Overview
There’s a difference between using AI and being fluent with it. This course teaches students how to collaborate with AI effectively, efficiently, ethically, and safely across learning and career contexts.
Rather than focusing on shortcuts or prompt tricks, this course develops lasting competency through the 4D Framework (Delegation, Description, Discernment, and Diligence). Students learn to use AI as a thinking partner that enhances their learning and career development rather than replacing their own critical thinking and creativity.
Through practical applications in academic work and career planning, students discover how to leverage AI to understand concepts more deeply, develop professional skills, and prepare for a future where AI Fluency is essential. The course emphasises being “the human in the loop” and explores maintaining agency, judgment, and responsibility while working thoughtfully with AI systems.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Apply the 4D AI Fluency Framework (Delegation, Description, Discernment, and Diligence) to collaborate effectively with AI in academic and career-related tasks.
- Use AI as a learning and thinking partner to deepen understanding, support problem-solving, and enhance creativity while maintaining independent critical thinking.
- Evaluate and refine AI outputs responsibly by exercising human judgment, ethical awareness, and diligence in AI-assisted work.
- Demonstrate responsible AI collaboration in learning and career contexts, maintaining transparency, accountability, and agency as the human in the loop.
Recommended prerequisites
This course lightly covers the foundational AI Fluency concepts. However, for deeper understanding, participants should complete AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations before beginning this student-focused curriculum.
It is also recommended that learners have access to an AI chat tool for hands-on practice. Examples in this course will use Claude.ai, but any chatbot will work.
Course Developers
This course is based on The AI Fluency Framework by Rick Dakan (Ringling College of Art and Design) and Joseph Feller (Cork University Business School, University College Cork), with content developed by Rick Dakan, Joseph Feller, and Anthropic (PBC), supported in part by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), through the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning; © 2025 and released under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Resources for educators & course teams
This section is not for taking the course. Use the Enrol button to get started.
Download the course deployment and resource guide, including links to course packages for integration into your Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or reuse as Open Educational Resources (OER).
Download Guide
