Evidence-based AI course aims to bridge skills gap for UA undergraduates

As recent graduates prepare to enter the workforce, they are noticing more employers across all industries are requiring their employees to be well-versed in AI technology. According to data from the AI Workforce Integration and Skill Enhancement, or AI-WISE project, most graduates feel their education fell short.

Dr. Laura McNeill, a clinical assistant professor of instructional technology in the College of Education, and her team found that just 35% of recent graduates feel their undergraduate degrees sufficiently prepared them for AI integration in the workplace while 91% believe that universities should regularly update AI curriculum according to industry feedback.

With funding from a $30,000 internal grant from the College, McNeill and team members Dr. Lesley Regalado, associate professor at University of Texas at Arlington and UA adjunct professor, and instructional technology doctoral students Stephen Abu, Mohi Uddin, Mengshi (Victoria) Pei and David Awoyemi set out to determine what AI skills industries want workers to have and what recent graduates wish they had known about AI prior to entering the workforce.

The research included an extensive literature review, focus groups with 13 employer organizations such as Boeing, Mercedes-Benz and the U.S. Air Force, a national survey of 110 employers, and a survey of 50 recent graduates working in industry.

"I think we are doing a bit of a disservice to our students if we don't allow them to explore these (AI) tools, because when they graduate, they will be expected to know how to use them."

The data showed that not only do employers want students to graduate knowing how to think about AI, use it and be able to navigate various interfaces, they also want them to be able to articulate the reasoning behind AI-based decisions and to leverage how they can use AI tools to solve issues pertinent to the organization.

"Presentation skills matter. Communication skills matter. Teamwork matters. So, what we have done is create a new course based on all that data," McNeill said.

CAT 400 AI Fluency for the Workforce is a 3-credit, 15-week online course available to all UA undergraduates built entirely from AI-WISE workforce data. Students learn about task-specific prompting, critical evaluation of AI outputs, ethical and responsible use, human-AI collaboration and organizational risk awareness while gaining firsthand experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Claude. They will use a variety of interfaces to complete career-based assignments and build portfolios of their work.

"I want students to be able to use AI safely and ethically. I want them to have the skills to secure the career that they want, and this is an easy way for them to show employers that they have those skills and can prove it," McNeill said.

An employer choosing between two candidates with equal skills, training and background will hire the person with AI experience. This even includes businesses like Milo's, Aldi and Tractor Supply, she said.

"They aren't looking for you to know everything about ChatGPT or Copilot. This is about wanting you to know how to ask the right questions, how to prompt, then critically examine and evaluate that output," McNeill said.

Senior accounting major Jacob Rennekamp said he took the class to learn how to use AI in a professional setting and impress future employers. He said one reason the AI skills gap exists is many students use AI for "fun" things or as an end and not a means to an end.

"I have seen other students use AI to do work for them when its best application is helping you learn the class material. This is similar to business, because if you don't understand what or why you're doing something and let AI do it, you are letting AI 'take your job' instead of being a tool to make yourself more valuable in your job."

Learning effective prompting and verification of output in the class has been very beneficial, Rennekamp said.

"I do feel more confident entering the workforce," he said. "I feel that no matter where I go, this class has prepared me and made me more valuable in whatever role I find myself in."

McNeill, her grant team and the College of Education are working to bridge the AI skills gap.

"There is so much critical thinking that goes into using artificial intelligence properly, and if you aren't asking the right questions, you won't get the right answers," McNeill said. "I think we are doing a bit of a disservice to our students if we don't allow them to explore these tools, because when they graduate, they will be expected to know how to use them."

The course represents just one piece of The University of Alabama's growing focus on preparing students for an AI-driven future. From the new School of Data Science and Honors College courses focused on AI ethics and responsible use to the AI Experience for building AI fluency across campus, these initiatives will ensure graduates are not only familiar with emerging tools but prepared to use them thoughtfully in their careers.