Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation
Conference Strand
Critical Literacy
Target Audience
Higher Education
Second Target Audience
K-12
Relevance
The proposal focuses on how I teach information literacy sessions for an upper-level foundational English major course. As a librarian, I use the Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning to guide my teaching. Through scaffolded activities, students critique the use of generative AI to aid in the research process, discuss the ethical, social, and intellectual implications of using generative AI in an academic setting and practice how to locate and select relevant peer-reviewed sources. The sessions provide a space for students to discuss their prior experiences, experiment with and compare AI tools, and apply their knowledge to select sources for an upcoming assignment.
Proposal
How can librarians support students in exploring the use of generative AI to aid in the research process? This presentation will discuss a partnership between an academic librarian and an English faculty at a comprehensive state university in fall 2023 and spring 2024. In two sections of a 300-level major English course, students are required to use generative AI for an assignment. The collaboration consists of two information literacy sessions that utilize scaffolded activities. The first session focuses on students using generative AI to aid in their research process. We discuss their experiences using generative AI tools, develop an understanding of how generative AI works, and test four generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Bing Copilot and Perplexity). The second session focuses on building more traditional research skills. Students practice how to break an AI generated thesis statement into keywords and use library databases to find peer-reviewed articles. The presenter will share observations from introducing students to generative AI tools including common student reactions and critiques. Throughout the presentation, session participants will reflect on ways they could collaborate with course instructors to discuss generative AI with students in a critical and non-punitive way. Participants will leave with a practical example of how to talk with students about using generative AI tools in the research process.
Presentation Description
This presentation will discuss a librarian –educator partnership in an undergraduate English course where students are required to use generative AI for an assignment. Over two information literacy sessions, students learn how to use generative AI to aid in their research process along with more traditional research skills. Participants will reflect on and learn how to teach generative AI in a critical and non-punitive way.
Keywords
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Information Literacy, Librarian-Faculty Partnership, Upper-level Undergraduates, Scaffolded Activities
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
O'Grady, Chrissy, "A Collaborative Approach to Exploring Generative AI with Undergraduate English Students" (2024). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 11.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2024/2024/11
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Information Literacy Commons
A Collaborative Approach to Exploring Generative AI with Undergraduate English Students
How can librarians support students in exploring the use of generative AI to aid in the research process? This presentation will discuss a partnership between an academic librarian and an English faculty at a comprehensive state university in fall 2023 and spring 2024. In two sections of a 300-level major English course, students are required to use generative AI for an assignment. The collaboration consists of two information literacy sessions that utilize scaffolded activities. The first session focuses on students using generative AI to aid in their research process. We discuss their experiences using generative AI tools, develop an understanding of how generative AI works, and test four generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Bing Copilot and Perplexity). The second session focuses on building more traditional research skills. Students practice how to break an AI generated thesis statement into keywords and use library databases to find peer-reviewed articles. The presenter will share observations from introducing students to generative AI tools including common student reactions and critiques. Throughout the presentation, session participants will reflect on ways they could collaborate with course instructors to discuss generative AI with students in a critical and non-punitive way. Participants will leave with a practical example of how to talk with students about using generative AI tools in the research process.
