AI is already in your classes
Your professors, classmates, and future employers are using it. Knowing when it helps, when it’s wrong, and what your instructor allows protects your grades and your integrity.
FREE · SELF-PACED · FROM ZAHNOW LIBRARY
Learn to use AI with skill and good judgment.
A short, hands-on course for SVSU students. Learn how AI tools really work, how to get great results, and how to make something of your own — without losing your voice.
- 10 lessons
- 6 experiments
- $0 to take
- 1 certificate
WHY IT MATTERS
AI isn’t going away. Learn to use it on your terms.
Employers want people who can use it well
Jobs are shifting toward people who can direct AI, check its work, and explain their choices. That’s a skill you can practice now and talk about in interviews.
Your ideas are what stand out
Anyone can type a prompt. Imagination, taste, and good judgment are what turn AI output into work worth sharing — and they’re what this course helps you build.
WHAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DO
Real skills, not just theory.
- Explain what AI tools can and can’t do in plain language
- Write prompts that get useful results the first time
- Spot invented facts and back claims with real library sources
- Make images, audio, video, or a simple app with AI
- Build a small project that solves a real problem
- Connect AI skills to your major and career plans
WHAT’S COVERED
- What AI is and where it’s going
- Prompting that actually works
- Research you can defend
- Imagination, taste, and agency
- Creating and building with AI
- AI and your future career
HOW IT WORKS
Learn a little, try it, make something.
- 1
Read
10 short, illustrated lessons, plus a short course review film.
- 2
Check
Two quick questions at the end of each lesson.
- 3
Experiment
Six hands-on projects using real AI tools.
- 4
Finish
Earn a completion certificate you can print or share.
Common questions
Is it free?
Yes. The course and every required activity are free. You never need a paid AI subscription.
How long does it take?
Most lessons take 20–40 minutes. Go at your own pace; your progress saves when you sign in.
Is this for course credit?
It’s a self-paced learning experience with a completion certificate, not a credit-bearing SVSU course. Some instructors may choose to assign it.
Isn’t using AI cheating?
It depends on your instructor’s rules. A big part of this course is learning to use AI honestly and to ask when you’re not sure.
Do I need to be good with technology?
No. If you can send a text message, you can start Lesson 1.
Ready to start? Lesson 1 takes about 30 minutes.
Questions? Kyle Bylin, Research & Assessment Librarian · Zahnow Library Z434 · kjbylin@svsu.edu. Follow your instructor’s rules on AI use; see responsible-use guidance.