3.6 KiB
Week 6 Announcements
Monday: This Week in CSIS 1 — AI, Emerging Tech, Info Literacy & Final Exam
Hey everyone -
Last week. You made it.
This week we're talking about AI, emerging technology, and information literacy — basically, how to navigate a world where computers can write essays, clone voices, and generate fake photos that look completely real. We'll also cover blockchain, IoT, and other buzzwords you've probably heard but maybe couldn't explain.
This week you'll be able to:
- Explain what AI and machine learning are in plain language
- Use an AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.) and critically evaluate its output
- Identify misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated content
- Describe emerging technologies (IoT, blockchain, VR/AR) at a high level
- Reflect on your own digital literacy and what you've learned
What's due this week:
- Practice Quiz (unlimited attempts)
- Discussion: "You just used an AI tool. How did you decide what to trust?"
- Real-World Task: Use an AI tool to research a topic, then fact-check its output
- Weekly Check-In Quiz (2 attempts)
- Final Exam — opens Wednesday, due Sunday 11:59 PM
All due Sunday 11:59 PM. No extensions on the final.
Readings: WSS Ch. 15 (selected sections) and the GCFGlobal Digital Media Literacy module. Links in Module 6.
Monday Demo tonight — We're going hands-on with AI tools live. I'll ask them questions, we'll see what they get right and wrong, and I'll show you how to fact-check the output. This one's fun. Zoom link in Module 6.
-peter h
Wednesday: Mid-Week Check-In
Hey everyone -
On the AI assignment: The point isn't to prove that AI is bad or good. It's to use it and then think critically about the output. Ask it something you already know about and see what it gets wrong. Ask it for sources and check if they're real (sometimes they're completely made up). Ask it the same question twice and see if you get different answers.
The skill here isn't using the AI — that part's easy. The skill is knowing when to trust it and when not to.
Reminder: The final exam opens today. It's 30 questions, comprehensive, covering all 6 weeks. You can start it any time between now and Sunday 11:59 PM. Once you start, you'll have a time limit (check the exam page for details). Don't start it at 11:30 PM Sunday.
Quick study tip: Go back through your practice quizzes. The questions on the final come from similar material. If there's a topic you struggled with earlier in the course, now's the time to review it.
You're almost there.
-peter
Friday: Week Wrap-Up
Hey everyone -
That's it. We're done.
Final exam is due Sunday at 11:59 PM. If you haven't started it, do it this weekend. Don't wait until the last hour.
Also due Sunday: the AI assignment, discussion, and weekly quiz. Get everything in.
A few things before we go:
Six weeks ago, most of you walked in knowing how to use a computer but not necessarily understanding how it works. Now you know what's inside the machine, how files and software work, how the internet moves data around the planet, how to build documents and spreadsheets, how to spot a scam, and how to think critically about AI-generated content. That's a lot.
The security stuff from Week 5 — password managers, 2FA, spotting phishing — that's going to matter for the rest of your life. Keep using it.
The critical thinking from this week — questioning sources, verifying claims, not trusting something just because it sounds confident — that matters even more. Especially now.
If you need to reach me after the course ends, phowell@gavilan.edu still works.
Thanks for a great six weeks. I mean it.
-peter h