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ChatGPT as a Thinking and Planning Partner

Lesson 1: Surfacing Hidden Assumptions

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

  • Use the assumption audit technique to expose hidden reasoning dependencies
  • Distinguish load-bearing from incidental assumptions
  • Test specific assumptions using evidence-seeking prompts
  • Understand the difference between ChatGPT surfacing assumptions and validating them

Lesson Content

Why hidden assumptions are dangerous.

Every plan rests on assumptions. Some are safe to leave implicit. Others are load-bearing: if they turn out to be wrong, the entire plan fails. The problem is not making assumptions – you cannot avoid them. The problem is making critical assumptions without knowing you are making them.

The assumption audit.

"I am going to share a plan. Identify the hidden assumptions – things I have taken for granted that would need to be true for this plan to succeed. Categorize them as: (1) probably safe (widely true, easily verified), (2) should be tested (uncertain, possible to check), and (3) load-bearing (would cause the plan to fail if wrong). Here is the plan: [your plan]."

Load-bearing assumptions deserve special attention.

A load-bearing assumption is one where: if wrong, the plan does not just get harder – it fails. Most plans have one or two load-bearing assumptions that feel so obvious they go unexamined. These are exactly the ones that cause expensive failures.

Testing assumptions with evidence-seeking prompts.

"I am assuming [assumption]. What evidence would support or contradict this? What would I need to investigate to know whether this assumption is valid? What do we typically find when this assumption has been tested in similar situations?"

The difference between surfacing and validating.

ChatGPT can identify what your assumptions are – it cannot validate whether they are true in your specific context. Validating requires real-world investigation: talking to people, reviewing actual data, testing at small scale. Use ChatGPT to identify which assumptions need validation – then go validate them in the real world.

Jamie Practice Lab

Before moving to the quiz, complete this short applied exercise:

  1. Write one realistic ChatGPT prompt that applies the main idea from Surfacing Hidden Assumptions to your own work, learning, or daily life.
  2. Add one safety or verification step you would take before acting on ChatGPT's response.
  3. Revise the prompt once to include clearer context, constraints, or success criteria.

Instructor check: A strong answer should show practical use, human review, and awareness that ChatGPT output is assistance – not automatic truth or professional advice.

Added Quiz Enhancement

question_id: auto-enhancement-surfacing-hidden-assumptions-qjamie001 question_type: short_answer difficulty: applied question: Write one prompt you could use after this lesson, then name one verification or human-review step you would apply before relying on the result. correct_answer: Answers will vary; a strong answer includes a clear task, relevant context, at least one constraint or desired format, and a realistic verification or human-review step based on the stakes of the task. answer_explanation: This applied question checks whether the student can transfer the lesson into real use while maintaining responsible AI habits.

Lesson Quiz

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