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AI literacy to be taught with English at eastern Idaho school
IBR STAFF//January 27, 2026//
The English department faculty will be integrating AI literacy into its curriculum this fall at CEI. (PHOTO: CEI)
AI literacy to be taught with English at eastern Idaho school
IBR STAFF//January 27, 2026//
As generative artificial intelligence becomes more and more prevalent in society, one Idaho school is taking steps to make sure the future workforce is prepared to make the most of the technological tool.
At a Glance:
- College of Eastern Idaho will integrate generative AI into English 101 starting fall 2026
- The course will focus on responsible, ethical and effective AI use
- Students will use Microsoft Copilot in academic and professional contexts
- CEI will pilot the curriculum during the summer term before full rollout
College of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls is enhancing its English 101 course starting in the fall of 2026 to include generative AI literacy. According to the school the added component will help its students “understand, evaluate and responsibly navigate AI tools.”
According to the school, the addition makes it one of the first in Idaho to integrate the topic into its first-year composition curriculum.
“By embedding this new and evolving technology into one of our core general education courses, the English faculty demonstrates their clear understanding of AI’s impact on their discipline and their commitment to putting the needs of students first,” said Jacob Haeberle, dean of General and Transfer Education at CEI.
CEI will be using Microsoft Copilot to help students learn how to use the technology in “academic and professional contexts,” it stated. The course will focus on what generative AI is and how it works; evaluating when and how the technology is helpful or not; analyzing output for “accuracy, bias and missing perspectives”; using the tools to support language production processes; and how to maintain their own voice, judgement and academic integrity.
The school will test the curriculum during its summer term with a full rollout of the course beginning in the fall semester.
English faculty members Dr. Dana Cotton, Dr. Steve Harrison, Roger Plothow and Heidi Tighe are working on the design of the new curriculum and are establishing a framework for other professors to build on when using AI in other areas of study.
“By integrating generative AI into English 101, CEI continues its mission to provide students with relevant, real-world skills while fostering critical thinking, digital literacy and responsible technology use,” the school stated in a release.
