Learning Objectives

• Explain what Claude is, how it works at a conceptual level, and how it differs from tools like ChatGPT or Gemini
• Write clear, well-structured prompts that produce accurate and useful responses
• Use Claude to draft, revise, and improve business documents such as emails, reports, and summaries
• Apply Claude to analyze and summarize lengthy documents or datasets in plain text form
• Conduct structured research tasks using Claude while recognizing its limitations and potential for error
• Identify the types of tasks where Claude performs reliably and where human review is essential
• Recognize Anthropic’s approach to AI safety and how it shapes Claude’s behavior and refusals
• Apply basic prompt techniques including role assignment, context setting, and iterative refinement
• Establish personal guidelines for responsible and effective use of Claude in a professional setting

Course Outline

Module 1: What Is Claude and How Does It Work

This module establishes a working understanding of Claude without requiring technical depth. Students learn what a large language model is in plain terms, how Claude was developed by Anthropic, and what sets it apart from other AI assistants in terms of design philosophy and intended behavior. The module covers Anthropic’s Constitutional AI approach and why Claude is built to decline certain requests or express uncertainty. Students also get oriented to the Claude interface, account access, and the difference between Claude.ai and API-based deployments.

Module 2: Prompting Fundamentals

This module covers the core skill of the course: writing prompts that produce useful, accurate, and appropriately scoped responses. Students learn the components of an effective prompt, including context, instruction, format guidance, and constraints. Common prompting mistakes are examined alongside corrected examples. The module introduces practical techniques such as assigning Claude a role, providing background information, specifying output length or format, and breaking complex requests into steps. Students practice writing and refining prompts for realistic workplace scenarios.

Module 3: Writing and Communication Tasks

This module focuses on using Claude for the writing tasks most common in business environments. Students work through examples involving email drafting, meeting summaries, internal memos, status updates, and professional correspondence. The module also covers using Claude to improve existing writing through editing, tone adjustment, and plain-language rewriting. Students learn how to give Claude source material to work from and how to review and validate Claude’s output before sending or publishing it.

Module 4: Summarization, Analysis, and Research Support

This module addresses Claude’s usefulness for processing and making sense of large amounts of text. Students learn how to paste documents, reports, or data into Claude and request structured summaries, key takeaways, comparisons, or question-and-answer sessions against that content. The module also covers using Claude to assist with research tasks such as generating outlines, explaining unfamiliar concepts, comparing options, or drafting literature-style overviews. Emphasis is placed on verifying Claude’s outputs and understanding where hallucination or omission risks are highest.

Module 5: Claude’s Limits, Safety Behaviors, and Responsible Use

This module addresses what Claude will and will not do, and why that matters in a business context. Students learn to recognize refusals, hedged responses, and uncertainty signals, and understand how to interpret them rather than work around them. The module covers data privacy considerations when pasting sensitive business content into Claude, appropriate use policies, and how to think about AI-generated content in regulated or high-stakes contexts. Students discuss scenarios where Claude should support but not replace human judgment.

Module 6: Building Claude Into Your Workflow

The final module helps students move from isolated exercises to sustainable daily use. Students identify two or three specific tasks in their own roles where Claude can save time or improve output quality, then draft prompt templates for those use cases. The module covers strategies for maintaining quality control, iterating on prompts over time, and sharing effective practices with teammates. The day closes with a review of key concepts and an open Q&A session.