Why Do We Need a Module on Generative AI?

Generative AI represents a significant technological advancement with far-reaching implications across various sectors of society. Some experts consider it a key component of ongoing technological changes, often called the 4th industrial revolution (Bristol et al., 2024). Unlike traditional software that helps us create and find content, AI generates novel output. Large Language Models like Claude or ChatGPT don't just process information—they create, problem-solve, and may soon reason alongside us, substantially altering our interaction with technology.

While not designed for educational purposes, generative AI has the potential to transform education by augmenting human intelligence, enhancing problem-solving capabilities, amplifying creativity, and accelerating learning. However, this potential also presents significant challenges, particularly concerning student use. Today's students, often considered digital natives due to their proficiency with leisure technology, require guidance on ethical and responsible use of technology in academic and professional settings, especially regarding generative AI (Warner et al., 2024).

Recent work highlighting the need for such guidance:

Many students feel apprehensive about using generative AI, while others use it regularly for learning but are hesitant to disclose this to their professors (Gulya, 2024).
There's a risk of students being misled by online influencers promoting educational shortcuts through generative AI (Watkins, 2024a).
A July 2024 Cengage survey revealed that 70% of students believe foundational AI training should be incorporated into their courses, and 55% feel unprepared by their degree programs to use generative AI technology in the workforce (Cengage Group, 2024).

Educators have a unique opportunity to shape the conversation around generative AI in academic settings. This module aims to empower faculty to lead crucial discussions about AI, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Regardless of personal views on AI—whether enthusiastic, skeptical, or opposed—engaging students in these conversations is valuable and necessary. Faculty expertise in critical thinking, ethical considerations, and academic integrity positions them to guide students in responsible AI use and evaluation, even as they continue learning about AI themselves.

As generative AI rapidly evolves, educators might feel overwhelmed or unqualified to discuss it. Watkins (2024b) encourages embracing these feelings as opportunities for growth and connection with students. This perspective can foster an environment where both faculty and students explore AI together, maintaining a healthy skepticism when appropriate.

Educators bring valuable critical thinking skills and domain knowledge to discussions about emerging technologies like AI (Watkins, 2024b). By modeling curiosity and asking insightful questions, they can guide students in thoughtfully exploring these tools. Engaging with AI content alongside students allows for collaborative assessment of its impact, preparing both educators and learners to navigate and use these powerful tools responsibly in academic and professional contexts.

"We assume our students are inherently digitally native, but they don’t always understand the professional, ethical ways to deploy new technology like gen AI. They need to be taught how to use these tools responsibly, effectively, and efficiently" ~Sid Dobrin (Warner et al., 2024).

Why AI Awareness Matters

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The emergence of generative AI is changing the landscape of education and technology. Fawns (2022) proposes the concept of 'entangled pedagogy', which captures how teaching and technology are increasingly interconnected in the 21st century. This is evident in how learning management systems, word processing software, virtual conferencing platforms, and online discussion forums have become part of modern teaching practices. Generative AI represents another significant development in this ongoing evolution.

AI tools are becoming increasingly prevalent in academic settings:

Writing assistance AI, like Grammarly, is widely used by students.
Major platforms like Google Docs have incorporated AI features (e.g., "help me write" function introduced in 2023).
Academic databases like Scopus and JSTOR now offer AI tools for quick literature summaries and cross-disciplinary insights.
AI helpers are automatically appearing in everyday tools such as search engines, email clients, and creative software suites.
The prevalence of AI in academia extends beyond just text generation, influencing various aspects of the learning experience.

Meanwhile, experts have shown that AI detection tools are often biased, prone to false positives, and generally unreliable. These developments make it challenging to completely avoid AI's influence in educational activities, especially those occurring outside the classroom.

Therefore, fostering AI awareness is essential for:

Understanding the changing technological landscape in education
Critically examining the implications of AI in academic contexts
Engaging in informed discussions about AI's role in learning and teaching
Preparing students to think critically about AI in their future careers

However, awareness alone is not sufficient. To navigate this complex landscape effectively, we need to develop a more comprehensive understanding. This is where the concept of AI literacy becomes crucial.

