Lead Researcher: Dr. Jean Marie Ntsama (University of Copenhagen / University of Yaoundé I)
Primary Supervisor: Prof. Daniel Spikol (UCPH, Denmark)
Secondment Supervisor: Prof. Marcelo Worsley (Northwestern University, USA)
Institutional Partner: MINESEC — Regional Delegation of Secondary Education, Adamaoua
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0)
By the end of the workshop, the learner will be able to:
Principle: Artificial Intelligence is used not to do the work for the student, but as a benevolent mirror.
Golden Rule: If the AI can draw exactly what the student imagined, the description was clear. If the AI “misunderstands,” the text lacked precision. The error is not a fault; it is data for improvement.
Step 1 — Anchoring and Inspiration (10 min)
The teacher recalls the studied literary work (e.g., Cœur du Sahel, Tendani Ito, or a local folktale). Create a collective “Word Bank” on the board (e.g., mud walls, thatch, bamboo, ochre red, clay pots). Prompt: “Describe this place or character as if you had to make someone see it who has never been to our village.”
Step 2 — The First Draft (15 min)
Students individually write a short descriptive paragraph (8 to 10 lines).
Precision Prompt: “Use at least 3 colors, 2 geometric shapes, and describe an action or an emotion.”
Teacher role: Circulate to unblock struggling students (vocabulary, spelling).
Step 3 — AI Confrontation (15 min)
The teacher selects 3 or 4 student texts and inputs them into an AI image generator on their smartphone. Projection/Restitution: Show the generated image to the class.
The Debate (Short Loop): “Does the image match the author’s intention? Why did the AI misunderstand?”
Step 4 — Revision (15 min)
Students revise their own texts, enriching them based on the class debate. Prompt: “Add two precise details that the AI missed or misunderstood in the examples.”
Step 5 — Synthesis and Valorization (5 min)
Read aloud 2 or 3 revised texts. Conclusion: “Your words have the power to create images. The more precise you are, the more you are the masters of your story.”
For struggling learners (dyslexia, attention disorders): Do not penalize spelling mistakes in the first draft. Provide a bank of images or keywords on the board.
For advanced/fast learners: Ask them to add a temporal dimension (changing light) or complex emotional nuance (nostalgia, pride).
| Criterion | Success Indicators | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Lexical Precision | Use of specific vocabulary (materials, colors, spatial) | /6 |
| Spatial Structure | The place is described in an organized manner (left/right, foreground/background) | /5 |
| Narrative Coherence | Clear intention, coherent action or emotion | /5 |
| Self-Revision | Evidence of improvement after AI confrontation | /4 |
This brief is part of the Cognitive Trapeze research project and operationalizes the following concepts:
👉 Download the full methodological brief (PDF)