Your Critical AI Toolkit

About this toolkit

This toolkit provides practical support for understanding, questioning, critically engaging with, and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. It will support you to make informed decisions in a range of contexts - in learning, at work, in your life, and in teaching. It will support you to be adaptable and ready to make decisions on its use, as AI technology and the contexts influencing its use changes over time.

We will explore 4 core areas:

1. What and where is Generative Artificial Intelligence?
2. Developing your critical and evaluative engagement with AI
3. Developing your skills to use AI
4. Using AI for your career

This toolkit is for:

• Students who learn with York St John University
• Staff who teach and support learning with York St John University
• Our wider communities, including local and international groups, partners, and business we work with

When using this toolkit, we will make reference to the Guidance for students on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence which sets out the University's foundations for engaging with AI whilst studying with us. This toolkit is designed to help you make decisions in a range of contexts inside and outside York St John University, so although our central foundations are written in the context of study, they are excellent foundations for all your study, work and personal contexts. The toolkit will support and encourage you to make decisions on AI usage by seeking out and using information that should inform those decisions, including:

• Assignment briefs and your School's guidance on AI and integrity for each assignment
• Deeper contextual learning provided by your School, your profession, or your employer
• Your discipline and/or sector expectations (including legal and professional enablers or constraints)

As well as developing your own knowledge, critical evaluation and skills, the toolkit includes teaching resources and reflective questions for those of you who teach and/or support learning. This toolkit was developed collectively by Library and Learning Services, Teaching and Learning Enhancement, London Learning and Wellness, London and York Careers teams, and academic colleagues across different disciplines.

Let's begin your AI journey.

Page last updated: September 2025
Next review: January 2026