Lesson 4: Writing a Report with AI

Goals for This Lesson

Understand the difference between a report and an essay
Experience the report thinking process through dialogue with AI
Learn the flow: theme selection → structure design → arguments and evidence → drafting
Complete the report as a take-home assignment

The aim of this lesson

The goal of today's exercise is to actually experience AI-assisted, dialogue-based report writing. After trying it, reflect on whether this approach works for you — "this suits me" or "I'd rather think and write more on my own." Both choices are valid.

Don't take AI output at face value

The structures, expressions, and evidence that AI suggests are not always accurate or appropriate. AI output may contain factual errors or off-target analysis. Treat everything AI produces as a starting point, and always verify and revise with your own eyes to make sure the content matches your intent and the facts.

1. What Is a Report?

1-1. Essays vs. Reports

	Personal Essay	Academic Report
Purpose	Express what you felt	Convince the reader with analysis
Subject	"I felt that…"	"It can be argued that…"
Evidence	Optional	Required (data, examples, comparisons)
Structure	Free-form	Logical flow: intro → body → conclusion
Style	Casual tone OK	Formal, consistent tone

1-2. Report Writing in the AI Era

AI is good at writing text. However, deciding what to write about, what to argue, and what evidence to use is a human responsibility.

In this lesson, instead of memorizing formatting rules, we'll take an approach of experiencing the thinking process of report writing through dialogue with AI.

Traditional: Memorize tons of rules → Can't remember → Nothing sticks

This lesson: Think through dialogue with AI → Experience the process → Thinking skills remain

Do I really not need to memorize formatting rules?

Reports do have formatting standards (see the appendix at the bottom of this page). What matters most is first thinking about what to write. For formatting, refer to the appendix and "5. Word Formatting Guide".

2. The Report Assignment

Theme

Choose a media work that has most influenced you (game, video, music, app, web service, etc.), analyze the techniques behind its expression, and argue why it captivates people.

Requirements

Item	Details
Topic	Choose one media work that strongly influenced you
Content	Not just opinions — include analysis and arguments
Length	Word document, 3–4 pages in reading view
Visuals	Include at least one screenshot or figure
References	Cite at least one reference source
Submission	Submit as instructed in class
Deadline	Day before the next class

"I like it" is not enough

"I like this work. It's fun." is an essay. A report requires you to analyze why it's engaging and what mechanisms captivate people, supported by evidence.

3. Build Your Report with AI (In-Class Exercise)

Today, you'll use Manus AI (a dedicated skill) to interactively construct the framework of your report.

3-1. Set Up the "Report Writing Companion AI"

First, download the dedicated skill and install it in Manus.

Download the skill:report-writing-companion.zip

Installation steps:

Download report-writing-companion.zip from the link above
Go to manus.im and log in (account created in Lesson 3)
Click "Settings" (bottom-left) → "Skills" → "+ Add" → "Upload Skill"
Select the downloaded zip file to upload it
Open the added "Report Writing Companion" skill
Type "Let's begin" in the chat and send

Free plan usage limits

Manus's free plan uses a credit-based usage limit. Once your credits run out, you won't be able to use it further. Avoid unnecessary back-and-forth and work through the exercise efficiently.

Watch out for the Enter key

In the chat, pressing Enter sends the message immediately. To add a new line, use Shift + Enter instead.

3-2. Phase 1 — Choose Your Theme (10–15 min)

Tell the AI "Let's begin" and it will start asking questions like:

"What media work have you recently been so absorbed in that you lost track of time?"

What to do:

Honestly share a work you truly love
Answer the AI's follow-up questions in your own words
Choose the analysis angle that feels most natural to you

Examples of works you might choose

Mobile games (Genshin Impact, Project SEKAI, Pokémon GO, etc.)
Console games (Zelda, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, etc.)
Social media/apps (TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, LINE, etc.)
Video content (Netflix shows, YouTubers, music videos, anime, etc.)
Music experiences (live streaming, rhythm games, AI playlists, etc.)
Web services (Canva, Notion, Pinterest, Figma, etc.)

