Critical Reading and Writing Skills with GenAI
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Recommended experience
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Critical reading and writing techniques and strategies
Effective use of generative AI tools for critical reading and writing
Identifying AI bias
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
Details to know
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There are 5 modules in this course
In the age of GenAI, where artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies shape our information landscape, the ability to critically read and write has become more important than ever. Throughout this five-module course, you will build a strong foundation in critical thinking, explore the challenges and opportunities presented by GenAI for critical reading and writing, and harness the power of GenAI tools to enhance your reading and writing abilities. The course is designed to help you engage with information critically, evaluate arguments, detect biases, and communicate persuasively.
The course content is structured to provide a balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application. You will develop essential skills through a combination of interactive lessons, real-world examples, hands-on activities, and engaging discussions. You will gain proficiency in utilizing GenAI tools for text analysis, summarization, and comprehension enhancement, while also considering ethical and responsible use of GenAI. By the end of the course, you will have gained expertise in evaluating arguments and detecting biases and acquired the ability to critically review GenAI outputs. You will be well-equipped to navigate the GenAI era with confidence, engage in thoughtful analysis, and produce well-crafted written pieces.
This module explores the fundamentals of critical thinking in the age of generative AI (GenAI). Through videos and curated readings, you will study core concepts of critical thinking and its role in evaluating information. The module also highlights the importance of critical reading and writing in the digital era while analyzing the opportunities and challenges posed by GenAI. At the end of the module, a multiple-choice quiz will assess your understanding.
What's included
3 videos4 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts
3 videos•Total 17 minutes
- Course Overview•3 minutes
- Key Concepts in Critical Thinking•8 minutes
- Critical Thinking and GenAI•7 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
- Important Information About This Course•10 minutes
- The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools •10 minutes
- Generative AI and Critical Thinking Skills•10 minutes
- Module 1 Summary•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools •30 minutes
- Generative AI and Critical Thinking Skills•30 minutes
- Module 1 Quiz•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Meet Your Classmates•10 minutes
- Do GenAI Tools Hinder or Enhance Critical Thinking Skills?•10 minutes
This module helps you develop essential critical reading skills for analyzing AI-generated content. You will also learn to use GenAI tools for text analysis, summarization, and comprehension enhancement. The module emphasizes practice, encouraging you to evaluate both the strengths and limitations of these tools in academic and professional contexts. You will end the module with a self-assessed written reflection where you'll critically analyze an AI-generated text using the techniques you have learned.
What's included
3 videos4 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt
3 videos•Total 16 minutes
- Critical Reading•5 minutes
- GenAI for Critical Reading•8 minutes
- Case Study: Critical Reading•3 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
- Critical Reading, at its Core, Plain and Simple•10 minutes
- Critical Reading: Making Judgements About a Text•10 minutes
- Activity: Experiment with AI to Create an Article•10 minutes
- Module 2 Summary•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 100 minutes
- Critical Reading, at its Core, Plain and Simple•30 minutes
- Critical Reading: Making Judgements About a Text•30 minutes
- Critical Reading Reflection and Self-assessment•40 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Exploring GenAI Tools for Critical Reading•10 minutes
This module will help you identify and analyze different types of biases in AI-generated content. Through interactive videos, you'll learn to recognize explicit and implicit biases, including common cognitive biases like confirmation bias. The module uses real-world examples to demonstrate how algorithmic bias perpetuates societal inequalities and expert insights to explain how GenAI biases occur. Your learning will be assessed through a quiz that tests your understanding of different types of biases.
