Register for the AI & Metaliteracy Workshop at SUNY CIT 2026

Generative AI is reshaping how we design assignments, support student learning, and think about authorship and participation. The question is no longer whether to engage with AI in our teaching—but how to do so in ways that are ethical, reflective, and effective.

At the Conference on Instruction & Technology 2026, we invite you to register for a hands-on preconference workshop focused on applying the AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit in your own teaching.

Learn to Apply Ethical, Effective Learning with AI Using Metaliteracy
🗓 Tuesday, May 26, 2026
🕒 2:30–5:30 PM ET
📍 SAC 304, Stony Brook University

This interactive session will also mark the official launch of the AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit, developed through a SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant by a collaborative team at Empire State University. The project is led by Principal Investigators Nicola Marae Allain and Thomas P. Mackey, with Alena Rodick serving as Project Manager and Eugenio Solis de Ovando leading digital video and AI avatar development. It also includes collaboration with Kathleen Olmstead and Logan Roth, Ph.D., both at SUNY Brockport.

This is a working session designed for direct application. Participants will explore the AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit, identify sample assignments and rubrics to adapt for their own courses, and revise those materials for their specific teaching context. Participants will also have the option to use AI as part of this process, modeling reflective and ethical engagement in their design choices. We encourage you to bring a learning activity you would like to develop or revise for your instructional setting.

Participants will leave with practical strategies for integrating AI through the metaliteracy framework, along with adapted assignments they have developed for their own course. They will also gain access to a wide range of resources from the AI & Metaliteracy OER Toolkit, including customizable assignment templates, guidelines, rubrics, learning modules, and implementation strategies. The workshop will also provide opportunities to connect with colleagues engaged in this work, with the potential to continue sharing ideas beyond the session.

AI is not just a new tool—it is reshaping how learners engage with information, create content, and participate in knowledge production. This workshop focuses on how metaliteracy can guide that work in practice, supporting learners as reflective, responsible, and active contributors in AI-mediated environments.

This work also reflects a broader commitment to open and collaborative dialogue about teaching and learning with AI, and we look forward to sharing additional updates as the toolkit becomes more widely available.

The session will be led by Dr. Nicola Marae Allain, Dr. Thomas P. Mackey, and Dr. Eugenio Solis de Ovando.

Please bring your own device and come ready to work with your own course materials.

Register today to join us at the workshop!

From Information Literacies to Metaliteracy: Learner Agency in an AI-Mediated World

The accompanying slide deck is available as a resource for exploring the core components of metaliteracy and AI-related learning activities in greater detail.

As metaliteracy continues to evolve in response to AI and emerging technologies, this keynote invites further reflection and application. Readers are encouraged to consider how these ideas might inform their own teaching and learning contexts—whether by integrating metaliteracy principles into course design, developing new learning activities, or engaging students as active and ethical producers of knowledge. The embedded materials—including two Slido surveys, reflective prompts, and examples of assignments—offer opportunities to explore these concepts in practice and to extend the conversation across diverse educational settings.

We encourage readers to apply these ideas in their own contexts and to share examples of their work with us for possible feature on the Metaliteracy blog.

-Tom and Trudi

Metaliteracy Examined at the Faculty360.org Global Summit on AI

At the Faculty360.org 2025 Summit, hosted virtually by Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, Tom Mackey delivered a presentation titled “Developing Metaliterate Learners for Generative AI.” The summit theme, Beyond the AI Hype: Faculty Futures in a Changing World, provided the context for a session that introduced metaliteracy as a holistic pedagogical framework for teaching and learning with generative AI. The presentation examined how the model supports critical thinking, knowledge production, and collaborative learning in AI environments.

The talk outlined the key elements of the metaliteracy framework and illustrated how its learner domains, roles, and characteristics guide effective engagement with generative AI. The 2025 revision of the Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives was discussed as a transferable resource for educators seeking to support ethical, reflective, and empowered engagement with AI across disciplines.

Several examples of learning activities from the Digital Media Arts program at Empire State University illustrated how the integration of AI and metaliteracy can foster creativity, critical reflection, and informed decision-making. The session also introduced new versions of the metaliteracy diagrams, offering updated visualizations that show how the framework enhances multiple modality learning in a wide range of educational settings.

The slide deck from this presentation is now available and can be accessed below.

If you would like to contribute your own take on these ideas, particularly as they relate to the metaliteracy framework and the updated Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives, we would be glad to work with you on a guest blog post.