3-3. Phase 2 — Design the Structure (10–15 min)

Once your theme is decided, the AI will propose a report outline.

What to do:

Read the proposed structure and consider: "Will this flow make sense to a reader?"
Tell the AI if you want to change anything
Check that your introduction poses a question that your conclusion answers

3-4. Phase 3 — Develop Arguments and Evidence (20–25 min)

This is the most important phase. You'll discuss each section with the AI.

The AI will adapt its questions to each section's nature. Across all sections, the key is these 3 types of questions:

Question	Purpose	Example
Why?	Dig into reasons and evidence	"Why do you think so?"
Specifically?	Turn abstract ideas into concrete details	"Can you point to a specific scene?"
How?	Clarify mechanisms and methods	"How does that feature actually work?"

What to do:

Answer in your own words (it's OK if it's rough)
The AI will rephrase your ideas in academic language — check if the meaning is preserved
If you get stuck, say so — the AI will provide hints and help with research

Types of "evidence"

Specific examples: "In this game, every time you defeat an enemy, there's an effect and sound"
Comparisons: "Similar game A lacks this feature, but game B has it — that difference affects the experience"
Data: "This title sold 10 million copies within its first year"
Theory/concepts: "According to flow theory, the balance between challenge and skill creates immersion"

3-5. Phase 4 — Generate a Draft (10–15 min)

Based on your Phase 3 discussions, the AI generates a draft section by section.

What to do:

Read each draft section and check: "Does this match what I want to say?"
For anything that doesn't feel right, ask the AI to revise it, or rewrite it yourself: "That's not quite what I mean…" or "I'd say it more like…"
Don't accept the AI's output as-is — keep refining until it reads naturally as your own writing
Once all sections are ready, read through the entire report
When you're satisfied, copy the text and paste it into Word

How to export Manus's report to Word

Once all sections are ready, tell Manus: "Please export this as a Word document"
Download the Word file (.docx) Manus generates
Open it in Word and add figures and adjust formatting

3-6. Phase 5 — Export the Dialogue Summary

Finally, tell the AI: "Please output the dialogue summary." This produces:

Your chosen work and theme
Report structure with section summaries
Arguments and evidence for each section
What you discovered through the dialogue

This summary serves as a reflection record of how you chose your theme, what you thought through, and how you built your argument. Once the dialogue is complete, click "Share" in the top-right corner of the chat screen to get a link — this link will be part of your submission.

4. Take-Home Assignment — Complete the Report

4-1. What to Do

Use the content developed during the in-class exercise as a foundation, and finish the report in whatever way works best for you.

Choose the approach that suits you

If you want to keep using AI: Build on the draft from Phase 4 and finish by adding figures, references, and formatting
If you want to write more yourself: Use the structure and ideas from the in-class dialogue as a guide, then rewrite or expand in your own words at your own pace

Either way, what matters most is the quality of the final report.

Outside of class, complete the following finishing tasks:

Add figures
- Include at least one screenshot or image related to the work
- Add a number and title below each figure (e.g., "Figure 1: The game's main interface")
- Reference each figure in the body text (e.g., "Figure 1 shows…")
- See "5. Word Formatting Guide" below for detailed steps
Add references
- List sources cited in your report at the end
- Add citation numbers [1] at reference points in the body text
Polish the formatting
- Apply heading styles, insert page numbers, etc.
- See "5. Word Formatting Guide" for detailed steps

4-2. What to Submit

#	Item	Details
1	Report (Word document)	3–4 pages with figures and references
2	Dialogue chat link	A sharing link obtained from "Share" (top-right) in Manus

How to get the dialogue chat link

In Phase 5, ask Manus: "Please output the dialogue summary"
Once the summary is displayed, click "Share" in the top-right corner of the chat screen
Copy the link that appears and submit it alongside your report

Pre-submission checklist

[ ] Does your report contain analysis and arguments (not just opinions)?
[ ] Is each argument supported by evidence (examples, comparisons, data)?
[ ] Does the conclusion answer the question posed in the introduction?
[ ] Are figures included with numbers and titles?
[ ] Are references listed?
[ ] Is the writing style formal and consistent?
[ ] Have you obtained the dialogue chat link via "Share"?

