The free courses developed with researchers from Ringling College and University College Cork are being adopted by institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, where faculty can integrate AI fluency training into Canvas
AI fluency courses co-developed by Ringling College's Rick Dakan, University College Cork's Joseph Feller and Anthropic have been used by more than 1.1 million people, according to Ringling College.
More than 1.1 million people have used free AI fluency courses developed through a collaboration between Anthropic and researchers at Ringling College of Art and Design and University College Cork, according to the Florida-based college.
The courses are built around the 4D Framework for AI Fluency, co-developed by Rick Dakan, a faculty member and AI Coordinator at Ringling College, and Professor Joseph Feller of University College Cork in Ireland.
Rather than concentrating solely on prompting techniques, the framework teaches people to make decisions about when to use AI, evaluate its outputs and take responsibility for the results.
Ringling College said the framework had been adopted by multiple universities, colleges and businesses internationally. Its use now extends beyond introductory training, with institutions incorporating the approach into teaching and campus-wide AI education initiatives.
University of Texas introduces AI tutor based on 4D Framework
The University of Texas at Austin is among the institutions implementing the framework, with an AI Fluency Tutor developed to provide additional learning support for faculty, staff and students.
The tutor has been trained on the 4D Framework, and university faculty can incorporate it into their course designs and formally assign it through Canvas, the learning management system.
Julie Schell, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Technology at the University of Texas at Austin, explains: “The University of Texas at Austin is rolling out the 4D framework on our campus to help advance the use of AI in ways that are efficient, effective, ethical, and safe.”
The university's approach combines structured AI learning with an on-demand tutor that students and staff can use outside scheduled teaching sessions.
Schell adds: “Our evaluation of the 4D framework is that it is theoretically sound, easy to adapt to a variety of content areas, and aligned with our strategic efforts to cultivate an AI-forward, AI-responsible campus.”
The reported 1.1 million users represent uptake across the wider AI fluency course series, rather than completion figures for one course. Ringling College has not provided a breakdown of course completion rates or independently measured learning outcomes.
Teaching AI fluency goes beyond prompting
The 4D Framework organizes AI fluency around four areas: Delegation, Description, Discernment and Diligence.
Delegation focuses on deciding which tasks should involve AI and setting appropriate goals. Description covers communicating those goals effectively, while Discernment concerns assessing whether AI outputs and behavior are useful and reliable.
Diligence addresses the user's continuing responsibility for how AI is used and what is produced.
A distinguishing feature of the teaching approach is that participants are encouraged to begin without AI, reflecting on their existing working practices and personal values before introducing the technology.
Working with Anthropic, Dakan and Feller have developed free, openly licensed educational materials based on the framework.
Dakan has also created courses aimed at different audiences, including Teaching AI Fluency, AI Fluency for Educators and AI Fluency for Creative Work.
The resources are available through Anthropic's Claude Academy and Ringling College Online, allowing institutions and individual learners to access the training without course fees.
Ringling College builds AI training into creative education
The work follows several years of AI curriculum development at Ringling College, which established an AI Task Force in early 2023 to examine the technology's implications for artists and designers.
The college subsequently introduced an Undergraduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence, available to students across its programs. The qualification combines critical examination of AI with practical experience using the technology in creative work.
Dakan developed and teaches the Fundamentals of AI course required for the certificate.
Ringling College also established an annual AI Symposium in 2024, bringing together artists, designers and researchers to discuss the technology's potential applications and its implications for creative professions.
Dr. Davis Schneiderman, President of Ringling College, says: “There are no easy answers, but we believe artists are best positioned to help navigate the ethical considerations around its use.”
The college's AI fluency courses and related teaching materials remain freely accessible through Claude Academy and Ringling College Online.
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