FROM SEARCH ENGINES TO ANSWER ENGINES: A NETNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF PROMPT ENGINEERING AS A COGNITIVE LITERACY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Description
The rapid proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has catalyzed a paradigm shift in academic information-seeking behavior. Traditional keyword-based retrieval is increasingly superseded by synthesized "Answer Engines." This study utilizes a qualitative netnographic methodology to investigate the emergent phenomenon of Prompt Engineering as a critical cognitive literacy among undergraduate students. By analyzing N=30 distinct digital narratives from academic forums, the research identifies a functional partitioning between Google Gemini and OpenAI ChatGPT. The findings reveal that students are transitioning from passive information consumers to active "Instruction Designers," employing sophisticated output verification strategies to mitigate AI toward "Model Selection Literacy" in university curricula.