explanations and responses
• Learn without needing to memorize prompts or coding syntax

How to Use Voice with Your AI Tool

Step 1: Think

Before speaking, consider your learning goal, assignment, or question.

Examples include:

• Understanding a disease process
• Reviewing for an upcoming exam
• Summarizing lecture notes
• Exploring a clinical concept
• Clarifying difficult course material

Step 2: Talk

Tap the microphone icon and speak naturally.

Instead of Typing
Summarize the pathophysiology of hypertension.

Try Saying
I'm studying hypertension for my cardiovascular exam. Can you explain what causes it and why it matters clinically?

Providing context helps AI generate more relevant and useful responses.

Step 3: Learn

Use AI-generated content to support your learning by requesting:

• Explanations
• Summaries
• Practice questions
• Examples
• Review materials
• Study guides

Remember to evaluate information critically and consult course materials and instructors when appropriate.

Sample Voice Requests

Study Support

I'm reviewing microbiology. Explain Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in simple terms.

Exam Preparation

Create 10 USMLE-style questions about diabetes.

Clinical Understanding

Explain ACE inhibitors using a patient example.

Quick Review

Give me a five-minute review of renal physiology before class.

Why Use Voice?

More Natural

Speak the way you think. Voice interaction can feel more conversational and intuitive than typing.

Faster

Ask complex or detailed questions without spending time typing long prompts.

Better Context

Providing details verbally often leads to richer, more personalized responses.

More Accessible

Voice tools can support learners who prefer speaking, are multitasking, or find typing inconvenient.

Student Tip

The more context you provide, the better the response.

Example

I'm a first-year medical student preparing for tomorrow's anatomy quiz. Explain the brachial plexus in a way that's easy to remember.

This type of request helps AI tailor explanations to your knowledge level and learning needs.

Key Takeaway

Think. Talk. Learn.

1. Think about what you need to learn.
2. Talk naturally using the microphone feature available in your AI tool.
3. Learn through personalized explanations, examples, and practice materials.

AI Can Assist. You Remain the Author.

A five-step workflow and prompt model for ethical, accurate, and evidence-aware academic writing.

This guide provides practical strategies for using artificial intelligence (AI) to support coursework, presentations, and study guides while maintaining academic integrity and responsibility for the final work.

Five Steps for Responsible AI Use

Step 1: Brainstorm and Outline

Use AI to overcome the blank page and organize a logical structure.

What to do: Provide the assignment rubric and topic. Ask AI to suggest appropriate headings and subheadings.

Step 2: Integrate and Synthesize Literature

Work with literature you have already located and verified.

What to do: Supply verified research notes and ask AI to identify themes, compare findings, or summarize methodologies.

Step 3: Draft with Structured Prompts

Define the role, context, task, and constraints when requesting assistance from AI.

What to do: Build each request using the ACTS prompting model described below.

Step 4: Critically Review and Fact-Check

AI-generated language may sound convincing while containing clinically incorrect statements.

What to do: Cross-reference every medical claim, statistic, and intervention against reliable sources.

Step 5: Refine, Edit, and Format

Use AI as a proofreader only after verifying the substance of your work.

What to do: Request assistance with grammar, flow, concision, and APA or AMA formatting.

Why This Workflow Matters

In health sciences, accuracy and academic integrity are paramount. AI is a writing assistant, not a replacement for critical thinking or verified evidence.

Core principle: Use AI to structure, synthesize, and refine your work. You remain responsible for the evidence, interpretation, and final submission.

Build a Better Prompt with ACTS

The ACTS model helps you develop clear, structured prompts for academic writing.

A — Assign a Role

Tell AI what role it should assume.

Example: "Act as an academic writing tutor for graduate nursing students..."

C — Context

Provide background information about your assignment or project.

Example: "I am writing an essay on the social determinants of health affecting maternal mortality."

T — Task

Clearly explain what you want AI to accomplish.

Example: "Draft a transition paragraph connecting the lack of transportation to decreased prenatal care visits."

S — Specify Constraints

Establish expectations and limitations for the response.

Example: "Maintain a formal, objective, and academic tone. Do not invent statistics. Use the active voice."

Appropriate Uses of AI

AI can assist with:

• Creating outlines from assignment rubrics.
• Synthesizing verified research notes.
• Drafting transitions between ideas.
• mproving clarity, grammar, and flow.

Information Requiring Verification

Always stop and verify:

• Unverified citations.
• Medical claims and statistics.
• Clinical recommendations.
• Potential conflicts with course requirements.

