Understanding AI Key Concepts
AI Literacy Framework Level 1 Understand AI:
Understand Key AI Concepts
Core Competencies covered in this chapter:
- Define the terms “artificial intelligence,” “machine learning,” “large language model,” and “neural network.”
- Identify and explain the differences between various types of AI, as defined by their capabilities and computational mechanisms
Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to the core concepts of artificial intelligence (AI), common AI-related terms, and the historical development of AI. A strong understanding of these fundamentals is crucial for educators aiming to explore AI ethics and incorporate AI tools responsibly in your teaching.
To get started, IBM has produced a series of short, easy-to-understand videos on AI fundamentals. If you are unfamiliar with terms like “deep learning“,“large language models” (LLMs), “foundational models,” it will be helpful to review these videos and additional resources in the interactive module to build your knowledge base.
Interactive Module: Understanding AI Key Concepts
Reflect and Apply: Educator’s Toolkit
Core Competencies for Educators:
Educators should have a solid understanding of fundamental AI concepts, such as “artificial intelligence,” “machine learning,” “large language model,” and “neural network.”. This includes the ability to select proper resources based on students’ existing level of understanding of AI and their expected level of understanding and break down these concepts in a way that is accessible and engaging for students, using real-world examples and analogies.
Reflection Questions
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What foundational AI concepts are essential for students in your course?
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Why is it important for students to develop a fundamental understanding of these AI concepts?
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What instructional resources you find most effective for teaching these AI concepts?
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How do you assess and identify students’ current understanding to assign appropriate resources?
Use the Padlet Discussion Board to share your thoughts with peer educators.
Tips and Best Practices
Below you will find an h5p training module that includes much of the information in the textbook Part, Writing and Artificial Intelligence. The module includes assessments and can be easily incorporated into an LMS such as Blackboard, Canvas, or Moodle. If you have suggestions for how to improve the module, please each out to one of the editors.
