OUMH1203 English for Written Communication – AI Literacy Essay

Part I: The Process of Writing a Basic Essay (40%)

Generative AI tools are increasingly common in higher education. Students use them for brainstorming, language support, searching for information, summarising ideas and improving written work. While AI can support learning and widen access to information, it also raises concerns about inaccurate information, academic integrity, overdependence on technology and the development of independent thinking and writing. Some educators therefore suggest formal AI literacy education for all students, covering responsible use, ethics, source verification, academic integrity and the limitations of AI output.

Essay question: Do you agree that Malaysian universities should introduce a compulsory AI literacy module for all undergraduate students? Take a clear position, support it with reasons, evidence and examples, and respond to at least one opposing argument.

Stage 1: Pre-Writing and Outlining (5%)

• State clearly whether you agree or disagree with the proposal.
• Write a thesis statement that presents your position and indicates the main arguments.
• Organise the outline into Introduction, Body and Conclusion (a sample outline format is provided).
• The body should contain two or three main arguments for your position and one opposing argument with your rebuttal, each with supporting details or examples, in a logical order.

Stage 2: Collecting and Organising Relevant Data (10%)

• Administer the questionnaire provided, “Perceptions of Compulsory AI Literacy Education in Malaysian Universities”, to at least SIX respondents (students, graduates, lecturers, educators or working adults). You may add items or respondents but must not change the given items.
• Record all closed-ended and open-ended responses in tables, graphs or charts.
• Write a 300 to 400-word summary highlighting patterns, numbers or percentages and notable views, explaining what the findings suggest, and identifying at least THREE findings to use in your Stage 3 essay.
• Attach the completed questionnaires after the summary.

Stage 3: Producing a Fully Developed Essay (25%)

• Write a 2,200 to 2,500-word argumentative essay on the same question, following your Stage 1 outline.
• Develop two or three well-explained arguments with examples, evidence and credible sources, and address at least one significant opposing argument with a convincing rebuttal.
• Integrate at least THREE questionnaire findings and explain how they support, challenge or contribute to your argument.
• Use at least FOUR credible references published between 2022 and 2026, including at least TWO academic sources.
• One-paragraph introduction ending with a clear thesis; one-paragraph conclusion that reinforces your position, synthesises the arguments and gives a strong final perspective.
• APA style for in-text citations and the reference list.

Part II: Online Class Participation (10%)

1. When writing an academic essay, how do you decide whether a source is credible enough to use? Discuss your strategies and give an example of a reliable source and a source you would question.
2. Based on the comic strip in the brief, organise THREE key principles to prioritise when writing within a strict word limit and critically explain why each matters.

Experts Answers on Above Questions on AI in Education

Position selected for argument – Agree that Malaysian universities should introduce AI literacy module

Thesis statement

It is argued that Malaysian universities should introduce compulsory AI literacy module for all undergraduate students because it helps them in making responsible use of generative AI, and also allows them to utilise AI in compliance with academic integrity guidelines of the university, and also improve their ability to critically evaluate AI generated information.

Argument one – academic integrity

A compulsory AI literacy module would be helpful for students to differentiate between acceptable AI use and academic misconduct. It will help them learn the extent to which they can utilise AI, and the ways in which they need to make disclosure of their AI use. With such modules, they will also learn on how to avoid submitting AI generated work as their own, and cross check AI citations with relevant sources.

Argument two – critical thinking and source verification

With the help of an AI module, it will be possible for students to recognise hallucinations, biased responses and unreliable sources. Students would be able to compare the AI generated responses with peer reviewed journal articles, and this will enhance The authenticity of the sources used in their work.

Argument three – digital and workplace readiness

With the help of AI literacy module, it will be possible for the undergraduate to prepare themselves for the workplaces where AI is increasingly used for research, communication, data analysis and content creation.

Opposing argument

With making AI as a compulsory module, it would increase the workload on students because universities already teach digital and information literacy skills, and it will be a double effort needed on their part.
Rebuttal – AI literacy is different from digital literacy undertaken by universities and compulsory modules would also ensure students receiving consistent training.

How I decide whether a source is credible

I try to gather information like the author details, publication date, journals, references used, and whether the information is available in other secondary sources. A peer reviewed article published in an academic journal is a credible source as compared to an anonymous website without references.

Three principles for a strict word limit

The three principles are relevance, conciseness and prioritisation. Relevance in the sense that each and every paragraph must directly answer the essay question, and conciseness in terms of no lengthy explanations and only includes essential evidence and reasoning. Finally prioritisation in terms of strongest arguments receive more words compared to minor points.

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