5. Polishing Your Report — Word Formatting Guide

After opening the Word file exported by Manus, use the following techniques to format your report properly. These build on the font, alignment, and indentation skills from Lesson 3.

5-1. Inserting Images

Add screenshots or images of the work you're analyzing.

Steps:

Place your cursor where you want the image
Go to "Insert" tab → "Pictures" → "This Device"
Select your image file and click "Insert"

Resizing:

Click the image to select it, then drag the corner handles (○) to resize
Hold Shift while dragging to maintain the aspect ratio

Positioning:

With the image selected, go to "Picture Format" tab → "Wrap Text" → "In Line with Text"

How to take a screenshot

Windows: Windows + Shift + S to capture part of the screen → paste into Paint or Word
Mac: Command + Shift + 4 to capture part of the screen → saved to desktop

5-2. Adding Figure Captions (Numbers and Titles)

In a report, every figure must have a number and descriptive title.

Steps:

Create a new line directly below the image (place cursor after the image and press Enter)
Type "Figure 1: [descriptive title]"
Set the caption line to center alignment
Use a slightly smaller font size than the body text (e.g., 9pt)

Good example:

Figure 1: Elemental reaction effects in Genshin Impact

Bad example:

Game screenshot 1    ← doesn't describe what it shows
Screenshot          ← no number

Always reference figures in the text

Placing a figure without mentioning it in the text is not enough. Always write something like "Figure 1 shows…" in the body text.

5-3. Heading Numbers and Styles

Each chapter of your report should have numbered headings.

Steps:

Place your cursor on the heading line
Type the number manually, e.g., "1. Introduction", "2. Overview"
In the "Home" tab → "Styles" group, select "Heading 1"

Benefits of using heading styles:

Font, size, and alignment are automatically unified
Enables automatic table of contents generation (for longer reports)

Changing the heading font

Right-click "Heading 1" style → "Modify" to change the font to a sans-serif typeface (e.g., Yu Gothic).

5-4. Adding Page Numbers

Multi-page reports should include page numbers.

Steps:

Go to "Insert" tab → "Page Number"
Select "Bottom of Page" → choose a simple design (e.g., "Plain Number 2")
Page numbers are automatically added to all pages

5-5. Creating a Reference List

At the end of your report, list all sources you referenced.

Format:

References

[1] Author. "Title", Source (website or journal name), Year.
    URL (for web pages), Date accessed.

Example for websites:

References

[1] Nintendo. "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Site",
    https://www.nintendo.co.jp/zelda/totk/, Accessed March 2026.
[2] T. Yamada. "The Role of Feedback in Game Design",
    GamesStudies.jp, 2025.

How to cite in the body text:

✗ Flow theory suggests that immersion occurs.
✓ Flow theory suggests that immersion occurs [2].

Placing citation numbers

Type citation numbers like [1] in half-width characters. Place them just before the period at the end of the sentence.

5-6. Final Formatting Checklist

Before submitting, verify the following:

[ ] Headings use sans-serif font, body uses serif font
[ ] Font sizes are consistent (headings: 12–14pt, body: 10.5pt)
[ ] Paragraph first lines are indented
[ ] Images have figure numbers and titles
[ ] Figures are referenced in the body text
[ ] Citation numbers appear at reference points in the text
[ ] A reference list is included at the end
[ ] Page numbers are added
[ ] Writing style is formal and consistent throughout

Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to use AI as a thinking partner for report writing:

Theme selection — Find an analysis angle from a media work you love
Structure design — Build a logical structure with AI that will convince readers
Arguments and evidence — Rigorously ask "why can I say this?"
Draft generation — Let AI write, then make it your own

Using AI is not "cheating." What matters is thinking about what needs to be written. AI is a tool for articulating and organizing your thoughts. With strong thinking skills, you can write a report on any topic.

