You can interact with Copilot for Web by entering prompts into the box on the page:
There will be some examples prompts which you can use displayed on the starting page or you can click onto “View prompts” on the upper right of the text box.
When learning to create prompts and getting started, remember that prompting is more than just a search – treat it more like a conversation which you can keep refining.
There is support for creating prompts.
Consider 4 stages of the prompt:
Goal (What do you want to get from the Copilot?)
Context (Why do you need it?)
Source (What sources of information should be used?)
Expectations (What format do you want the output to be in?)
For example:
Goal: I am a second year University student researching the Industrial revolution.
Context: Please provide a historical list of the key dates that I need to research.
Source: Use academic sources rather than generic media.
Expectations: Provide the output as a list.
You would enter the prompt as a complete paragraph into Copilot:
“I am a second year University student researching the Industrial revolution. Please provide a historical list of the key dates that I need to research. Use academic sources rather than generic media. Provide the output as a list”
Copilot will provide a list of the references it has used to generate the result along with further suggested iterative prompts which you may wish to use. You can also type in further questions to refine the search as needed.
Don’t worry if you do not get it correct first time – you can always refine the question later.
When you have finished with the topic then just click onto “New Chat” at the top of the page to start a new conversation.
Remember: Before using Copilot to help you complete an assessment, you should always check and follow your assessment brief and your tutor's guidance on the use of AI tools. There is more information about using AI as part of your studies.