AI-Literacy Activities for Introductory Statistics

These AI literacy activities were developed for introductory statistics courses to integrate AI literacy with statistical and data literacy. Rather than treating generative AI as an answer-generating tool, the activities position AI as an object of critical inquiry. Students iteratively engineer prompts, evaluate AI-generated visualizations for accuracy, compare alternative representations, and use statistical reasoning to verify conclusions. The goal is to help students become informed, critical users of AI while strengthening their understanding of core statistical concepts through authentic data analysis.

This hands-on activity integrates AI literacy with introductory statistics through an engaging real-world dataset that examines how Americans allocate time to different relationships throughout their lives. Students use ChatGPT to analyze data, recreate a published graph, evaluate the quality and accuracy of AI-generated visualizations, revise prompts to improve results, and interpret statistical patterns. By combining prompt engineering, critical evaluation, data visualization, and statistical reasoning, the activity helps students develop the skills needed to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly while strengthening their understanding of data analysis. 

Files: Activity Instructions      Graph    Data

In this activity, students use generative AI to investigate one of the most well-known datasets in statistics while developing AI literacy and statistical reasoning skills. Students practice prompt engineering by generating contingency tables and visualizations, refining prompts to improve AI-generated output, and verifying the accuracy of AI's results. Through the analysis of relationships among passenger class, survival, and gender, students learn to interpret categorical data, compare percentages rather than raw counts, and examine how the inclusion of a third variable can change conclusions. By emphasizing critical evaluation of AI-generated analyses, the activity helps students develop the skills needed to use AI responsibly while reinforcing fundamental concepts in introductory statistics. 

Files: Activity Instructions   Data

This activity engages students in using generative AI to investigate the environmental impacts of dairy and plant-based milk. Working with authentic data, students upload datasets into ChatGPT, recreate a published visualization, evaluate the strengths and limitations of AI-generated graphs, revise prompts to improve accuracy, and compare alternative visualizations. The activity concludes with statistical analysis and written interpretation, helping students strengthen data visualization, statistical communication, and critical AI evaluation skills while exploring a timely sustainability topic. 

Files: Activity Instructions  Graph    Data

In this activity, students use generative AI to examine a real-world dataset tracking the number of people living in countries where same-sex marriage is legal over time. Students upload the data into ChatGPT, recreate a published visualization, evaluate the accuracy of AI-generated graphs, and refine their prompts to improve the results. They then compare alternative visualizations, analyze trends and percentages, and communicate statistical conclusions using evidence from the data. By requiring students to verify AI-generated output rather than simply accept it, the activity develops AI literacy, data literacy, and statistical reasoning while encouraging thoughtful discussion of a globally relevant social issue. 

Files: Activity Instructions      Graph      Data