Module 2: Copilot Best Practices
Duration: ~25 min total · 3 lessons
You identified your failures. Now you fix them — by building the structure that prevents them.
Module 2 covers the two practices that shape every Copilot interaction: Instructions and Agents. You'll also experience the difference between Plan Mode and Agent Mode directly, so you know when to reach for each one.
Lessons
| # | Title | Focus | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| L2.1 | Instructions That Actually Work | Workspace + file-specific instructions | ~7 min |
| L2.2 | Agents and Decision Patterns | Role-specific agents, when to use them | ~8 min |
| L2.3 | Skills and Prompt Files | Reusable prompt workflows (deferred) | — |
| L2.4 | Plan Mode vs. Agent Mode | Two-step feature development | ~10 min |
Note: L2.3 (Skills) is a deferred session — it is not part of the workshop today. A brief reference page is provided for context.
What You'll Build
By the end of Module 2, you will have:
- A workspace instructions file (
.github/copilot-instructions.md) that sets the global context for all Copilot interactions. - A file-specific instructions file (
.github/instructions/config.instructions.md) that activates only for config files. - A Code Reviewer agent (
.github/agents/code-reviewer.agent.md) that checks output against your project standards. - A Testing Advocate agent (
.github/agents/testing-advocate.agent.md) that generates tests with defined coverage goals. - One feature built via Plan Mode → Agent Mode — so you've experienced the divide firsthand.
Module Outcome
When the module is done, the failures you mapped in L1.2 under "Requirements gap" and "Technical mismatch" will have a structural fix in place — not a better prompt, but enduring context files that persist across sessions.