Tom and Trudi

Plan to Attend an Online Workshop About Integrating AI and Metaliteracy to Develop OER

Are you interested in learning how to apply AI to create Open Educational Resources (OER)? Tom Mackey will explore this topic in an online presentation entitled “Advancing OER Through Metaliteracy and AI Integration” on November 12, 2025 at 8:00AM EST (New York) / 15:00 SAST (South Africa).

AI-generated image using ChatGPT 5 to show the integration of Metaliteracy, AI, and OER.

This virtual event is organized by the North-West University (NWU) UNESCO Chair and part of the NWU OER Fellows and the SADiLaR Digital Humanities OER Champions Project.

As noted in the event description:

The presentation introduces key concepts from metaliteracy and emerging AI literacy models, focusing on the updated metaliteracy goals and learning objectives, which have been revised to address the unique challenges and opportunities of AI-enhanced teaching and learning. Participants will engage in a practical workshop where they adapt and apply these themes to their own OER projects. Real-world examples from the Digital Media Arts program at Empire State University will illustrate how metaliteracy supports self-directed and multimodal learning in AI environments.

Session Takeaways:

  • Gain practical insights into how AI tools can be effectively applied to the development of Open Educational Resources (OER) through the lens of metaliteracy.
  • Participate in guided discussions and interactive learning activities that emphasize ethical, reflective, and collaborative engagement with AI in OER creation.
  • Explore strategies to empower educators and learners as metaliterate creators who design, share, and adapt OER for a global learning community.

Don’t miss this virtual event. Add it to your calendar and join via the Microsoft Teams link in the event announcement.

(Digital image generated in ChatGPT 5 for this post)

Humans in the Loop: Advancing Metaliteracy for Generative AI Learning Environments

This year’s 2025 European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) hosted in Bamberg, Germany featured an international panel that presented on Humans in the Loop: Advancing Metaliteracy for Generative AI Learning Environments. The presentaton took place on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 and explored how metaliteracy provides a holistic framework for responding to the global opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI).

Framed around the idea of learners as “humans in the loop” (Wu, et. al., 2022), the session highlighted diverse case studies that offered practical strategies for empowering individuals to engage with AI critically, ethically, and collaboratively.

Representing the team in person were Matt Moyo (North-West University, South Africa), Kristine N. Stewart (Zayed University, United Arab Emirates), and Tom Mackey (Empire State University, USA), (all pictured above). The panel also drew on the important contributions of Brenda Van Wyk (University of Pretoria, South Africa), Megan Eberhardt-Alstot (Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, USA), and Kristen Schuster (University of Southampton, UK).

The case studies showcased during the session reflected a wide range of perspectives and areas of inquiry, including Generative AI and the Metaliterate Learner, Responsible Use of AI in Postgraduate Research, Misrepresentation in AI, Inclusive Curriculum Design, and the Ethics of AI in Digital Media Arts. Together, these themes underscored the value of metaliteracy as a framework for engaging with AI while emphasizing the human capacity for metacognitive reflection, ethical responsibility, and collaborative knowledge construction.

As part of her Information Literacy Weblog, Sheila Webber blogged about our session: Humans in the Loop: Advancing Metaliteracy for Generative AI Learning Environments.

The conference also featured a second panel related to AI and Metaliteracy based on a paper co-authored by the IPILM Project Team, entitled “Combining Information Literacy and Metaliteracy to Advance Transnational Group Learning about AI. Learning Process and Learning Outcomes, Results from a Case Study.”

If you would like to share your own explorations with AI and Metaliteracy, feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to share via our Metaliteracy.org blog.

Tom and Trudi

Reference

Wu, X., Xiao, L., Sun, Y., Zhang, J., Ma, T., & He, L. (2022). A survey of human-in-the-loop for machine learning. Future Generation Computer Systems, 135, 364–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2022.05.014

AI and Metaliteracy to be Featured at ECIL 2025 in Bamberg, Germany

Two international panels on AI and Metaliteracy have been accepted for presentation at the 2025 European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL). The aim and scope of this year’s conference are focused on Information Literacy in an AI-driven World. It will take place September 22–25 at the University of Bamberg in Germany.

The two metaliteracy panels are featured as part of the full conference agenda and include:

Panel Presentation: Humans in the Loop: Advancing Metaliteracy for Generative AI Learning Environments

This international panel on Tuesday, Sept. 23 2025 will explore the transformative potential of metaliteracy as a holistic framework for addressing the global challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). The panelists will present descriptive case studies from around the world that demonstrate actionable strategies for empowering learners as humans in the loop through metaliteracy.

