Skills and strategies for using Generative AI
The Open University
Last updated August 30, 2026
Skills and strategies for using Generative AI covers two skills in equal depth: prompting, so a tool returns what you actually asked for, and reviewing, so you can tell whether the answer is safe to use. Around those sits the judgment the course puts first — deciding whether a generative tool is the right instrument for the task at all. It works toward being able to take a real legal task to a large language model with a defensible check on the output. It is part of AI Law and Legal Training, a free collection on OpenLearn Create for advice and legal contexts. A self-paced course of around three hours including a short quiz; enrolling is free.
Part 2 of 8 in AI Law and Legal Training
- Understanding Generative AI
- Skills and strategies for using Generative AI (you are here)
- Key considerations for successful Generative AI adoption
- Use cases for Generative AI
- Ethical and responsible use of Generative AI
- Navigating risk management
- Understanding legal regulation and compliance
- Preparing for tomorrow: horizon scanning and AI literacy
What you'll learn
- Deciding whether a generative AI tool is the right choice for a given task
- Prompting a large language model so the output matches the request
- Evaluating an answer for accuracy and reliability before acting on it
- Working through a legal task with a large language model end to end
Frequently asked questions about Skills and strategies for using Generative AI
Who is Skills and strategies for using Generative AI for?
Advisers, legal professionals and law students who have the basics and now want a dependable working method for prompting and for checking what comes back.
Is Skills and strategies for using Generative AI free?
Yes — Skills and strategies for using Generative AI is completely free to take.
What are the prerequisites for Skills and strategies for using Generative AI?
Assumes you already understand how generative AI and large language models work; the AI Law and Legal Training collection recommends taking Understanding Generative AI first.
Does Skills and strategies for using Generative AI offer a certificate?
Yes. Digital badge and course certificate, awarded on completing all sections and passing the course quiz.
Why we suggest this course
Prompting courses are easy to find; courses that spend as much time on checking the answer are not, and in legal work the review half is exactly where the risk sits. The pairing is the point — the course assumes every output has to be evaluated for accuracy and reliability before it goes anywhere near a client. AI Law and Legal Training is funded by UKRI Responsible AI and built by The Open University and the University of Lincoln with Citizens Advice, with support from lawyers at Fieldfisher, Mishcon de Reya and Browne Jacobson.