✨AI Enhanced  Activity: Synthesizing Research

Christala Smith

41 ✨AI Enhanced Activity: Synthesizing Research

Instructions:

Formulate Your Research Question:
- Write down the research question you’ve been exploring.
Summarize Your Research Findings:
- Briefly summarize the key findings and ideas from your research.
- Create a list of these findings.
Create Your Mind Map:
- Independently create a mind map based on your research findings.
- Place your research question in the center.
- Arrange your research findings around the center, drawing lines to visually represent the connections you see between them.
AI Interactive Synthesis Dialogue (One Insight at a Time):
- Use an AI writing tool.
- Begin a dialogue with the AI by sharing one insight derived from your mind map and your research.
- Explain the connection you see between your findings and your reasoning.
- If available, share a quote or paraphrase that led to the insight.
- Explicitly instruct the AI to ask questions and engage in a dialogue to help you further process the information you’ve collected.
  
  Example Student Input:
  
  “My research question is: [Your Research Question]. Based on my research, I’ve noticed that [Finding A] is connected to [Finding B], as shown in my mind map. This suggests to me that [Your Insight]. [Quote or Paraphrase related to the insight]. Please evaluate whether this insight demonstrates effective synthesis of the findings. Then, ask me a probing question that will help me further develop this connection and explore its implications. Do not provide your own analysis or answers. Focus on asking questions that encourage me to think deeper.“
Student Response and Iteration:
- Respond to the AI’s question, providing further explanation and analysis.
- Explicitly instruct the AI to continue asking questions.
- Continue this back-and-forth dialogue until you’ve thoroughly explored the connection.
Repeat the Dialogue:
- Choose another insight derived from your mind map and repeat the interactive dialogue with the AI, using the same explicit instructions for questioning.
Develop Your Argument (Based on Dialogue):
- Based on your discussion with the AI and your refined mind map, identify the central argument or thesis that emerges from your research.
Reflection:
- Write a short reflection on your experience.
- Discuss how the interactive AI dialogue helped you:
  - Analyze and synthesize your research findings.
  - Develop and refine your argument.
  - Gain a deeper understanding of your research topic.
- How did the interactive questioning process lead to a stronger argument than just generating a list of questions or having the AI provide answers?

Discussion Option

Synthesizing Research Through Peer Dialogue

This week, you’ll engage in a three-part discussion designed to help you synthesize your research, explore connections between ideas, and begin developing your central argument. You will collaborate with your peers to ask deep questions, challenge assumptions, and refine each other’s insights.

Part 1: Initial Post – Share Your Research and an Insight

Due by _________

In your initial post, complete the following steps:

State Your Research Question
Clearly share the research question you’ve been exploring.
Summarize Key Findings
Briefly summarize what you’ve learned so far in a list of 5–7 key points or findings.
Share Your Mind Map
Create a mind map based on your research.
- Place your research question in the center.
- Surround it with your key findings.
- Draw connecting lines to findings that could be grouped together.
Share One Insight + Ask for Peer Engagement
Choose one insight that emerged from your mind map and explain the connection you saw between ideas that led to it. Then, invite your peers to help you think deeper by writing a prompt for them as you might have if using AI. Here’s an example:

“Here’s one insight from my research: [Insert insight]. It connects [Finding A] and [Finding B], and it made me think [Your Interpretation]. This came from [quote or paraphrase, if applicable]. I’d love your help deepening this idea—what questions or counterpoints would help me explore this more thoroughly?”

Part 2: Peer Responses – Ask Probing Questions

Respond to at least 2 classmates by ___________

Your goal is to support your classmates by helping them deepen their insight. Read their post carefully and respond with thoughtful, open-ended questions and ideas that challenge them to think further. Focus on synthesis, not surface-level agreement. In this activity, they are engaging with you, not with AI. Please engage without the aid of AI these responses.

Consider asking them and yourself:

What might be an alternative interpretation of this connection?
How does this insight relate to [another concept or context]?
Could this insight lead to a potential thesis or argument? If so, how?
What might be missing from this interpretation?

Part 3: Follow-Up – Deepen the Conversation

Reply to the people who responded to your post by __________

Return to your original post and reply to the people who asked you questions. Respond thoughtfully, using their questions as prompts to further develop your insight. You may:

Clarify your thinking
Explore alternative ideas
Identify new connections
Consider implications

If you make a significant shift in thinking or find a new angle, share that!

Final Step: Reflection (To Prepare for Next Week)

After the discussion closes, take a few minutes to reflect in your notes or journal (you do not need to post this part):

What argument or thesis is beginning to emerge from your research?
How did your peers’ questions help you strengthen your insight?
In what ways was this interactive process more helpful than simply listing ideas or having someone provide answers?