FROM SEARCH ENGINES TO ANSWER ENGINES: A NETNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF PROMPT ENGINEERING AS A COGNITIVE LITERACY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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increasingly superseded by synthesized "Answer Engines."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.