What's included
3 videos5 readings5 assignments2 discussion prompts
3 videos•Total 18 minutes
- Different Types of Biases•7 minutes
- Case Studies of AI Bias•5 minutes
- GenAI Bias: Expert Interview•6 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- How to Identify Bias: 14 Types of Bias•10 minutes
- What is AI Bias?•10 minutes
- Algorithmic Bias and the Tools Working to Prevent It•10 minutes
- Activity 2a: Detecting Biases in AI Outputs•10 minutes
- Module 3 Summary•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 150 minutes
- How to Identify Bias: 14 Types of Bias•30 minutes
- What is AI Bias?•30 minutes
- Algorithmic Bias and the Tools Working to Prevent It•30 minutes
- Activity 1: Identify Instances of Exclusionary Bias in Selected Texts•30 minutes
- Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Recognizing and Sharing Examples of Cognitive Bias•10 minutes
- Activity 2b: Detecting Biases in AI Outputs•10 minutes
This module equips you with the skills to construct and evaluate logical arguments while mastering effective AI prompt design. Through interactive videos, you'll explore five core argument types (deductive, inductive, abductive, analogical, and causal) and learn to spot logical fallacies that undermine reasoning. The module also delves into advanced prompt techniques-from zero-shot to tree-of-thought prompting, highlighting how clarity and context shape AI outputs. Real-world examples and ethical dilemmas illustrate the interplay between human reasoning and AI decision-making, emphasizing transparency and bias mitigation. Your learning will be assessed through a peer-reviewed prompt-engineering task, where you’ll demonstrate systematic reasoning by refining AI outputs.
What's included
3 videos8 readings1 assignment1 peer review2 discussion prompts
3 videos•Total 27 minutes
- Developing Logical Arguments•8 minutes
- Mastering AI Prompt Design•10 minutes
- AI vs. Human Reasoning and Ethical Dilemmas•9 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
- Argument and Argumentation (Section 2)•10 minutes
- Activity: Explore how Systematic Prompts Develop Critical Thinking•10 minutes
- Further Resource: Prompt Engineering Guide (Optional) •10 minutes
- Activity: How can Ethics of Reasoning be Compromised in AI-generated Texts?•10 minutes
- Possible Answers for Activity: How can Ethics of Reasoning be Compromised in AI-generated Texts?•10 minutes
- GenAI and Transparent Monitoring•10 minutes
- Further Reading: AI Literacy & Critical Thinking (Optional) •10 minutes
- Module 4 Summary•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Argument and Argumentation•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Critically Evaluating a GenAI Conversation•60 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Activity: Explore how Systematic Prompts Develop Critical Thinking•10 minutes
- Activity: How can Ethics of Reasoning be Compromised in AI-generated Texts?•10 minutes
This module will help you effectively integrate GenAI tools into your critical writing process while maintaining rigorous standards. Through annotated examples and practical workflows, you'll learn to use AI for argument structuring, evidence verification, and cautious language refinement while preserving human judgment. The module demonstrates how to combine reasoning-focused LLMs with research assistants and editing tools, using techniques like evidence matrices and adversarial prompting to reduce hallucinations. At the end of this module, you will use AI tools to write a short critical introduction on a chosen topic, along with an explanation about the way you used these tools.
What's included
5 videos8 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
5 videos•Total 46 minutes
- GenAI Tools for Critical Writing•15 minutes
- The Critical Writing Process (Section 1)•4 minutes
- The Critical Writing Process (Sections 2 and 3)•14 minutes
- Critical Writing Annotated Sample Text•8 minutes
- Critical Reading & Writing with GenAI: Course Summary•5 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
- Resource: Four Prompt Patterns from the Video•10 minutes
- An Overview of 14 GenAI Writing Tools•10 minutes
- Activity: Compare New GenAI Tools•10 minutes
- Sample Text for Critical Writing Analysis•10 minutes
- Brave New Words•10 minutes
- Module 5 Summary•10 minutes
- Additional Resource: Privacy, Copyright, & Citing Issues with GenAI Tools (Optional)•10 minutes
- References and Acknowledgements•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
- An Overview of 14 GenAI Writing Tools•30 minutes
- Brave New Words•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Critical Writing with GenAI•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- GenAI Tools for Critical Writing•10 minutes
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