This guide provides an introduction to four key areas of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): Understanding AI, Trying AI Tools, Evaluating AI Content, and AI Ethics & Policy. Each area contains four standalone modules that can be used independently or together. If you are choosing to discuss AI with your students in class, one or more of these topics may be of interest.
The modular design offers instructors flexibility to assign specific content that matches their course objectives. You can assign individual modules and quizzes to introduce topics before class discussions, select multiple modules to build comprehensive understanding, or have students work through the entire guide at their own pace. To link directly to any module or quiz in your Learning Management System, visit the Index to Content page to copy direct links for D2L or other platforms.
If you are an instructor who wishes to have students provide proof of completion of AI-related learning content, please consider asking them to complete the AI Basics module, included with the Libraries' subscription to the PrepSTEP database.
Students working through the complete guide may encounter some overlapping content across modules, but each module provides valuable standalone learning that reinforces key concepts from different perspectives. For a more condensed introduction to AI, try the Student Guide to ChatGPT and Other AI Resources
Build essential skills for understanding, using, and evaluating AI responsibly in your academic and professional life.
You'll explore: AI fundamentals, hands-on tool practice, content evaluation skills, ethical considerations, and campus resources to support your AI literacy journey.
Grasp how AI works and its impact on society, work, and education.
Hands-on experience with AI tools for productivity and creativity.
Develop skills to assess AI-generated content for quality and authenticity.
Navigate complex ethical considerations in AI use and policy.
Try AI tools in low-stakes environments before using them for important work or assignments (where allowed).
Challenge AI outputs and your assumptions. What might be missing or biased in this response?
Refine your prompts and approaches based on results. AI literacy improves with practice.
Share experiences and insights with peers, instructors, and colleagues to deepen understanding.
Artificial Intelligence Tool: Claude Sonnet 4 (paid instance); Conceptualization: Claude was used to develop the outline of the LibGuide including tabs and content boxes through an iterative conversation with a librarian. Visualization: Claude generated the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code appropriate for cutting and pasting into the LibGuides software, but each code element was thoroughly tested by a librarian before implementation to ensure functionality. Writing: Claude originally generated the content included in the guide, but everything was reviewed and edited by a librarian prior to publication.
This guide was developed through extensive, multi-hour collaboration with Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant) during Summer 2025. The project was inspired by Lance Eaton's Substack article "Ctrl+Alt+Assess: Rebooting Learning for the GenAI Era Resources," in which he wrote:
I challenge you: find just one use case of generative AI that makes you go, “Ohhh.”
This collaborative approach allowed us to create a robust educational resource despite staffing limitations, demonstrating how AI tools can augment--not replace--library services and instruction.
Ohhh.