Equipping communities with AI discernment through literacy

by Brittani Kollar, MediaWise, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, USA.

It was not that long ago that content generated with AI could be easily identified, whether by its sheer ridiculousness or by telltale clues such as people who did not blink, blurry teeth, or some other anomaly. Those days have long passed, and simple clues to determine if an image or video was created using AI no longer suffice. You know this, we know this and everyone in our industry knows this. We also know that AI technology advances at a rapid pace, while AI detection tools move more slowly. At MediaWise, we wanted to do something about this, something to equip the public with the skills to discern AI-generated content, even if they are not tech-savvy. 
With that desire in mind and a determination to make a difference, we launched our latest AI literacy initiative, alt+Ignite: Fuel Curiosity, Elevate Your AI Literacy. Alt+Ignite is centred on the idea that the materials will provide learners with skills they need to level up their AI know-how, as well as tactics to educate others. The material is designed for educators, students, library workers, civic leaders, journalists and anyone who encounters AI in their daily lives (and that means everyone!). These materials include valuable tools and activities that can be easily adapted to use in communities, classrooms, libraries and more. To ensure the learner is actively engaged rather than in a passive state during the learning exercises, individuals are prompted to develop their own personal set of AI guidelines. Through this active learning and self-reflection, the learner leaves with a customised tool that will help them on their journey to navigating the ever-changing world of AI.

Alt+Ignite includes several learning modalities: 

1. Toolkit: A guide designed to empower learners with skills to evaluate and use any AI tool they encounter. They will learn the basics of AI, how to engage with it responsibly and how to apply critical thinking skills to make sure they approach the technology with a focused approach.
2. Teaching resources: Flexible options for implementing the alt+Ignite content in different settings, be it a traditional school, an extracurricular environment or a community-centered learning space. The teaching resources consist of materials that adapt to a 40-60-90 teaching period, as well as lesson plans that can be tailored to a 90-120 minute workshop design. In addition to a step-by-step guide for implementing lesson plans, the teaching resources include an infographic poster pack and activity links.
3. Poster pack: Designed to engage audiences and brighten classroom or office walls, these six posters provide high-impact AI literacy tips.
4. Quick start course: A short course, based on our alt+Ignite certificate course, gives the learner the basic tools they need to get started on their journey. Participants work their way through six self-guided lessons to learn more about AI, what it is, how to use it ethically and how to spot potential pitfalls.
5. Certificate course: More in-depth and lengthier than its quick start counterpart, this course equips learners with AI literacy and the ethical decision-making skills needed to use any emerging AI technology effectively and responsibly. During this course, participants learn foundational AI concepts, understand ethical principles of AI usage and master the necessary steps for verifying AI responses to ensure accuracy. This course takes approximately three hours to complete and includes a gamified learning experience. A certificate of completion is provided at the end of the course. 

As with any new technological advancements, it is important to learn how to interact with the technology in a responsible, ethical and healthy manner. At MediaWise, we built the alt+Ignite materials to accomplish just that. We would love to hear from you on your AI literacy work and are always eager to explore possibilities to work together. 

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