Panelists:

  • Thomas P. Mackey, Empire State University, USA
  • Brenda Van Wyk, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Megan Eberhardt-Alstot, Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, USA
  • Kristine N. Stewart, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
  • Kristen Schuster, University of Southampton, UK
  • Matt Moyo, North-West University, South Africa

Paper Presentation: Combining Information Literacy and Metaliteracy to Advance Transnational Group Learning about AI. Learning Process and Learning Outcomes, Results from a Case Study

The global panel on Thursday, September 25, 2025, will present findings from a co-authored transnational case study on learning about AI. The paper combines insights from information literacy and metaliteracy to highlight collaborative learning processes and outcomes across cultures. Panelists will discuss collaborative teaching and learning in the global virtual exchange Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM).

Authors:

  • Joachim Griesbaum, University of Hildesheim, Germany
  • Stefan Dreisiebner, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria
  • Emina Adilović, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Justyna Berniak-Woźny, SWPS University Kraków, Poland
  • Subarna Bhattacharya, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, India
  • Jini Jacob, Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce, India
  • Thomas P. Mackey, Empire State University, SUNY, USA
  • Tessy Thadathil, Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce, India

These two sessions underscore the growing importance of metaliteracy in addressing the opportunities and challenges of AI in global education. They also highlight the collaborative work of international scholars who are shaping future directions for learning in the age of generative AI.

(AI-generated image “AI and Metaliteracy” created using ChatGPT)

Reimagining Course Design with AI: Practical Strategies for Global Learning

As part of the SDL (Self-Directed Learning) Collaborative Corner on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources (OER) at North-West University, Prof. Tom Mackey, Empire State University, presented an interactive session on Reimagining Course Design with AI: Practical Strategies for Global Learning. The virtual event brought together educators and researchers to explore innovative ways of redesigning courses with artificial intelligence (AI) to support OER and multimodal learning.

The presentation drew on examples from the Digital Media Arts program at Empire State University, highlighting practical strategies from courses such as Digital Storytelling, Information Design, and Ethics of Digital Art & Design. In doing so, it connected the application of AI in course design with a metaliteracy perspective, underscoring the importance of reflective, ethical, and collaborative learning.

Explore the Session

The full session recording is now available, offering an in-depth look at the key themes and interactive discussions (click on the image):

Key Takeaways

  • Revise course content and learning activities with AI to expand opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and creativity.
  • Create original images with AI to enhance open resources and support multimodal learning experiences.
  • Develop transparent and ethical AI use policies to ensure responsible student engagement with emerging tools.
  • Design rubrics for AI-assisted and multimodal projects to provide clear, equitable assessment frameworks.

These approaches demonstrate how AI can be integrated as an effective tool across disciplines and learning environments. Educators are encouraged to consider how such strategies can be adapted to their own teaching practices, fostering inclusive, innovative, and globally connected learning opportunities.

For a closer view of the concepts and examples shared, the slide deck provides a visual overview of the session. Respond to the workshop prompt on slide 26 to reimagine your own learning activity with AI:

This presentation contributes to the ongoing dialogue about the role of AI in education and its potential to empower learners and educators in designing flexible, reflective, and future-ready courses. It offers a metaliteracy perspective to further emphasize the importance of ethical engagement, critical reflection, and collaborative learning in applying AI to course design.

If you have ideas or case studies about integrating AI and metaliteracy into your own course design, we invite you to reach out. We would be glad to feature your approaches as a guest post on the Metaliteracy blog and share your insights with our global community.

Tom and Trudi

Finalized 2025 Metaliteracy Goals and Objectives: Empowering Learners for Generative AI

We are excited to announce the final version of the 2025 Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives. After an open comment period and extensive discussions, we have carefully reviewed the insightful feedback from the community and incorporated valuable suggestions into this finalized version. This update builds upon the 2018 goals and objectives while addressing the evolving nature of metaliteracy, particularly in response to revolutionary developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapidly changing information environment.

AI-generated image to illustrate the idea of AI and Metaliteracy 2025.

Discussing the Role of AI

As we worked through these revisions, we had several intensive meetings in December and January to discuss not only specific updates but also how we conceptualize this version. One key topic of discussion was the role of AI. Although AI is specifically mentioned in the document, our focus extends beyond it to emphasize a broader understanding of metaliteracy. Our overarching goal is to acknowledge AI’s significant influence while ensuring that metaliteracy fosters a comprehensive and adaptable approach to learning in social information environments. Many of the revised objectives inherently address the need for metacognitive reflection and the ethical production of information, which are essential when engaging with AI-driven technologies.

