Aligning AI Tools with the ACRL Framework Leveraging Perplexity... - Justin Kani & Denise A. Wetzel

Aligning AI Tools with the ACRL Framework: Leveraging Perplexity.ai to Support Student Learning
Justin Kani, Economics & Business Librarian, Weber State University
Denise A. Wetzel, Science & Engineering Librarian, Pennsylvania State University
The rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI), exemplified by the rise of ChatGPT by Open AI, have significantly impacted the landscape of information literacy education. This presentation shares how Perplexity.ai can be leveraged to enhance students' information literacy skills when used in conjunction with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. We will focus on how to use Perplexity.ai to facilitate learning around "Research as Inquiry." Perplexity.ai, unlike ChatGPT, provides users with cited sources for the information it retrieves based on the user's questions and prompts. As a result, the tool utilizes a more transparent and accountable approach to information retrieval.
While using Perplexity.ai, students:
encounter the iterative research process.
engage in verification of information and critical evaluation of sources.
practice a strategic approach to navigate vast information sources.
Moreover, Perplexity.ai not only enables students to practice formulating research questions and evaluating sources, it also allows them to enact the very core of the the Frame: that "research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
This presentation highlights ideas to empower students to grow as information-literate researchers, using a generative AI tool, while upholding academic integrity. Rather than relying on piecemeal policies, this presentation advocates for a comprehensive integration of AI-based tools and the ACRL Framework.
Attendees will complete the session by breaking out into rooms to practice using Perplexity.ai in pairs or small groups. Example search topics will allow attendees to model the student-librarian interaction.