Towards a Pedagogy of Self-Determination: Teaching with Generative AI in the Library Classroom

With the swift ascendence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT disrupting the academic and cultural landscape, librarians have debated how to respond to this incredibly consequential technology. From pondering its applications in completing rote tasks to denouncing its ethical conundrums, the debate has mainly centered on whether AI should even be used. In an instruction context, the scholarly conversation has been somewhat limited to how the ACRL Framework can be utilized when teaching with generative AI. What has yet to emerge is an assertive pedagogy that practically engages with generative AI while affirming the agency of students as independent actors with their own human abilities that AI cannot replicate. I propose a pedagogy of self-determination that uses tools like ChatGPT to not only attain AI literacy, but also develop metacognitive skills that rely on reflection and context. Based on lesson plans that ask students to “compete” with ChatGPT in some fashion, this article will integrate the scholarly conversation with practical teaching observations, offering insights into how centering the humanity of students can broaden our approach to engaging with AI in libraries.