Prompt Engineering for Responsible Generative AI Use in African Education: A Report from a Three-Day Training Series

2026-01-04

arXiv.org

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of context-sensitive and ethically grounded guidance on generative AI prompt engineering for educators in resource-constrained African settings. Through a three-day online training program employing a progressive “Foundations–Application–Ethics” instructional design, the project reconceptualizes prompt engineering as an AI literacy practice that integrates ethical awareness, contextual sensitivity, and pedagogical judgment, incorporating innovative strategies such as role-based prompting. Drawing on registration questionnaires, interaction logs, observation notes, and transcribed texts from 468 participants across multiple African countries, and analyzed via descriptive statistics and computational-assisted qualitative methods, the findings indicate a significant improvement in participants’ understanding of prompt engineering. The study further identifies persistent challenges related to localized materials, access conditions, and institutional support, and recommends the systematic integration of prompt literacy into educational curricula.

Technology Category

• Natural Language Processing: Prompt Engineering / Prompting
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Bias, Fairness & Equity
• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Fairness and ethical considerations in crowd work and in human-in-the-loop AI systems
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Search Tool Learning with LLM: Teaching LLMs to invoke search and make use of retrieved information

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools are increasingly adopted in education, yet many educators lack structured guidance on responsible and context sensitive prompt engineering, particularly in African and other resource constrained settings. This case report documents a three day online professional development programme organised by Generative AI for Education and Research in Africa (GenAI-ERA), designed to strengthen educators and researchers capacity to apply prompt engineering ethically for academic writing, teaching, and research. The programme engaged 468 participants across multiple African countries, including university educators, postgraduate students, and researchers. The training followed a scaffolded progression from foundational prompt design to applied and ethical strategies, including persona guided interactions. Data sources comprised registration surveys, webinar interaction records, facilitator observations, and session transcripts, analysed using descriptive statistics and computationally supported qualitative techniques. Findings indicate that participants increasingly conceptualised prompt engineering as a form of AI literacy requiring ethical awareness, contextual sensitivity, and pedagogical judgement rather than technical skill alone. The case highlights persistent challenges related to access, locally relevant training materials, and institutional support. The report recommends sustained professional development and the integration of prompt literacy into curricula to support responsible GenAI use in African education systems.

Problem

• prompt engineering
• responsible AI
• African education
• AI literacy
• generative AI

Innovation

• prompt engineering
• responsible AI
• AI literacy
• context-sensitive design
• professional development