ML 1: Media Literacy & Critical Thinking in the Age of AI - EDC-X748AA

Course Description

Credit Validation for Ed3 Participants Only

This course builds educators' capacity to teach media literacy and critical thinking in a media environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). Educators examine how AI-generated content complicates the line between authentic and fabricated media, practice evaluating source reliability and bias, and develop repeatable verification habits they can bring into their own classrooms.

Across the modules, educators use AI as a research and analysis partner by comparing media bias ratings against AI assessments, designing an interactive AI-powered verification simulation, and creating a bias-detection routine and campaign for their school community. Throughout the course, AI is treated as a tool for verification and analysis—not a substitute for the educator's own critical judgment.

By the end of the course, participants will have practiced media literacy as an ongoing habit of mind and produced classroom-ready routines and resources for teaching these skills.

Course Topics

• Media Literacy in the Age of AI
• Teaching Verification for the AI Era of Media
• Detecting Media Bias with AI

Learner Outcomes

• Evaluate the reliability and bias of media sources using AI as a research partner to verify and compare findings against established media bias ratings
• Model verification as a repeatable classroom routine, equipping learners with habits for checking claims, tracing evidence, and communicating under uncertainty in an AI-shaped media environment
• Design a media literacy routine or campaign for a school community by detecting bias in media framing and language while recognizing how AI can both reveal and amplify bias

Course Details

PLEASE READ ALL COURSE DETAILS

Number of Units: 0.5 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours.

Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for Ed3 Participants.

University of San Diego – Graduate-Level Extension Credit Information

The University of San Diego partners with this program to offer graduate-level extension credit(s) in semester hours through the Credit Validation Program. To earn units, participants must register for and successfully complete coursework through the external program provider.

Credits earned through USD’s Credit Validation Program are widely accepted by many school districts and universities across the United States for purposes such as license renewal, required professional development hours, short-term skill building, salary advancement, credentialing, and potential advanced degree pathways.

These units do not apply toward a master’s or higher degree program at the University of San Diego; however, they may be transferable to advanced degree programs (e.g., MA, EdD, PhD) at other institutions that accept external graduate-level credits.

Participants are responsible for confirming acceptance, transcript requirements, deadlines, and applicability of units with their employing district or intended institution prior to enrollment.

Directions to Enroll for Credit 

Step 1: Register with the Partner Organization 
Complete your registration directly with the partner organization. Follow their instructions to begin the course and pay any required enrollment fees.

• Homepage: Ed3
• Enroll: [Ed3] Media Literacy & Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
• Contact Ed3

Please Note: USD does not provide course materials, manage instruction, or assign grades. All coursework is evaluated by the program’s instructor or coordinator.

Step 2: Complete the Course 
Participate fully in the course through the partner organization and complete all required assignments, activities, and assessments. (Some courses, specifically DoDEA courses, may require participants to purchase units before the course ends; please check the enrollment window for details.)

Step 3: Register for University Credit
After confirming your registration with the partner organization and completing your program, return to USD’s website.

• Locate the same course on our listings page
• Click Add to Cart
• Click Check Out
• You will be prompted to either log into your USD Student Account or create one, and then pay for your units

If this course displays Request Information, it means the course is either not yet open for enrollment (please check the enrollment dates) or enrollment has already closed. If enrollment has closed, you may still contact the organization directly to see if they will accept a late enrollment or if the course will be offered again in the future.

Step 4: Partner Organization Submits Grades
After you finish, the partner organization will submit your final grade to USD.

Step 5: Receive Your Transcript
No further action is needed. Once your grade has been processed, USD will issue an official transcript reflecting your earned university credit. Transcripts are mailed to the address listed in your USD student account. 

Transcript Process: Once we receive your certificate of completion, we will begin processing your transcript. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their mailing address is accurate and up to date in their USD student account to avoid delays in transcript delivery.

Transcript Delivery Timeline:

• U.S. addresses: 2–3 weeks
• International addresses: 3–4 weeks

For detailed information regarding the University of San Diego Credit Validation Program, please consult our Participant Guide.