Designing AI Literacy Course and Materials for Higher Education
by Seyit Ömer Gök
January 14, 2025
In this blog post, Seyit Ömer Gök (University of Groningen) summarises his talk at the MaWSIG-ReSIG Joint Conference last November. In his talk, he spoke about a project in which he integrated AI literacy into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes and focused on developing course materials that allowed students to engage critically and ethically with AI tools in academic and professional contexts.
The increasing presence of AI in academia poses both opportunities and challenges. Institutions often lack clear policies on AI’s role in education, and there is limited evidence-based knowledge or materials available to guide its use. My project addresses these gaps by designing a comprehensive AI literacy course, aimed at equipping students with the skills to become critical, ethical, and autonomous users of AI.
AI’s potential in education is vast, from enhancing personalised learning to automating repetitive tasks. However, its rapid rise has also introduced challenges. As highlighted by Chan (2023), institutions lack standardised policies for integrating AI into academic settings, leaving both educators and students underprepared to harness its capabilities ethically. Current EAP curricula often fail to address AI explicitly, creating a critical gap in preparing students for AI-driven academic and professional environments (Walter, 2024).
Recognising this need, my project focuses on developing a five-week AI literacy course to enhance students’ understanding of AI tools, ethical considerations, and practical applications. The course emphasises helping students to become autonomous learners, capable of using AI tools judiciously and creatively. The overarching goals of this initiative are:
- To enhance students’ AI literacy through tailored academic curricula.
- To promote ethical and critical engagement with AI tools.
- To design adaptable course materials that balance theory and practice.
- To support students in becoming autonomous learners, equipped for future challenges.
Research Design
Action Research (AR) provided the methodological foundation for this project, enabling iterative cycles of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. This systematic approach ensures continuous improvement in both course design and delivery. The research was guided by the following questions:
- How can AI literacy be effectively integrated into EAP curricula to enhance students’ critical and ethical use of AI tools?
- What are the impacts of an AI literacy course on students’ responsible use of AI in higher education?
The study involved 22 international exchange students enrolled in a 14-week EAP programme, with two weekly seminars. Data collection included pre- and post-intervention surveys (validated by Ng, Wu, Leung & Chu, 2023), semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations and end-of-seminar reflections (see Figure 1).
Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the university’s ethics committee, ensuring compliance with research ethics standards. All participants provided informed consent prior to involvement.
Designing the AI Literacy Course and Materials
Using an adapted version of the AI literacy framework suggested by Chan (2024), the syllabus focuses on five key areas:
AI Concepts and Terminology: Introducing foundational AI terms and demystifying complex technologies.
AI Tools for Academic Writing and Research: Exploring tools such as chatbots, AI-assisted editing software, and data analysis applications.
Prompt Engineering Techniques: Teaching students how to optimise AI outputs through structured prompts.
Ethics, Safety, and Security in AI: Addressing concerns such as bias, data privacy, and ethical usage.
Responsible AI Use in Academia: Encouraging critical thinking about AI’s role in academic integrity and professional ethics.
In-class activities included collaborative problem-solving tasks, discussions on case studies, and practical exercises. Assignments were designed to encourage both theoretical understanding and real-world application.
Sample Activities and Assignments
Prompt Engineering: Students practiced crafting detailed prompts using the CREATE framework (Birss, 2023), enhancing their ability to generate meaningful AI outputs (see Figures 2 and 3).
Ethics Discussions: Case studies on AI misuse sparked critical debates about ethical implications and real-world consequences (Figure 4).
AI-Assisted Writing Tasks: Students drafted academic texts, used AI tools for refinement, and reflected on how AI contributed to or detracted from their writing process (Figure 5).
Preliminary Findings
Quantitative findings from the project demonstrate significant improvements in students’ AI literacy:
Agreement on AI’s relevance to students’ academic and personal lives increased by 22.7% (from 59.1% to 81.8%) (see Figure 6).
Confidence in using AI tools rose from 63.6% to 81.8%, reflecting an 18.2% increase (see Figure 7).
Qualitative insights from interviews revealed the following themes:
a) Usefulness and Relevance: Students found the course highly applicable to academic and professional contexts. Prompt engineering was particularly valued for its immediate utility.
“The course materials were clear enough for a student that had never been in a course like that.’’ (Participant 3)
“Prompt engineering was the most helpful thing I learned… It increased the quality of AI responses.’’ (Participant 5)
“The most positive impact for me is how to improve the prompts… Before the classes, I input one or two words. Now, I think I can propose detailed prompts.’’ (Participant 2)
b) Ethical Awareness and Critical Thinking: Participants acknowledged the importance of understanding AI’s limitations, expressing a newfound habit of cross-checking AI-generated content.
“This is my first time learning that artificial intelligence has biases… Now I double-check the credibility of AI-generated information.” (Participant 2)
“I was a bit scared of using AI before the course, but now I feel confident about using it responsibly.” (Participant 4)
“I became more critical after the course. Before, I might just copy and paste AI-generated references. Now, I double-check to ensure they’re real.”
c)Impact on Academic Skills: Students leveraged AI as a peer feedback tool, enhancing their academic writing and fostering a sense of equality in language proficiency.
‘’So that gives you the sense of equality maybe in comparison to the native speakers of the language, like English speakers easily write. But you. Yeah. So, it gives a kind of equality.’’ (Participant 3)
“I liked using AI to check my assignments before submitting them. It’s like a peer feedback tool when no one is available.” (Participant 4)
“The structured prompts I learned, like the CREATE framework, are now part of my academic writing process.” (Participant 1)
While the course structure was praised for its clarity and relevance, some feedback suggested the need for greater customisation to meet diverse academic and professional needs. For instance, technical students expressed interest in more advanced theoretical content, while others preferred additional hands-on activities.
Reflections
Integrating AI literacy into EAP programmes is essential for equipping students to navigate the complexities of AI in both academic and professional contexts. The iterative nature of AR proved invaluable in refining course materials and identifying areas for improvement, highlighting its effectiveness as a tool for educational innovation. A critical lesson was the need to balance theoretical discussions with practical, hands-on activities, as clearer distinctions between these elements would likely optimise student engagement. Additionally, expanding the course to include more real-world tasks related to ethical AI use would enhance its practical relevance and applicability. Looking ahead, the project aims to secure research grants to expand the initiative and collaborate with international educators to develop a standardised and scalable AI literacy curriculum. These steps are vital to ensuring that AI literacy education remains responsive to the evolving demands of academia.
Conclusion
The integration of AI literacy into EAP curricula represents a critical step toward equipping students with the tools and mindset to navigate an AI-driven world responsibly. By fostering critical thinking, ethical awareness, and practical skills, this initiative not only enhances academic performance but also prepares students for lifelong learning in an era where technology is an integral part of professional life.
This project highlights the transformative potential of AI in education and highlights the importance of embedding AI literacy into higher education programmes. As educators, we must continue to explore innovative ways to bridge the gap between technology and pedagogy, ensuring that our students are equipped for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
References
CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. Lynnfield, MA.
Chan, C. K. Y. (2023). A comprehensive AI policy education framework for university teaching and learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00408-3
Ng, D. T. K., Wu, W., Leung, J. K. L., & Chu, S. K. W. (2023). Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy questionnaire with confirmatory factor analysis. 2023 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT58122.2023.00074
Walter, Y. (2024). Embracing the future of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(15), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3.