2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Creating Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy Learning Outcomes for a Quantitative Experimentation Laboratory Course

Presented at Engineering Libraries Division (ELD) Technical Session 3

In the fall of 2025, Mechanical Engineering and Library faculty will develop and pilot Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy learning outcomes within a Mechanical Engineering and Physics courses. The university currently does not have institution-wide AI literacy learning outcomes or systematic support for AI instruction. In preparation, the faculty will collaborate to create an AI literacy framework for courses in which students carry out quantitative experimentation. Instructional and assessment materials designed to teach students about the uses, ethical implications, and limitations of AI throughout the technical paper writing process will be created. Students will practice and evaluate the use of AI throughout the experimentation process, including the literature search, interpretation of past work, data analysis, and manuscript review.

This project seeks to advance AI literacy across diverse educational contexts and to provide an instructional opportunity to establish an equitable understanding about the application of AI, regardless of the level of an individual’s prior exposure. The materials will be designed to be applicable in any course where students pair research with quantitative data analysis. This work-in-progress paper will present the theoretical models and existing research that will inform the creation of the AI literacy learning outcomes and framework. The authors will make use of research on AI literacy and competencies across disciplines within and outside of Engineering and Library Science to determine the current state and efficacy of AI literacy instruction at the undergraduate level. This paper will not explore individual AI tools but rather provide a foundational overview of the competencies and skills students need to engage with current and future AI tools.

Authors

Laurie Borchard California State University Maritime Academy [biography]

Laurie Borchard has an MLIS in Library and Information Science with over twelve years of professional experience working in libraries. She has nine years of experience working in academic libraries providing information literacy instruction to undergraduate students in both online and in-person environments. Her research has focused on open educational resources (OER), information literacy instruction, and student success initiatives in academic libraries. At Cal Maritime, she works closely with faculty in various departments including engineering, oceanography, political science and the humanities.
Ms. Amber Janssen http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-9013-224X California State University Maritime Academy [biography]

Amber Janssen is an Associate Librarian at California State University, Maritime Academy (CSUM). Her research background is in the instruction and assessment of information literacy in undergraduate engineering education and the information behaviors of marine engineers.
Dr. William W. Tsai California State University Maritime Academy [biography]

Dr. William W. Tsai is an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at California State University, Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime). His research background is fluid mechanics and heat transfer. In engineering education, he is involved in the incorporation of information literacy into the engineering curriculum. He is also involved in his program's assessment, ABET accreditation activities, and the Institution-Wide Assessment Council. Before Cal Maritime, Dr. Tsai was a Member of the Technical Staff in the Fluid Mechanics Group at The Aerospace Corporation. Dr. Tsai earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. at the University of California, Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering.

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