Interactive Media and Creativity - Research Reports with Perplexity AI

Research Reports with Perplexity AI teaches students to use AI-powered research tools with the critical eye of a skilled investigator—combining the speed of AI search with the rigor of traditional research methods. This is not a lesson in letting AI do the research; it's a lesson in using AI to research better.

Students begin by exploring how Perplexity AI differs from traditional search engines: it synthesizes information from multiple sources and presents summarized answers with citations, rather than returning a list of links. That capability is powerful—and it introduces new risks around accuracy, source selection, and the compression of complex ideas into simple summaries.

Students conduct research on a topic of their choice, generating summaries and source lists with Perplexity AI, then working systematically through a verification process: checking whether sources say what Perplexity claims they say, evaluating the credibility and currency of cited materials, and identifying gaps or misrepresentations in the AI's synthesis.

The lesson places Perplexity AI in the broader landscape of research tools, helping students understand how to use it effectively alongside—not instead of—databases, primary sources, and human expertise.

Students leave with a completed research report, a source verification log, and a replicable research process that integrates AI tools without surrendering critical judgment.

ISTE Standards 1 and 3 aligned.