Student Ambassador Dania talks about the University’s Discord channel, its structure and how you can use the resources to your advantage during your studies.
Blog
AI for effort: key takeaways from the University of London Skills Hub AI Literacy Course
Student blogger Brian discussed the new AI Literacy Course and AI tools as 'study buddies', debate partners and creativity boosters while emphasising ethical and accurate applications.
It seems like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, from virtual assistants helping with everyday tasks to visions of our utopian (or dystopian!) future. In a recent survey of students across 16 countries [1], 86% confirmed they used AI tools, and yes, I've also dabbled with them. But using AI tools for last-minute queries on why my final drafts have all the charm of a tax return don't compare to using them in a structured, streamlined manner for academic work.
Enter the new 10-module, self-paced AI Literacy course on the University of London Skills Hub. It covers everything from AI basics, the variety of currently available tools and ethical issues to practical tips and 'prompts' (instructions that can be interpreted and understood by AI) for tools like ChatGPT. Designed with an engaging mix of scrolling animations, videos, self-reflections, scenarios and flashcards, it provides a pathway for students of all disciplines to leverage the strengths of AI while minimising pitfalls.
Speaking of pitfalls - I find a drawback of distance learning can be a loss of perspective during assignments, with real-time feedback sometimes difficult to come by. 'AI as a Study Buddy' especially resonated as a module, covering creative ways to leverage AI as a friendly virtual peer, boosting understanding and, most importantly, providing guidance to formulate and stick to study plans! The 'AI as an Examiner' module flips the AI persona in a useful way, creating an oppositional partner to sharply test the limits of your knowledge while providing customised suggestions to improve areas of weakness.
In a world where debate is increasingly fraught, I also enjoyed the 'AI as a Debating Buddy' module and its focus on the ancient 'Socratic Method' [2]. Here, the potential for ChatGPT to challenge users' positions with calm, directed supplementary questions and counterarguments was demonstrated, inspiring deeper contemplation. Similarly, the 'AI as a possibility engine' module shows how user perspectives can be enriched through the option to regenerate and refine AI responses from multiple angles, enhancing creativity, understanding and flexible thinking.
The course wraps up with an exploration of the ethical and technical 'guardrails' that must be kept in mind to ensure AI tools are used reliably and responsibly. Information still needs to be cross checked, and can't be plagiarised in academic work. Mirroring these themes, Sal Khan (founder of Khan Academy) closes his Ted Talk [3] with the observation that AI is best deployed to enhance, and not replace HI (human intelligence), human potential and human purpose. Highlighting the theoretical and practical foundations of AI, and the possibilities unlocked by more effective prompting, this AI Literacy course has equipped me to move beyond seeing AI tools as merely a shortcut. Instead, I'm looking forward to embracing them as holistic partners for creative exploration and critical thinking into the future.
Brian studies MSc Marketing in Switzerland.
References
This page was last updated on 5 December 2024
