ACRL/NY First Year Experience Discussion Group (member only event)

When
20 Nov 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
via Zoom meeting

Registration

Members only

ACRL/NY First Year Experience Discussion Group

Fall 2026 meeting

First-Year Students in the Age of AI: What Should They Learn First?

Date & Time: Friday, Nov 20, 2026 | 9:30am – 11:00am
via Zoom meeting (link will be provided in the email confirmation).

This is a members only event. If you are not a member, please join at https://acrlny.org/join-us
Target Audience:  First Year Experience academic librarians, community college educators, instructional designers, and information literacy professionals
Presenter:
Dr. LaRoi M. Lawton, Head of Learning Services, Reference and Instruction Librarian, and AI Peer Mentor at Bronx Community College

Session Description: 
For this session, Dr. Lawton, along with attendees, will discuss how first-year students can distinguish credible information from misinformation, evaluate AI-generated responses, verify sources, and recognize when AI-generated content is incomplete or misleading.
Discussion question: What are the essential AI and information literacy competencies every first-year student should develop, regardless of major?
Regardless of their academic major, today's first-year students need an integrated set of AI literacy, information literacy, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning skills. These competencies are becoming as fundamental as writing, quantitative reasoning, and digital literacy, particularly as students encounter AI-generated content, algorithmic decision-making, and information overload across disciplines.
Attendees will learn:  
Identify Essential AI and Information Literacy Competencies: Recognize the core AI literacy, information literacy, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning skills that first-year students need to succeed academically, regardless of major.
Evaluate AI-Generated Information Critically: Apply strategies for assessing the accuracy, credibility, completeness, and potential biases of AI-generated responses and identifying misleading or unsupported claims.
Verify Sources and Recognize Misinformation: Identify credible information sources, cross-check claims against reliable evidence, and teach students how to distinguish trustworthy information from misinformation and AI-generated inaccuracies.
Integrate AI and Information Literacy into First-Year Instruction: Explore practical approaches for incorporating AI literacy, source evaluation, critical thinking, and ethical AI use into library instruction and first-year experience programming.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore innovative AI literacy initiatives and gain actionable insights for your own library instruction programs! 

Facilitator: Carl R. Andrews, Associate Professor | Reference & Instruction Librarian |Bronx Community College, CUNY

ACRL/NY
P.O. Box 8331
New York, NY 10116-8331

webteam@acrlny.org

ACRL/NY does its best to ensure that all events and meetings are as accessible as possible. Those seeking individualized requests for accommodations are encouraged to contact acrlnypresident@gmail.com or the meeting organizers as soon as possible so that a good faith effort can be made to meet the identified needs.