AI Critical Literacy Program
Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has had significant and varied impacts on teaching and learning at Cornell.
Recognizing the need for students to acquire AI critical literacy, the Cornell University Library and the Center for Teaching Innovation have created this AI Critical Literacy Program, aligned with Cornell’s Core Principles for Generative AI in Education.
All first-year Cornell undergraduates will participate in the AI Critical Literacy program early in the Fall semester, in courses within their college. If you’re an incoming first year student, this program will either be included in a required Fall 2026 course or your college will send you a direct link to enroll.
If you’re a Cornell faculty member, graduate student or postdoc, staff member, or Cornell student in your second year of classes and beyond, and would like to access the content, please read below for more information about enrollment.
About the Course
The AI Critical Literacy Program seeks to ensure that Cornell students and faculty have a shared basic understanding of AI, including how AI works, its limitations, the ethical implications of using AI tools, and, especially, what we know of its impact on learning. The goal is to help participants make more informed decisions about how and whether to use AI in general, and to inspire conversations where faculty and students can learn from each other.
Program participants will learn what AI tools do and how they work, and consider the impact these tools can have on learning, including discussing AI uses that might improve learning and those that may inhibit or impede it. The program also outlines key ethical questions surrounding AI use and invites participants to reflect on their own learning practices and relationship to AI, in order to arrive at their own informed choices about how to respond.
Key Details
- A standalone course, in which participants can self-enroll
- Open to Cornell students, faculty, and staff who have a Canvas account
- Approximate 2-hour time commitment
Learning Outcomes
This experience is designed to:
- Provide students and faculty with a shared, basic understanding of AI tools and their relevance for teaching and learning.
- Encourage a critical perspective on AI that appreciates its utility, understands its limits, and is aware of a range of ethical concerns.
- Encourage deeper consideration for how AI can aid or inhibit learning.
Course Content
The AI Critical Literacy course is offered as a self-paced experience in Canvas that can be combined with opportunities for in class discussion. It’s designed to invite students and faculty to learn and to reflect on their own values and practices.
The content is organized into 4 sections:
- What is AI?
- Ethical Questions Surrounding AI
- AI’s Impact on Learning
- Creating an AI Policy for Personal Use
Enrollment
The program, open to all Cornell students, faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and staff with a Canvas account, is available as a self-enroll, self-paced opportunity in Canvas. We encourage faculty to review the course material to familiarize themselves with what students will be learning.
Participants can self-enroll in the program, and Cornell instructors can also assign the program module to their students by sharing the enrollment link. Note: if you teach first-year students, they should already be completing this program in another course. An AI Critical Literacy Teaching Guide, which provides more information, ideas for guiding students in conversation, and more, is also available for instructors.
Enrollment for faculty, staff, graduate students, and students beyond their first year is available now.
Support
If you have questions about the program, or for support enrolling in or accessing this course or addressing any technical issues in Canvas, please contact Canvas@Cornell.edu.