Trial Run

Trial Run: The Prompt Laboratory

Testing Your Voice

In the digital age, anyone can generate a wall of text with a single click. The real skill—the one that will get you hired or build an audience—is knowing how to shape those words to fit a specific "voice" and "vibe".

This assignment is your "laboratory." You are going to use your AI assistant to experiment with different writing styles, seeing which ones actually connect with your target audience and which ones fall flat.


Phase 1: Defining the "Who" and the "How"

Before you start prompting, you need a clear target:

  • The Audience Persona: Review your "Three-Adjective Audience" from the planning unit. Ask your AI: "What are the top 5 communication preferences for [your audience] when watching YouTube/TikTok?"
  • The Voice Imitation: Pick a well-known personality, creator, or even a fictional character whose style fits your brand. Ask the AI: "Provide a list of specific linguistic characteristics for someone who writes in the style of [Personality Name]".

Phase 2: Script Iteration

Now, take the three timelines you created in your Planning assignment and turn them into full scripts.

  1. Generate Three Versions: For each timeline, ask the AI to write a script using different voices or topics. Use the voice instructions you gathered in Phase 1.
  2. The Critique: As you read the results, notice what feels "robotic" and what feels "authentic".
  3. The Master Prompt: Create a "Quality Checklist" for your AI. This should include instructions on tone (e.g., "Use more Canadian slang" or "Keep sentences short and punchy"), voice, and any "no-go" zones.

Phase 3: Final Production

  1. The Final Script: Create a "Master Script" for your favourite timeline. You can combine the best parts of the AI versions, or write it from scratch if inspiration strikes!
  2. Record the Pilot: Use Canva’s "Present and Record" or your phone to record yourself performing this script.
  3. The Process Video: Record a screencast walking me through your Google Doc.
    • Show me the "before and after" of your prompts.
    • Explain why you rejected certain AI suggestions.
    • Tell me what you’ll change for your actual "Social Media Profile" videos in the next unit.

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤
    Pre-Submission Self-Assessment Google Doc
  • 📤

    Google Doc including:

    • Audience profile and identified preferences
    • 3 scripts per timeline, including the prompts and "voice" instructions used
    • A final "Master Script" for your favourite format
  • 📤

    A video/screencast detailing your process, iterations, and recording

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Write effectively for a specified audience using appropriate digital forms and conventions

  • 🎯

    Revise and refine written products through iterative AI prompting

  • 🎯

    Identify limitations or biases in AI-generated output and make purposeful human-led changes

  • 🎯

    Explain and evaluate the strategies used to adapt AI output for a specific brand voice

Success Criteria

I can:

  • demonstrate my understanding of writing conventions and use diction appropriate for my brand

    Expectations Covered: W2
  • identify a realistic target audience and select media forms that appeal to their preferences

    Expectations Covered: MS3
  • refine my writing across multiple iterations to move past generic AI outputs

    Expectations Covered: MS4
  • clearly explain my reasoning and evaluation of how different prompts affected the final script

    Expectations Covered: MS4

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge/Understanding Demonstrates a thorough and sophisticated range of writing conventions and brand-voice strategies Demonstrates a considerable range of writing conventions and strategies Demonstrates some knowledge of writing conventions and strategies Demonstrates limited knowledge of writing conventions
Thinking/Inquiring Matches audience preferences and writing strategies with a high degree of effectiveness and insight Effectively matches audience and writing strategies Somewhat matches audience and writing strategies Matches audience and writing strategies with limited effectiveness
Application Refines writing over multiple iterations with a high degree of skill, significantly improving the AI's base output Refines writing over multiple iterations with considerable effectiveness Refines writing over multiple iterations with some effectiveness Refines writing with limited effectiveness
Communication Communicates the rationale for prompt changes and editorial decisions with a high degree of clarity and professional polish Communicates rationale with considerable clarity Communicates rationale with some clarity Communicates rationale with limited clarity
Knowledge/Understanding
Level 4

Demonstrates a thorough and sophisticated range of writing conventions and brand-voice strategies

Level 3

Demonstrates a considerable range of writing conventions and strategies

Level 2

Demonstrates some knowledge of writing conventions and strategies

Level 1

Demonstrates limited knowledge of writing conventions

Thinking/Inquiring
Level 4

Matches audience preferences and writing strategies with a high degree of effectiveness and insight

Level 3

Effectively matches audience and writing strategies

Level 2

Somewhat matches audience and writing strategies

Level 1

Matches audience and writing strategies with limited effectiveness

Application
Level 4

Refines writing over multiple iterations with a high degree of skill, significantly improving the AI's base output

Level 3

Refines writing over multiple iterations with considerable effectiveness

Level 2

Refines writing over multiple iterations with some effectiveness

Level 1

Refines writing with limited effectiveness

Communication
Level 4

Communicates the rationale for prompt changes and editorial decisions with a high degree of clarity and professional polish

Level 3

Communicates rationale with considerable clarity

Level 2

Communicates rationale with some clarity

Level 1

Communicates rationale with limited clarity