Pedagogical Ambition vs. Reality: Designing an AI Literacy Module When Tech Fails and Money Runs Out

It started simple enough. What if I took the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence slideshow I created for an exercise science course and turned it into a module any faculty member could use? Then the "what-if" thoughts kept coming. What if it was an AI Literacy module instead? What if the content could be updated term-to-term as AI evolves? What if it could be embedded directly into instructor course pages? What if instructors didn't have to re-upload the module every time it was updated? What if students could earn a badge to prove completion so they wouldn't have to repeat the module if assigned again? The question marks were dropped and the what-ifs became project goals. Things quickly fell apart. The Course Management Software wasn't designed to handle the features I needed. Our campus could no longer afford access to digital badge software or additional third-party tech solutions. One by one, the project goals became unattainable. If this was going to work, I needed a different approach. I set about testing free tools that could still achieve the project's goals. In this poster session, I'll walk attendees through the AI Literacy project's initial goals, the technical challenges that emerged, the trial-and-error process using free tools, and the final solution that made the project a success. Attendees will leave with the free tools and process to design their own interactive content on a budget.