Appendix: Report Formatting Rules

The following rules are the basics of report formatting. Use them as a checklist when finishing your report.

Format Rules

#	Rule
1	Use sans-serif font (e.g., Yu Gothic) for headings, serif font (e.g., Yu Mincho) for body
2	Keep font type and size consistent throughout
3	Indent the first line of each paragraph

Writing Style Rules

#	Rule	Bad Example	Good Example
4	Use "the author" instead of "I"	I found that…	The author found that…
5	Use formal, consistent tone	I think it's cool	It can be considered noteworthy
6	Avoid subjective expressions	It was really amazing	It has received high acclaim
7	Avoid colloquial language	I kinda think that…	This suggests that…
8	Avoid vague expressions	It feels like maybe…	It is possible that…
9	Avoid incomplete sentences	About the usability.	The usability is discussed below.
10	Don't ask questions in the text	Have you ever wondered…?	It is known that…

Structure Rules

#	Rule
11	Start each paragraph with a topic sentence
12	In the conclusion, review the entire report and state your findings
13	Write as objective analysis, not personal reflection

Figures & Citations

#	Rule	Bad	Good
14	Add number and title below figures	Chart 1	Figure 1: Average haptic magnitude
15	Reference figures in the body text	(figure with no mention)	Figure 1 shows…
16	Add citation numbers at reference points	…is known.	…is known [1].
17	Create a reference list at the end	[1] Paper title	[1] Author. "Title", Source, Year.

Lesson 4: Writing a Report with AI ​

Goals for This Lesson ​

1. What Is a Report? ​

1-1. Essays vs. Reports ​

1-2. Report Writing in the AI Era ​

2. The Report Assignment ​

Theme ​

Requirements ​

3. Build Your Report with AI (In-Class Exercise) ​

3-1. Set Up the "Report Writing Companion AI" ​

3-2. Phase 1 — Choose Your Theme (10–15 min) ​

3-3. Phase 2 — Design the Structure (10–15 min) ​

3-4. Phase 3 — Develop Arguments and Evidence (20–25 min) ​

3-5. Phase 4 — Generate a Draft (10–15 min) ​

3-6. Phase 5 — Export the Dialogue Summary ​

4. Take-Home Assignment — Complete the Report ​

4-1. What to Do ​

4-2. What to Submit ​

5. Polishing Your Report — Word Formatting Guide ​

5-1. Inserting Images ​

5-2. Adding Figure Captions (Numbers and Titles) ​

5-3. Heading Numbers and Styles ​

5-4. Adding Page Numbers ​

5-5. Creating a Reference List ​

5-6. Final Formatting Checklist ​

Summary ​

Appendix: Report Formatting Rules ​

Format Rules ​

Writing Style Rules ​

Structure Rules ​

Figures & Citations ​

Lesson 4: Writing a Report with AI

Goals for This Lesson

1. What Is a Report?

1-1. Essays vs. Reports

1-2. Report Writing in the AI Era

2. The Report Assignment

Theme

Requirements

3. Build Your Report with AI (In-Class Exercise)

3-1. Set Up the "Report Writing Companion AI"

3-2. Phase 1 — Choose Your Theme (10–15 min)

3-3. Phase 2 — Design the Structure (10–15 min)

3-4. Phase 3 — Develop Arguments and Evidence (20–25 min)

3-5. Phase 4 — Generate a Draft (10–15 min)

3-6. Phase 5 — Export the Dialogue Summary

4. Take-Home Assignment — Complete the Report

4-1. What to Do

4-2. What to Submit

5. Polishing Your Report — Word Formatting Guide

5-1. Inserting Images

5-2. Adding Figure Captions (Numbers and Titles)

5-3. Heading Numbers and Styles

5-4. Adding Page Numbers

5-5. Creating a Reference List

5-6. Final Formatting Checklist

Summary

Appendix: Report Formatting Rules

Format Rules

Writing Style Rules

Structure Rules

Figures & Citations