Ready-to-Adapt AI Prompts

Academic Assignments

"Review for clarity, tone, flow, and claims needing evidence."

Presentations

"Draft concise notes from my verified outline."

Study Guides

"Convert supplied text into terms, steps, and questions."

Responsible AI Use

Trust the process. Verify the product.

Clinical nuance, evidence, citations, and your scholarly voice still require human judgment.

Always follow instructor, program, research, privacy, and academic-integrity requirements.

Structured Query Construction: Example Prompts

For Class Assignments & Essays

Act as an expert academic editor. Review the following draft paragraph for my public health policy paper. Improve the clarity, academic tone, and flow. Point out any sentences that lack clarity or need stronger evidence to support the claims. Do not change the core meaning of my text. [Paste your draft here]

For Presentation Scripting

I have created an outline for a 15-minute presentation on the pharmacokinetics of beta-blockers for my pharmacology seminar. Based on this outline [Paste outline], draft the speaker notes for the “Mechanism of Action” slide. The script should be conversational but scientifically accurate, aimed at second-year pharmacy students. Keep it under 150 words.

For Study Guides & Summaries

Take the following dense textbook excerpt about the renal system [Paste text]. Rewrite this information into a structured study guide. Include:

1. A bulleted list of key terms and definitions.
2. A step-by-step summary of the RAAS pathway.
3. Three clinical application questions to test my understanding.

Recommended Sources for Verification & Formatting

• UT HS Library: Digital Commons and various databases and publication collections.
• PubMed / MEDLINE: Verify biomedical facts and locate primary literature.
• Cochrane Library: Use evidence-based medicine and systematic reviews.
• CINAHL: Find nursing and allied health literature.
• Purdue OWL: Check APA, AMA, and academic writing standards.
• Course Textbooks & Syllabi: Defer to instructor-provided materials, rubrics, and course requirements.

Top 5 Public AI Agents for Academic Writing & Research

Claude

Best for: Natural academic writing and synthesis.

Useful for working with long drafts, uploaded notes, and complex literature synthesis.

Grammarly / GrammarlyGO

Best for: Editing, tone, grammar, and concision.

Supports refinement in Word or similar writing environments after students draft their own work.

ChatGPT

Best for: Brainstorming, outlining, and formatting.

Helpful for generating outlines, study guides, rubric-aligned drafts, and revision checklists.

Consensus

Best for: Evidence discovery.

Useful for exploring peer-reviewed evidence, but students should still verify sources independently.

SciSpace

Best for: Understanding research articles.

Can help explain dense medical papers so students can write about methods and findings accurately.

Question. Search. Verify. Synthesize.

A five-step workflow for evidence-aware AI-assisted research and academic work.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist with literature reviews, assignments, presentations, and study guides. However, researchers and students must verify evidence, evaluate sources, and maintain academic integrity throughout the research process.

Five Steps for Responsible AI-Assisted Research

Step 1: Define the Question with PICO

Unstructured questions generate weak results. Frame your research question before opening an AI tool.

What to do: Identify the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) to develop a focused research question.

Step 2: Pair AI with Trusted Databases

Use research tools to map the literature, then verify papers in authoritative databases.

What to do: Search trusted resources such as PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane, CINAHL, or ClinicalTrials.gov.

Step 3: Construct a Structured Query

Clear context, tasks, and constraints produce focused and auditable responses.

What to do: Set an explicit evidence scope and request source details when using AI to assist with research.

Step 4: Critically Evaluate and Verify

AI can invent citations or misinterpret findings, including measures of risk.

What to do: Locate the original paper, read the abstract and methods, and verify AI-generated summaries against the actual research.

Step 5: Synthesize and Apply

After verification, AI can help organize evidence for academic use.

What to do: Use verified research notes to develop outlines, format citations, or create study aids.

Frame Your Research Question with PICO

The PICO framework helps researchers define a specific, testable clinical question before searching for evidence.

PICO represents:

• P — Patient or Population: The group being studied. Example: Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.
• I — Intervention: The treatment or approach being evaluated. Example: Intermittent fasting.
• C — Comparison: The alternative treatment or approach. Example: Standard caloric restriction.
• O — Outcome: The result being measured. Example: HbA1c reduction.

Using these four elements helps establish a focused question and supports a more targeted literature search.

The Trust-but-Verify Check

Before using or citing AI-assisted research findings, complete these four verification steps.