Streamlining the Objectives

Through our collaborative efforts, we have refined this document to make it more actionable and adaptable for today’s educators and learners. This latest version of the Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives streamlines the previous iteration by reducing the number of objectives from 34 to 20, providing greater clarity and focus. It further enhances self-awareness, critical thinking, and adaptability, ensuring that learners are prepared to engage with the complex information environments of today and the future. We made difficult decisions about which objectives to retain, eliminate, or merge, ultimately arriving at a more concise and focused approach. This process reinforced the “meta” perspective that distinguishes metaliteracy from traditional information literacy, aligning the framework with its continued evolution. This latest version underscores the essential ways in which metaliteracy supports continuous reflection, ethical participation in digital environments, and the responsible creation of knowledge.

How We Used AI

It is worth noting that we applied generative AI as a writing assistant to enhance clarity, refine the structure of ideas, and assess how certain objectives align with learning domains which provided valuable insights. Rather than allowing AI to dictate content, we used it as a tool for reflection and refinement, ensuring that our revisions remained true to the principles of metaliteracy that we have been developing for several years. This process serves as a model for how learners can engage with generative AI in a thoughtful, ethical, and collaborative manner—leveraging its strengths while maintaining critical oversight and intellectual ownership of ideas.

Call for Translations

As a next step, we welcome translation assistance to make the 2025 Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives accessible globally. Translations will support a wider group of educators, learners, and researchers to integrate metaliteracy into their work, fostering international collaboration and engagement. If you can help, please leave a comment or contact us directly. Your support in broadening access to metaliteracy is invaluable. We invite you to review the final version of the 2025 Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives and share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks to the Metaliteracy Community

We want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed during the open comment period. Your feedback was instrumental in shaping this final version, and we truly appreciate the thoughtful engagement from the metaliteracy community. Your insights helped refine the goals and objectives, making certain that they are relevant and impactful in educational and professional settings. Thank you for being part of this important process and for your ongoing support of metaliteracy. We look forward to continuing this important conversation with you. We invite you to review the final version of the 2025 Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives and share your thoughts in the comments.

Now that the final version is available, we encourage you to explore the document and consider how these revised goals and objectives can be applied in your own teaching and learning. How do they support your approach to integrating metaliteracy and AI in education? What kinds of assignments or learning activities could be developed based on these insights? We invite you to share how you plan to apply these ideas in your work, teaching, or learning journey!

We look forward to hearing from you and keeping the dialogue going!

-Tom and Trudi

Revised Metaliteracy Goals and Learning Objectives for 2025: Share Your Feedback!

-Trudi Jacobson and Tom Mackey

Call for Chapters: AI and Metaliteracy Book Project!

We are excited to invite contributions to our forthcoming book, “AI and Metaliteracy: Empowering Learners for the Generative Revolution” edited by Dr. Nicola Marae Allain and Dr. Thomas P. Mackey. This new volume will be published in fall 2025 for the Innovations in Information Literacy series edited by Trudi E. Jacobson for Bloomsbury Publishing (Rowman & Littlefield).

This pioneering book will feature theories and case studies about empowering learners with metaliteracy as reflective producers, informed writers, and active participants for the technological, pedagogical, and cultural revolution inspired by generative AI (Heaven, 2022, Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, 2022).

We are interested in groundbreaking approaches to metaliteracy education that encourage learners to engage with innovative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, among many others, for creating artistic, literary, scientific, and scholarly forms of generative text, image, and video. Each chapter will focus on developing ethical metaliterate learners with autonomy and agency who are capable of producing individual and collaborative knowledge with AI (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, 2022). We encourage imaginative chapters about the effective use of AI through the lens of metaliteracy and related literacy models, such as the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the ACRL Visual Literacy Framework.

We welcome proposals from educators and practitioners, including librarians, teachers and professors worldwide, particularly those offering case studies with solid theoretical foundations and transferrable pedagogical strategies.  We are seeking authors from wide-ranging disciplines, such as the Arts and Humanities, Digital Media Arts, Social Sciences, Composition Studies, Library and Information Science, Nursing, Business, and STEM. Chapter themes will also address the relevance of AI and metaliteracy to adult learning and workforce development and the importance of designing inclusive AI-driven learning experiences to advance digital equity, and accessibility for students with disabilities. The book will present methods for assessing the effectiveness of teaching metaliteracy competencies and highlight collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. We aim to provide international perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of empowering learners with generative AI and metaliteracy, exploring innovative theories and case studies that provide future directions for AI-driven learning environments.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should include the following information:

  1. Title: The concise and descriptive title for your proposed chapter.
  2. Abstract: A summary (300-500 words) outlining the main objectives, theoretical foundation, metaliteracy components, generative AI tools, assessment methodology, and expected contributions of your chapter.
  3. Author Information: Names, affiliations, and contact details of all authors.
  4. Biographical Note: A brief biography (150-200 words) of each author highlighting relevant expertise and experience.

