Abstract
AI Literacy Essentials is a self-paced online training course developed specifically for the Purdue University community. Unlike general AI literacy resources, this course is grounded in Purdue's AI Use Policy (Artificial Intelligence Use, VII.A.5), covers only Purdue-approved tools, and uses role-based scenarios drawn from real faculty, staff, and student contexts at Purdue.
The course is organized into six modules: (1) Why AI Literacy Matters Now, (2) Foundations, including generative AI basics, ethics, data privacy, and Purdue AI policy, (3) Working Effectively with AI, including prompt engineering and output evaluation, (4) Enterprise GenAI Tools at Purdue, covering Microsoft Copilot, M365 Copilot, Google Gemini Enterprise for Education, NotebookLM, and Purdue GenAI Studio, (5) Advanced and Agentic AI Tools, and (6) Responsible AI in Practice, addressing academic integrity, accessibility, environmental considerations, and staying current.
This course guide provides an overview of the course structure, learning objectives, and topic descriptions for each module. It is intended for prospective learners, faculty considering embedding modules into their courses, and colleagues at other institutions seeking a model for Purdue-specific AI literacy training. The full interactive course is delivered via Purdue's BrightSpace learning management system.
Keywords
AI literacy, generative AI, prompt engineering, Purdue AI policy, data privacy, academic integrity, responsible AI, online training, higher education, faculty development
Date of this Version
9-14-2026
Recommended Citation
Lu, Jing, "AI Literacy Essentials: A Course Guide for Purdue University Faculty, Staff, and Students" (2026). Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials. Paper 42.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/lib_fscm/42
Included in
Educational Technology Commons, Higher Education Commons, Instructional Media Design Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons