Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
In the modern world, digital literacy and a foundational level of artificial intelligence fluency are becoming essential skills across a range of sectors and occupations. Over 4.9 billion people (more than 60% of the global population) use the internet, and artificial intelligence tools are rapidly becoming ubiquitous.
This introductory unit prepares students of all backgrounds to navigate this landscape by building critical digital literacy skills and foundational AI knowledge. It emphasises ethical and environmental awareness and hands-on practice in an accessible manner, using digital tools across academic and professional contexts. No prior technical or programming experience is required.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode First year of offer Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) On-campus - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 1 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) discuss and evaluate core aspects of digital literacy including online privacy, data security, and social media engagement; (2) critically assess the credibility and quality of online information; (3) evaluate how generative AI tools can be used effectively in different contexts; (4) explain ethical, environmental and societal issues around the use of AI tools, including impacts on student learning in an educative environment; and (5) use AI tools and prompting techniques to critically and creatively respond to a given brief.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) digital portfolio; (2) report; and (3) project. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Associate Professor Andrew Williams
- Contact hours
- Weekly two-hour workshops.
- Note
- This introductory unit will prepare you to navigate the emerging digital and generative AI landscape by building critical digital literacy skills and foundational AI knowledge. The unit explores ethical and privacy issues associated with AI and provides you with hands-on practice with digital tools that can be used across academic and professional contexts. A particular focus will be on developing your critical thinking skills. This unit can be taken by students from any discipline background (no prior technical or programming experience is required).
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.