Explore beyond your course

AI Literacy: Start Where You Are

Build habits for thoughtful AI decisions, wherever you are starting. Growth means better judgment; you can keep learning whether you use AI often, occasionally, or not at all.

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First, check the AI use label

No AI

Practice on your own.

You do this work on your own. Your instructor chose this label because the skill itself is what you’re practicing.

AI-supported

You lead. AI supports.

You can use AI for the parts your instructor names, like brainstorming or checking grammar. The thinking and the final work are yours.

AI-integrated

Using AI is part of the task.

Using AI well is part of the assignment. You might check what AI gives you against a standard, or explain how you used AI.

If an assignment doesn’t have an AI use label, or you aren’t sure what it means, ask your instructor before you use AI. When AI is optional, choosing not to use it is a good choice too.

The 3 Qs

Ask yourself these three questions each time you use AI for an assignment. Each question goes with a different moment in your work.

  1. Before you ask AI

    Should I use AI for this part of my assignment?

    More on Q1 → (opens in a new tab)

  2. Before you use AI’s answer

    How would I know if AI’s answer is wrong?

    More on Q2 → (opens in a new tab)

  3. Before you turn in your work

    Can I explain my work and how AI helped me?

    More on Q3 → (opens in a new tab)

Five BE behaviors

Choose a behavior for a practical tip and a question to ask yourself.

BE SafeProtect what you share

AI can produce convincing answers that are wrong. Learn enough about the tool to recognize its limits. Keep passwords, personal records, and other people’s private information out of prompts.

Ask yourself: Could I ask this question using a made-up example instead of private details?

BE HonestShow your process

Represent your work accurately. Follow the assignment’s disclosure and citation directions. Keep your notes, drafts, and relevant AI exchanges so you can describe your process.

Ask yourself: What did AI contribute, and what did I decide, change, or create?

BE CriticalQuestion and verify

Check claims, calculations, and sources against course materials or reliable evidence. Watch for missing context and biased assumptions. Do not use a reference until you have found and read it.

Ask yourself: How would I know if AI’s answer is wrong?

BE ResponsibleOwn your choices

Decide whether AI fits the task and supports the skill you are learning. Think about people affected by your work. You remain responsible for what you submit, including errors.

Ask yourself: Is this helping me practice—or doing the practice for me?

BE ReflectiveNotice your learning

Afterward, ask what you understand better and what you still need to practice. Use that insight to make a different choice next time when needed.

Ask yourself: Could I explain or do this without the AI response in front of me?

Explore more

Open a topic when you need it.

Compare a few AI toolsCopilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini: uses, limitations, and links.

Start with your task and your instructor’s directions. You do not need every tool or a paid subscription.

Already in your Microsoft apps: Look for Copilot while signed in with your KCTCS account. Features depend on your account, app, and license.

ChatGPTExplanations, practice questions, and study conversations.

Possible benefit: Study mode can guide you through a topic with questions and step-by-step explanations. Ask for hints or one practice question at a time.

Keep in mind: It can still give incorrect feedback or jump to an answer. Check against course materials and do the thinking yourself.

Open ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · Study mode guide (opens in a new tab)

ClaudeTalking through ideas and getting feedback on writing.

Possible benefit: Use it as a brainstorming partner or ask for feedback on a draft you wrote, when permitted.

Keep in mind: A polished rewrite can change your meaning or voice. Ask it to explain feedback, then decide what to revise yourself.

Open Claude (opens in a new tab) · Claude’s overview (opens in a new tab)

Features and access can change. Review privacy settings, keep private or restricted information out, and check answers and sources. A tool’s availability does not give permission to use it on an assignment.

Keep a trail of your workSimple ways to save drafts, thinking, and AI contributions.

A trail is a record of how your work grew over time: your notes, your drafts, and how you used AI. If your instructor asks how you did an assignment, you can show them. Tools that try to spot AI writing are sometimes wrong. Your trail shows how your work grew, and it helps you and your instructor talk about your process.

  • Write in Word, saved to OneDrive. Word keeps a dated history of your draft as you write. Type your work in the document instead of pasting it in at the end.
  • Keep a OneNote notebook for each course. Save your notes, sources, and ideas there while you work, including photos of handwritten notes.
  • Write down how you use AI. Save your question and the part of AI’s answer you used, with a note about what you kept, changed, or left out, and why. Follow your instructor’s directions for what to submit.

Step-by-step setup and a sample notebook page (opens in a new tab)

Try a small practice activityUse a practice question to support your learning, when allowed.

When your instructor allows it, try:

“Ask me one practice question about [topic]. Wait for my answer, then help me identify what I should review.”

Check the feedback against your course materials, then note what you learned or corrected. Do not upload a test or restricted course materials.

This overview uses the same language as OCTC’s AI Literacy Playbook and the FYE 100 Pathfinder Guidebook. Your instructor’s course and assignment directions always apply.

Instructor Resources (opens in a new tab)

Suggest an addition or correction: email Stephanie Self.

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