What is AI Literacy?

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AI literacy is an essential set of skills and knowledge for navigating our AI-driven world. It goes beyond mere tool use, encompassing the ability to discern when, where, and why to employ AI—and crucially, when not to (Bali, 2023). This competency involves understanding AI's capabilities, limitations, and broader implications, focusing on ethics, societal impacts, and potential risks. AI literacy equips us to make informed decisions about AI technologies across various contexts, from individual use to organizational implementation and policy-making.

Key aspects of AI literacy include:

Understanding AI fundamentals and their societal impact: Recognizing how AI is reshaping various sectors, including education, and its potential long-term effects.
Critical evaluation of AI-generated content: Assessing AI outputs, understanding their origins, potential biases, and limitations.
Ethical reasoning and risk awareness: Exploring moral implications of AI use, including privacy, fairness, and accountability, while identifying potential risks such as data privacy concerns and algorithmic bias.
Responsible engagement: Learning to interact with AI systems appropriately, including knowing when AI use may be inappropriate or harmful.
Adaptation and continuous learning: Staying informed about AI advancements and developing skills to adapt to evolving AI technologies.

It's crucial to note that AI literacy is not about promoting AI use. Instead, it's about equipping individuals with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to navigate a world where AI is increasingly prevalent. This includes recognizing situations where human judgment and skills are irreplaceable.

By fostering AI literacy, we aim to create a society of informed individuals who can engage with AI technologies thoughtfully and judiciously, always prioritizing human values and societal well-being.

Applying AI literacy

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Maha Bali (2023) advocates for a flexible, context-sensitive approach to AI literacy in education. She encourages educators to incorporate AI literacy in ways that make sense for their specific courses, student levels, and personal capacity. This could mean anything from simply discussing AI to allowing students to experiment with AI tools and reflect on their experiences.

Bali emphasizes that there's no one-size-fits-all solution, stating, "There isn't one right way, there is the way that works for you within the parameters of your situation." The key is to open up conversations about AI and listen to students' thoughts and experiences.

While this flexible approach is crucial, Mollick (2023) adds an important caveat: "The only bad way to react to AI is to pretend it doesn't change anything." In other words, although approaches may vary, acknowledging and critically examining AI's impact on education is increasingly becoming an essential part of our role as educators.

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"The only bad way to react to AI is to pretend it doesn’t change anything" (Mollick, 2023). However, there isn't a "right" way to incorporate AI literacy into your courses, "there is the way that works for you within the parameters of your situation" (Bali, 2023).

About This Module

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This module was designed by The Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI, Rush University) as a resource to support faculty by introducing students to fundamental competencies of AI literacy in order to help students become critical users of AI so that they will understand how and when to leverage the technology responsibly and ethically.

Module Structure

This module presents four competencies adapted from The AI Literacy Imperative: Empowering Instructors and Students (Anders, 2023):

Recognition
Comprehension
Critical thinking
Proficiency

Implementation Strategies

To maximize the impact of this module, consider the following:

Keep this page unpublished. Publish and customize subsequent student-facing pages as needed.
Announce the module's availability using our sample announcement template.
Create a Q&A discussion forum to encourage ongoing dialogue and/or use the sample AI survey for students.
Utilize CTEI's AI ethics discussion prompts, tailoring them to your course context.
Incorporate CTEI's sample class activity on evaluating AI applications and their outputs.

What's New

We've updated this module to reflect the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in education. Key updates include:

New audio format
Revised content addressing the latest developments in generative AI
Updated examples of AI tools and their applications in academic settings
Additional guidance on fostering open dialogues about AI with students
Refined competencies framework, influenced by recent research and best practices

By integrating this module and these additional strategies into your curriculum, you will empower students to skillfully engage with the complexities of AI technologies, fostering a generation of informed, ethical, and responsible AI users and innovators.

Creative Commons Attribution

By using this course, you are agreeing to the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA Licensing terms (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike), which means you can remix, adapt, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit CTEI and license your new creations under the identical terms.

This work is licensed by the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI, Rush University) under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.