Critical Thinking and Generative AI literacy for Sustainability Education

This project aims to explore the use of generative Al tools (e.g. ChatGPT) to process Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and ESG data sets. Students will be trained (1) in using GenAI for this purpose and (2) in evaluating the quality of information provided by GenAI.

In one course, students will conduct the analysis task manually, compare it with GenAI results, and via structured class activities and discussions, develop the art of writing better prompts. In another course, students will compare the end products of assignments completed with and without GenAI and acquire critical thinking skills in the process of evaluation and critique. The resources created for use in class and the insights gathered from conducting such lessons will be expanded for application to other topics within and beyond sustainability education and will be shared with other instructors so they can be encouraged to incorporate, and not avoid, the use of generative Al tools.