Please submit your proposals by December 15, 2024, to Tom.Mackey@sunyempire.edu. Selected authors will be notified by February 1, 2024, and full chapters will be due by May 1, 2025. Final chapters should be between 20 and 25 pages (double-spaced) and follow the formatting guidelines that will be provided upon acceptance.

Important Dates

Proposal Submission Deadline: December 15, 2024

Notification of Acceptance: February 1, 2025

Full Chapter Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025

Expected Publication Date: November 1, 2025

We look forward to receiving your innovative and insightful contributions that will help shape the future of metaliteracy for the generative AI revolution. For any inquiries or further information, please contact Nicola Marae Allain at Nicola.Allain@sunyempire.edu or Tom Mackey at Tom.Mackey@sunyempire.edu.

Join us in this groundbreaking project to advance education and empower learners with metaliteracy worldwide for the generative AI revolution!

Editors

Nicola Marae Allain, Ph.D. is the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at SUNY Empire State University, where she has held faculty (tenured) and administrative roles since 2002. Her research and leadership have focused on digital learning, immersive and virtual environments, and emerging technologies. She holds a PhD in Media and Communication from the European Graduate School, a MA in Dramatic Art, Dance and Music from the University of California, and a BA in English from the University of Ottawa. Allain’s interdisciplinary background in arts and humanities complements expertise in higher education technologies and systems, digital media arts, visual pedagogy, and digital communication. Throughout her career, Allain has demonstrated a commitment to developing an aptitude for lifelong learning among students and faculty, while supporting the agency and autonomy of learners within active and authentic learning environments. Her leadership in faculty development and curriculum design has modeled innovative strategies that scale across disciplines, and were widely adopted by SUNY Empire and institutions in New Zealand. Her decade-long role on the SUNY Innovative Instruction Research Council led to collaborations with the SUNY Faculty and Teaching with Technology (FACT2) Committee AI Task Group. Allain co-authored the SUNY FACT² Guide “Optimizing AI in Higher Education” (May 2024), for which she contributed sections on the social impact and creative applications of AI. She has previously collaborated on metaliteracy initiatives, courses and publications. Her recent articles focus on curriculum innovations in digital humanities, mindfulness, and leadership in higher education settings. Fluent in several languages, Allain is also a translator of French poetry and Classical Chinese literary texts.

Thomas P. Mackey, Ph.D. is Professor of Arts and Media and Program Coordinator for the BA and BS programs in Digital Media Arts at Empire State University. He is Academic Coordinator for online courses in Arts and Media. Dr. Mackey is the recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities (2022) and the Dr. Susan H Turben Chair in Mentoring (2021–2022). He has an honorary appointment as Extraordinary Professor, Research Unit Self- Directed Learning, Faculty of Education, North-West University, South Africa. Dr. Mackey originated the metaliteracy framework with Prof. Trudi E. Jacobson to prepare learners as individual and collaborative producers of new knowledge. He has published four books with Prof. Jacobson on metaliteracy, including the first co-authored manuscript on this topic entitled Metaliteracy: Reinventing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy (2014). They co-edited two volumes Metaliteracy in Practice (2016) and Metaliterate Learning for the Post-Truth World (2019). Their most recent book Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers (2022) is the recipient of the 2024 Divergent Publication Award for Excellence in Literacy in a Digital Age Research. Dr. Mackey’s latest book is a co-edited volume with Dr. Sheila Marie Aird entitled Teaching Digital Storytelling: Inspiring Voices through Online Narratives (2024). He has presented both nationally and internationally about metaliteracy and generative AI and has designed learning assignments in several courses to engage learners in the generative AI revolution.

References

Association of College & Research Libraries. (2022). Visual literacy competency standards for higher education: Framework companion document. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/acrl/content/standards/Framework_Companion_Visual_Literacy.pdf

ACRL Association of College and Research Libraries. (2015). Framework for information literacy for higher education. American Library Association. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

Heaven, W. D. (2022, December 16). Generative AI is changing everything. But what’s left when the hype is gone? MIT Technology Review. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/16/1065005/generative-ai-revolution-art/

Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2011). Reframing information literacy as a metaliteracy. College & Research Libraries, 72(1), 62–78. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl-76r1.

Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2022). Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers. ALA Neal-Schuman.

Book image created in DALL-E using the prompt: “Visualize a dynamic book cover for AI and Metaliteracy: Empowering Learners for the Generative Revolution” (October 28, 2024).

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