1. Locate the Source

Find the original research paper through PubMed or another authoritative database.

2. Read the Abstract and Methods

Review the study design, research methods, and population to understand how the research was conducted.

3. Confirm the Results

Compare AI-generated summaries with the actual study outcomes and statistics.

4. Check the Interpretation

Evaluate whether the findings have been interpreted accurately, including distinctions between relative and absolute risk.

Suggested Sources and Sites for Research Verification

UT Health Sciences Library

Access trusted databases, research assistance, journals, and evidence-based resources online.

UT Health Sciences Digital Commons

Explore UTHSC scholarship, theses, dissertations, publications, and institutional research outputs.

PubMed / MEDLINE

Find biomedical literature and verified journal citations.

Cochrane Library

Access systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

CINAHL

Search nursing and allied health literature.

Scopus / Web of Science

Explore citation tracking and interdisciplinary research.

Research Rule: Always Verify Your Sources

Never cite a paper you have not personally verified. If AI-generated information conflicts with the actual source, trust the source.

Core principle: Use AI to map and synthesize research. Use primary sources to prove and cite findings.

Always verify evidence, follow academic-integrity requirements, and review every source before citing it in academic or research work.

Five checkpoints before AI-assisted work enters your coursework, research, or clinical thinking.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can support academic and research activities, but its use requires careful consideration of data protection, accuracy, bias, human oversight, and potential consequences.

Before using AI-generated content, review these five checkpoints to ensure responsible and appropriate use.

Five Checkpoints for Responsible AI Use

1. Protect Data

Do not enter confidential, protected, policy-controlled, patient, customer, financial, proprietary, or internal-use information into public or untrusted AI tools.

2. Verify Accuracy

Treat AI output as a first draft. Confirm numbers, technical claims, quotations, and citations against trusted primary sources.

3. Check Bias and Errors

Look for hidden assumptions, stereotypes, generic generalizations, and conclusions that do not fit the local context or intended audience.

4. Keep a Human in the Loop

A qualified person must review the work and remain responsible for the final content, action, or decision.

5. Evaluate the Stakes

Ask what could happen if the output is wrong. High-stakes uses require rigorous expert review and should not rely on AI alone.

The 10-Second Decision Check

Before you submit, share, publish, or act on AI-generated output, ask yourself these three questions:

Safe?

Did I protect sensitive data?

True?

Did I verify the evidence?

Responsible?

Would I stand behind the result?

Important Reminder

This guide provides educational guidance only. Always follow applicable course, research, clinical, privacy, security, and institutional requirements.

Write Prompts That Produce Useful Work

Specific goals, relevant context, clear constraints, and verification improve the result.

1. Define the Goal

Decide what success looks like before prompting.

Prompt move: Name the deliverable and purpose.

2. Add Relevant Context

Include the audience, discipline, source material, and prior knowledge.

Prompt move: State what the AI should use.

3. Assign the Task

Use a direct verb, such as explain, compare, draft, critique, quiz, or organize.

Prompt move: Request one primary action.

4. Set Constraints

Specify length, tone, format, evidence rules, and exclusions.

Prompt move: Tell the AI what not to invent.

5. Review and Iterate

Check accuracy, improve instructions, and request targeted revisions.

Prompt move: Verify first, then refine.

A Reusable Prompt Blueprint

Role + Context + Task + Constraints + Output Format

Example

Act as a graduate health sciences tutor. Using only my uploaded notes, create 10 case-based questions with answers and brief rationales. Flag any point that needs verification.

Choose the Right AI Tool for the Task

Start with the task, then select the environment whose strengths best match the work.

AI Hub

A UT environment for exploring AI-assisted work and comparing approaches.

Best fit: Model exploration, brainstorming, and prompt testing.

UT Verse

A secure UT AI chat platform for learning, research, and university-focused assistance.

Best fit: Writing support, summaries, study materials, and ideation.

Microsoft Copilot

Works alongside Microsoft 365 applications and workplace content where enabled.

Best fit: Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Excel, and workflows.

Google NotebookLM

Works from user-provided sources and can create source-based Audio Overviews.

Best fit: Defined source sets, notes, and listening-based review.

Perplexity

A public answer engine focused on current web search and cited responses.

Best fit: Source discovery, current information, and research mapping.

Claude Pro

Expanded access to Claude models for writing, analysis, and reasoning tasks.

Best fit: Long-form writing, document analysis, and structured reasoning.

Health Sciences Guardrails

Protect Sensitive Information

Do not enter sensitive or restricted data into unapproved tools.

