Subjects
information literacy, artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence, primary source literacy, authority is constructed and contextul
Document Type
Innovative Practice
Abstract
This article presents an information literacy workshop designed for undergraduate history courses that introduces students to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) while strengthening primary source literacy. Anchored in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, “Authority Is Constructed and Contextual,” the workshop employs an innovative pedagogical device, the Spectrum of Authority, to help students critically evaluate information sources. Through comparative analysis and guided discussion, students increased their ability to assess credibility in information sources. Student feedback indicated increased confidence in analyzing primary sources and a greater understanding of GenAI’s capabilities and limitations. The Spectrum of Authority offers librarians and educators a replicable, discipline-agnostic approach to integrating GenAI into instruction without requiring technical expertise, fostering critical engagement with both historical and contemporary information environments.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45005
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Howard, K. (2026). The Spectrum of Authority: A New Approach to Teaching AI and Primary Source Literacies. Communications in Information Literacy, 20 (1), 152–168. Retrieved from https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit/vol20/iss1/8