Thinking Out Loud
When and how to activate chain-of-thought reasoning. For simple tasks, it adds latency. For complex decisions, it catches errors the fast version misses. A hiring plan that falls four features short of target. A pricing strategy with a hidden margin gap.
60 minutes
Power users
Prerequisite: Module 05
Learning Objectives
- Understand chain-of-thought and extended thinking
- See the concrete difference on three problems of increasing complexity
- Know when NOT to use step-by-step reasoning
- Apply chain-of-thought to a real complex decision
Session Timing
| Segment | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
Opening | Framing: when to ask for the answer vs. the reasoning | 5 min |
Demo | Vendor decision, hiring plan, pricing strategy — with and without CoT | 25 min |
Counter-Demo | Three simple tasks where chain-of-thought adds nothing | 5 min |
Exercise | Apply chain-of-thought to a real complex decision from work | 15 min |
Debrief | What did step-by-step catch that quick missed? | 10 min |
Demo Data
Download before the session. Run every prompt yourself first so nothing surprises you at the projector.