AI 101
What it is, what it can do for you, how to use it, and which platform to pick.
How a Large Language Model Works
The AI tools you hear about — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — are built on Large Language Models (LLMs). Despite what it feels like, they don't actually understand what they're saying. They are incredibly powerful pattern-matching systems trained on vast quantities of text.
Think of it as the world's most well-read autocomplete. It has absorbed so much human writing that it has learned, with remarkable precision, how language tends to flow — which ideas connect, how arguments are built, what different tones sound like.
That makes it genuinely useful for studying and creating. It also means it has real limits: it doesn't know your specific class, it can confidently state things that are wrong, and it can't do your thinking for you — only simulate what thinking looks like.
How it works — step by step
Training on Text
An LLM is trained on billions of pages of text — books, websites, articles, code. It learns statistical patterns: which words and ideas tend to follow others.
Tokens, Not Words
AI doesn't read words the way you do. It breaks language into "tokens" (roughly syllables or short word-chunks) and processes them as numbers.
Next-Token Prediction
Given a sequence of tokens, the model picks the statistically most likely next token — over and over — until it has produced a full response.
No Memory or Understanding
Each conversation starts fresh. The model has no beliefs, emotions, or awareness. It pattern-matches from training data — powerfully, but nothing more.
The basic loop
The text you type in
Predicts the most likely next tokens
Generated one token at a time
AIdoesn'tthink.Itpredicts.
How Students Can Use It
AI is most powerful as a thinking partner and first-draft engine — not as a shortcut around doing the work.
Study & Review
Turn your notes into flashcards, quizzes, or summaries. Ask it to explain a concept five different ways until one clicks.
Writing Support
Get feedback on your drafts, brainstorm arguments, or work through a structure before you start writing. AI works best as a writing coach, not a ghostwriter.
Research Starting Point
Quickly get an overview of an unfamiliar topic, generate research questions, or understand the key debates — then verify everything with real sources.
Explaining Hard Concepts
Paste in a paragraph you don't understand and ask it to explain it simply, use an analogy, or give you a concrete example.
Brainstorming
Generate ideas for projects, essays, presentations, or creative work. AI is great at producing options you can filter and build on.
Language & Communication
Practise a language, improve your phrasing, translate text, or get grammar feedback — useful for both native speakers and language learners.
What AI Cannot Do
These aren't temporary bugs — they're fundamental to how LLMs work. Knowing the limits is what separates smart AI use from lazy AI use.
Verify its own facts — AI confidently produces errors ("hallucinations")
Do your thinking for you — submitting AI output as your own work defeats the purpose of learning
Access the internet in real-time (unless the platform has a search feature)
Know your course requirements, rubric, or teacher's expectations unless you tell it
Maintain memory between separate conversations
Replace the depth of understanding you build by working through something yourself
UseAItothinkmore,notless.
The RTCF Framework
A prompt is an instruction. The quality of what you get back depends almost entirely on the quality of what you give the model to work with.
Role
Tell the AI who or what it should act as.
"You are a patient tutor explaining to a high school student."
Task
State exactly what you want it to do.
"Explain the causes of World War I."
Context
Give it the details it needs to help you well.
"I'm studying for a Year 11 History exam. I already understand nationalism but struggle with the alliance system."
Format
Specify how you want the output structured.
"Give me a bullet-point summary I can use as revision notes, max 200 words."
Weak vs. Strong Prompts
Weak — Understanding a Concept
Explain photosynthesis.
Strong — Understanding a Concept
You are a science tutor. Explain photosynthesis to a Year 10 student who understands basic chemistry but finds biology confusing. Use a simple analogy, then give me a 3-bullet summary I can add to my revision notes.
Weak — Essay Feedback
Is my essay good?
Strong — Essay Feedback
You are an experienced writing tutor. Read my essay below and give me three specific pieces of feedback. Focus on argument clarity and how well I use evidence. Do not rewrite anything for me — just tell me what to improve and why. [paste your essay here]
Weak — Exam Preparation
Help me study for my history exam.
Strong — Exam Preparation
I have a Year 11 History exam on the causes of World War I in three days. Generate 10 short-answer practice questions that match the style of GCSE/IB exams. After I answer each one, give me brief feedback on what I got right and what I missed.
Prompt Templates
Copy and adapt these for common student tasks. Fill in the bracketed placeholders with your specific details before sending.
Abetterpromptisabetterquestion.
Choosing the Right Tool
There is no single best platform. The right choice depends on the task, what your school provides, and what you already use.
ChatGPT
OpenAI
Strengths
- Versatile across all tasks
- Huge library of tutorials and examples online
- Voice input and image analysis
- Custom GPTs for specific subjects
Claude
Anthropic
Strengths
- Best for reading and analysing long texts
- Nuanced, high-quality writing feedback
- Follows complex multi-step instructions very well
- Safety-focused and careful with sensitive topics
Gemini
Strengths
- Built into Google Docs, Drive, and Gmail
- Real-time web access for current information
- Works with images, audio, and video
- Free with a Google account
Copilot
Microsoft
Strengths
- Built into Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Teams
- Available free in Edge and Bing
- Good for structuring documents and presentations
- Education licensing at many schools
Perplexity
Perplexity AI
Strengths
- Every answer includes inline citations
- Real-time web search built in
- Great for research starting points
- Shows you where to look next
A note on choosing
If you do your schoolwork in Google Docs, start with Gemini — it lives right inside your documents. If your school uses Microsoft 365, Copilot is already available in Word and PowerPoint. For pure studying and writing help, ChatGPT has the largest community and most tutorials online. For research where you need real sources, Perplexity is hard to beat.
Want to Learn More?
Helicon offers programs and resources for students looking to use AI with confidence and integrity. Get in touch to find out more.