Ball State University's Al Literacy Framework
Grounded in Ball State University's distinctive, enduring values and informed by frameworks from the Digital Educational Council and the U.S. Department of Labor, Ball State University's Al Literacy Framework guides faculty, staff, and students to engage with Al responsibly, ethically, and purposefully. Anchored by the four literacy pillars, the framework supports student success and centers human judgment, autonomy, and relationships. The Framework centers people by both respecting individual autonomy to make informed choices about whether to adopt, adapt, or reject Al and fulfilling our collective responsibility to prepare our students to thrive and lead in an Al-infused world.
Four Pillars of AI Literacy
- Define Al and the key components necessary for its systems to function.
- Explain how Al models convert data into results and identify how data quality and sources affect performance.
- Identify common Al tools and the domains where each tool is most useful.
- Describe the importance of using human judgment to review, reflect, and refine Al content.
- Use evaluation frameworks and credible sources to determine Al accuracy.
- Evaluate the risks and benefits when determining the value and appropriateness of the use of Al.
- Explain core ethical issues of Al: accuracy, misinformation, transparency, accountability, privacy, risk, fairness, and its impacts on people, institutions, and the environment.
- Describe the importance of using Al tools in ways that protect people's privacy, data security, and intellectual property.
- Summarize how to disclose and appropriately cite the use of Al in a transparent manner.
- Describe how Al impacts one's thinking, feelings, behaviors, and interpersonal interactions and what it means to be human.
- Explain the advantages and limitations of Al tools for personal and professional purposes.
- Apply effective communication and human-in-the-loop strategies when using Al tools.
Levels of AI Literacy Development
Level 1: Foundational Understanding - Demonstrate the basic understanding of all four pillars of Al literacy.
Level 2: Practical Application - Apply Al literacy in courses; Courses will be evaluated and tagged such that students may earn an AI-Workforce Ready Certification by satisfying all levels of the AI Literacy Framework.
Level 3: Domain Expertise - Demonstrate mastery of all four Al literacy pillars within specific disciplines/domains.
The AI Literacy Steering Committee
The AI Literacy Steering Committee is charged with leading the strategic adoption and implementation of Ball State University’s AI Literacy Framework. Grounded in the University’s enduring values and informed by national standards, this committee will help to ensure that faculty, staff, and students engage with artificial intelligence responsibly, ethically, and purposefully. The committee’s work must center on human judgment, autonomy, and relationships, fulfilling our collective responsibility to prepare students to thrive in an AI-infused world.
Committee Objectives
- Framework Integration: Implement the roadmap to embed the Four Pillars of AI Literacy—Understanding, Evaluating, Ethical Use, and Purpose-Driven Use—into the university's academic and operational fabric.
- Competency Development: Develop comprehensive definitions and recommend methods for evaluating competency across the four pillars of literacy: Understanding AI; Evaluating AI; Ethical and Responsible Use of AI; Purpose-Driven Use of AI.
- Addressing Barriers: Seek to understand concerns and resistance, specifically regarding ethical implications, impacts on student learning, and the fear that AI may devalue professional expertise. Report and advise on identified issues with campus partners, including the IT Strategy Committee.
- Resource Alignment: Collaborate and coordinate with campus partners to ensure equitable access to institutional resources and alleviate time constraints that currently pose challenges to AI adoption. Contribute to maintaining an inventory of AI initiatives across campus and facilitate coordinated communication strategies, avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, and build cohesion around the AI Literacy Framework in cooperation with the University IT Strategy Committee for the Use of Generative AI.
The committee is comprised of representatives from the University Libraries, Division of Online and Strategic Learning, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, University IT, and faculty members representing each of the University’s colleges.
- Nancy Abashian, Dean of University Libraries
- Amy Petts, Associate Dean, Strategic Engagement and Learning, University Libraries
- Linh Littleford, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
- Trudi Weyermann, Assistant Provost for Learning Initiatives, Division of Online and Strategic Learning
- Oksana Komarenko, Instructional Consultant in the Division of Online and Strategic Learning
- Brandon Smith, Associate VP for Information Technology Strategy and Creative Innovation
- Xin Sun, Associate Professor, Computer Science, College of Science and Humanities
- Jim Buss, Dean, Honors College
- Henry Yu, Assistant Professor of Educational Technology, Teachers College
- Tereza Dean, Associate Professor of Marketing, Miller College of Business
- TBD, College of Communication, Information and Media
- TBD, College of Architecture and Planning
- TBD, College of Fine Arts
- TBD, College of Health
Committee's Initial Timeline
Spring 2026: Transition
- Finalize charge
- Solidify membership
Summer 2026: Planning
- Draft communication plan
- Develop/asses available foundational knowledge tools
- Draft Course Alignment Checklist
Fall 2026: Rollout
- Socialize concepts of AI Literacy Framework
- Pilot foundational knowledge tools
- Launch and assess Course Alignment Checklist
Other Anticipated Outcomes
- Create and launch a learning experience that provides foundational Al literacy to all Ball State stakeholders.
- Develop and validate an AI literacy competency measure to assess foundational AI literacy.
- Develop and implement Al professional development programs related to teaching, research, creative endeavors, and other professional responsibilities to enhance faculty and staff's Al knowledge and skills.
- Create training and guidelines to enhance faculty and staff knowledge and skills to use Al appropriately within their given domain or discipline.
- Create criteria for instructors to use to evaluate course alignment with the AI Literacy Framework. This criteria will allow for course tagging and for students to sequence leading to an AI-Workforce Ready Certification.
- Support departmental efforts to map and align curricula to offer students opportunities to practice and master all four literacy pillars with major-focused content, suggesting best practices for creating the Al-Ready Majors Designation.