Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education and the broader world. This page provides a foundation for understanding AI concepts and tools, with an emphasis on generative AI. Whether you are just beginning your AI journey or seeking to integrate AI literacy into your teaching, the curated resources here will help you develop a working knowledge of how AI functions, what it can do, and how to engage with it responsibly.
Foundations & tools for AI in education
Laying the groundwork
Intro to Generative AI
This introductory video is designed to help build a strong foundation in generative AI. It covers key concepts, terminology, and examples to demystify how generative AI works and what it can do. Whether you're exploring for your understanding or preparing to introduce AI to students, this guide offers a practical starting point.
Prompting
Using clear, structured prompts helps generative AI tools return more accurate and useful outputs. This resource introduces prompting strategies that can improve your interactions with AI and support more creative, effective problem-solving—whether you're generating ideas, creating content, or teaching students to engage critically with AI.
Want to try some advanced prompting? Check out our prompt remix activity.
AI Tools at ASU
ASU offers a suite of approved AI tools designed to support teaching, learning, and administrative tasks. These technologies can assist with content creation, data analysis, decision support, and automating complex workflows. This resource provides an overview of available tools and guidance on how to begin using them effectively in your work.
FAQs
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence designed to create new content, such as text, images, audio, or code, based on patterns it has learned from large datasets. What makes it unique is its ability to generate original material in response to your prompts, rather than just analyzing data or following predefined rules. For example, tools like Copilot and Gemini can answer questions in full sentences, while image generators like Adobe Firefly can create entirely new visuals based on descriptions. This creative capability sets generative AI apart from earlier forms of AI, which were often focused on automation or prediction.
Generative AI tools are versatile and can be used for a wide range of tasks. They excel as an editor for proofreading, refining style and tone, and checking for overall coherence. They function as a content creator, helping with topic suggestions, idea generation, and brainstorming. As a researcher, they facilitate information retrieval and idea exploration. Finally, they act as a collaborator, assisting with upskilling, serving as a virtual tutor, and supporting brainstorming sessions.
To maximize the effectiveness of your interactions with generative AI, there are four key tips:
- Provide Context: Offer background information to help the AI understand your query better.
- Be Clear and Specific: Clearly define the desired outcomes, deliverables, and target audience for the AI's response.
- Experiment with Prompts: Don't be afraid to try different ways of phrasing your prompts to see what yields the best results.
- Give Feedback: After receiving a response, provide feedback to the AI on whether it met your expectations, if revisions are needed, or if a different format would be better.
No technical background is required to begin using generative AI tools. Most platforms offer user-friendly, text-based interfaces that make it easy to explore capabilities through natural language. Starting with guided activities or prompt templates can help you build comfort and confidence without needing coding or advanced knowledge.
Yes. Generative AI tools can produce inaccurate or biased content, reflect gaps in their training data, or sound authoritative even when incorrect. It's important to critically evaluate outputs, avoid sharing sensitive information, and teach students responsible use. Principled Innovation remains essential in verifying and contextualizing AI-generated content.