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RESEARCH GUIDES

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Literacy

Learn about how AI works and how to spot common errors AI tools tend to make. You'll also learn fact-checking and critical thinking strategies for AI, how to cite AI in an academic paper, and how to learn more in-depth about AI tools and issues.

AI and Information Literacy

An orange and white banner image with latticed abstract shapes and binary code in the background. The text reads "Artificial Intelligence & Information Literacy." The bottom right hand corner has the logos of the University Libraries and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, both of which are a sphere with the Maryland flag pattern next to the text of the organizations' names.

Welcome to this online module on artificial intelligence (AI) and information literacy! We've designed this module to help you navigate the rapidly changing world of AI, and to gain important critical thinking toolkits to use when you interact with AI. The more AI becomes integrated into the systems we use every day, the more important it will be for you to be able to understand its uses and limitations.

You can use the links on the left-hand side to learn:

  • How generative AI works
  • What AI often gets wrong
  • Strategies for fact-checking AI
  • How to cite AI-generated work
  • More information about AI tools beyond the classroom

Questions?

  • If you are unsure if a certain use of an AI-based tool is an academic integrity violation, please talk to your course instructor. Every instructor will have different expectations about AI-based tools in their classroom, so it is your responsibility to double check if you are at all unsure to make sure you are not committing an academic integrity violation.
  • If you have questions about information literacy or citations, please email libues@umd.edu or contact your subject specialist librarian for assistance! We can set up a video chat or assist over email.
  • If you have questions about how AI tools work, or the ethics of AI, check out the "learn more" links on the bottom of the pages in this module for additional resources and articles to explore.

This short introductory video below will help get you started:

 

One important note about communication, academic integrity, and your learning journey: University of Maryland's Code of Academic Integrity holds us all to standards of truth and academic honesty and prohibits you from receiving any unauthorized assistance on assignments. Especially since the field of AI is changing so quickly, it is your responsibility to double check the expectations of your instructors on all your assignments to make sure you are not using these AI-based tools in a prohibited way -- every instructor will have different expectations about the use of these tools in their classrooms, and even within different assignments. As you use AI-based tools, we encourage you to make sure you're using them to help you learn better and not to shortcut skills that are important for you to practice on your own.

Acknowledgements

This module was developed by the University Libraries and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (TLTC). Special thanks to The Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) for their collaboration.

The work of other educational organizations was also instrumental in the creation of this content: Stanford CRAFT's AI literacy resources, reports and presentations from the Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, ISTE's Hands-On AI Projects for the Classroom guides, and Kathryn Conrad and Sean Kamperman's curated links on Critical AI Literacy for Educators. Thank you to our colleagues for developing these excellent materials.

Want to help us continue to improve this guide and similar resources in the future? If you are a college student, please take this 5-minute survey after you finish going through the guide. Your participation is completely voluntary and not tied to your grades or coursework in any way.