Distance Education Student Resources

Ready to take an online class?

What does it mean to be "ready" to take an online class? While online classes may seem like less work, they're not! Regardless of the topic, they require self-direction, academic and technical skills, and more.

Students and AI

AI is here to stay. Now what?

AI is here to stay and has been here for a long time already. There is also a quick video that summarizes the history if you prefer videos. The Wall Street Journal also has a video specific to ChatGPT. The question is: Can I use AI for your class? The answer is: ask your teacher!

Please do read the Student Guide on AI use from the Modern Language Association and Conference on College Composition and Communication (from 2025).

Whether or not you use AI for your classes, be very, very careful about how you use it. AI is a tool, and it learns from information on the internet. As we all know, there is a lot of useful information on the internet, but there is also a lot of junk. AI is also trained mostly by white men. So, it runs on those biases.

You may be curious about AI, which is great! The list below is a compilation of resources where you can learn more about it:

• What is an LLM?
• Prefer videos? This video explains LLM’s.
• This FastCompany article reviews how AI works.
• This webinar from UC Berkeley (it’s a long one, one hour) includes information on biases built into AI
• California Department of Education has a long playlist of YouTube videos about AI.