The author acknowledges the limited use of AI-assisted tools in the preparation of the tutorial for Gemini. Specifically, Gemini was used to help outline sections. AI-generated material was critically evaluated by the human author. The author affirms that all ideas, substantive analysis, interpretations, and conclusions presented on this page are the result of human intellectual effort.
AI is not perfect, nor is it a substitute for critical thinking. When used ethically, AI can be a great support, helping you to finish tasks more quickly. AI will always try to do what you ask it to do. Any bias that you put in your prompt will be used in its searching and creation. If you put in misinformation and ask AI to write you an argument defending something impossible or unscientific, it will do so even if it has to make things up to help you.
Gemini is Google's LLM (large language model). Other, well-known, LLMs include Chat GPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Llama (Meta), and Mistral Large (Mistral AI). An LLM uses machine learning to understand and generate human language. The University of South Alabama has institutional access to Gemini. So everything that you upload and questions that you ask are behind the same firewall as your Google Drive documents.
You can create your own custom chatbot in Gemini called a Gem. Here's a guide on how to create a custom Gemini Gem and how to write effective prompts to get the best results.
Step 1: Access Gemini Gems
Log in to your Jagmail account. Go to the drop down at the upper right and choose Gemini
A new window will open. On the left side of the screen, click Explore Gems, then select New Gem.
Step 2: Give Your Gem a Name and Instructions
Name: Give your Gem a name that reminds you of its purpose, such as "EE 401 Research Assistant" or "Keyword Brainstormer."
Instructions: In the instructions box, tell the Gem what you want it to do. You'll want to include a persona, a clear task, and the necessary context. Here's a set of instructions you can use:
Persona: "You are a research assistant specializing in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Your goal is to help me brainstorm keywords and phrases for my research project."
Task: "Your task is to analyze the provided project description and generate a list of at least 15 keywords and keyword phrases that I can use to search for academic papers, patents, and technical reports in library databases like IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar."
Context: "The keywords should be based on the provided project description. You should include a mix of technical terms, acronyms, and broader concepts. The project is for an undergraduate writing-intensive course, EE 401, at the University of South Alabama."
Step 3: Upload the Assignment
After writing your instructions, click Add files and upload your assignment document. For this class, you will upload the project that you have chosen to work on to the Gem the specific context it needs. This may be on of the suggested projects that Dr. Touma has given out. You can also add Google Docs if something is saved in your drive.
Step 4: Save and Test
Click Save to finalize your Gem. You can now use the prompt window on the right to test it out.
Now that you have your custom Gem, you need to know how to talk to it. The key is to provide a specific, clear prompt.
A good prompt uses the "persona, task, context, and format" framework to get a precise response. It gives Gemini all the information it needs to understand your request and deliver the best results.
Good Prompt Example: "I am working on the 'Solar Powered FPGA-Based Drone Detector' project from the suggested projects list. I need keywords for a literature review. Generate a list of at least 15 keywords and keyword phrases. Provide the keywords in a bulleted list format."
Why this is a strong prompt:
It names the specific project, which is in the uploaded document.
It states the task clearly: "Generate a list of at least 15 keywords and keyword phrases."
It specifies the purpose: "for a literature review."
It requests a specific format: "a bulleted list."
A poor prompt is vague and lacks context. This often leads to a generic or unhelpful response. The Gem might ask for more information or give you a list that is too broad to be useful.
Poor Prompt Example: "Give me keywords for my project."
Why this is a poor prompt:
Vague: The prompt doesn't specify which project you're working on.
No context: The Gem doesn't know what kind of project it is, what the goal is, or what you'll be using the keywords for.
No format: It doesn't tell the Gem how to present the information, so you might get a long, unorganized paragraph instead of a clear list.
By following these instructions, you'll be able to create a powerful tool to help you with the research portion of your EE 401 writing-intensive assignments. Happy researching!