Verify Information

Confirm clinical, academic, numerical, and citation claims.

Disclose AI Use

Follow instructor and program rules for acceptable AI use.

Own the Final Work

You remain responsible for the final submission or decision.

Follow UT guidance, protect sensitive data, and verify academic or clinical claims against authoritative sources.

Health Sciences studies demand deep mastery and the ability to apply concepts under pressure. Used well, AI is a powerful partner for building active-recall study aids, clinical vignettes, and practice exams — but only when it is grounded in your verified course materials rather than its own general training data.

Five Steps in Creating AI-Assisted Study Aids

1. Gather and Curate Source Material

Collect verified course materials — lecture slides, syllabus objectives, textbook excerpts, and notes. These become the AI's "ground truth." Never ask an AI to teach a topic with no boundaries.

2. Deconstruct Complex Concepts

Upload dense material and ask the AI to explain it using the Feynman Technique (see below) or to build comparison tables contrasting related theories, mechanisms, or frameworks.

3. Generate Active Recall Materials

Passive reading underperforms. Use the ACTS prompt model (Assign a Role, Context, Task, Specify Constraints) to generate flashcards, fill-in-the-blank items, and vignette-style questions.

4. Verify and Cross-Reference ("Trust but Verify")

AI can misstate nuance. Review every AI-generated item and cross-check against your syllabus, textbooks, or professor guidance before you trust it.

5. Iterate and Test (Interactive Tutoring)

Turn the AI into a live tutor: "Test me one question at a time. Wait for my answer, give a hint if I'm wrong, then explain."

Prompt Engineering in Practice

Turn dense material into high-yield study tools.

Build every prompt with the ACTS model:

A — Assign a Role

"Act as a strict board examiner who challenges graduate-level clinical reasoning."

C — Context

"I am studying the attached lecture notes on cardiovascular physiology and pathology."

T — Task

"Generate 10 clinical vignette questions that test diagnosis, management, and rationale."

S — Specify Constraints

"Base this only on the provided text, include rationale, and cite source sections."

The ACTS method helps students create focused, accurate, and course-aligned study guides by giving AI clear roles, context, tasks, and constraints.

How to Use the Feynman Technique

Since the root of this technique involves explaining the concept, you could execute it in a number of ways — including literally grabbing a friend and explaining to them what you're learning. However, you don't always have willing friends at hand, so here's the simpler method that just involves a sheet of paper.

1. Step 1:Grab a sheet of paper and write the name of the concept at the top. You can use pretty much any concept or idea — even though the technique is named after Feynman, it's not limited solely to math and science.

2. Step 2:Explain the concept in your own words as if you were teaching it to someone else. Focus on using plain, simple language. Don't limit your explanation to a simple definition or a broad overview; challenge yourself to work through an example or two as well to ensure you can put the concept into action.

3. Step 3:Review your explanation and identify the areas where you didn't know something or where you feel your explanation is shaky. Once you've pinpointed them, go back to the source material, your notes, or any examples you can find in order to shore up your understanding.

4. Step 4:If there are any areas in your explanation where you've used lots of technical terms or complex language, challenge yourself to rewrite these sections in simpler terms. Make sure your explanation could be understood by someone without the knowledge base you believe you already have.

Source: Thomas Frank, How to Use the Feynman Technique to Learn Faster (With Examples), College Info Geek, last updated August 30, 2021.

Example Prompts You Can Copy and Adapt

Flashcard Generation

"Act as a tutor. I am pasting my notes below. Convert them into a two-column table for flashcards — Column 1 the term/concept, Column 2 a concise, high-yield answer. [Paste notes]"

Case / Vignette Practice

"Based on the attached material, generate 5 case studies. For each, describe the scenario, then ask: 1) most likely conclusion, 2) priority action. Provide an answer key at the end."

Concept Simplification

"I'm struggling to understand [topic]. Explain it as if I'm a first-year graduate student, using a numbered list and a real-world analogy to make it easier to understand."

Ground Your AI In

• Course syllabi and lecture slides

• Verified databases (e.g., UpToDate/ClinicalKey)

• Required textbooks

• Institutional review question banks

Top AI Study Tools

• Google NotebookLM:Grounded guides

• Claude:Huge context for full slide decks

• ChatGPT:Interactive Socratic tutoring

• Quizlet AI:Instant flashcards

• Perplexity:Cited concept explanations

Source: "AI for Creating Study Guides"