Acknowledgements

Land acknowledgement

Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories that provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.

We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.

RRC Polytech is committed to a renewed relationship and dialogue with Indigenous peoples based on the principles of mutual trust, respect, and reciprocity.

Development of This Resource

Funding and Support

This OER was funded by a RRC Polytech Strategic Transformation and Applied Research (STAR) grant. STAR grants fund a variety of initiatives at RRC Polytech, focused on academic innovation, applied research, and college-wide improvements. This project has also received additional funding and support from Campus Manitoba.

Method

Information for this OER was gathered through a scan of existing resources on generative AI in education in fall 2023 and winter 2024, as well as a series of focus groups conducted at RRC Polytech in November 2023, an undertaking approved by the RRC Polytech Research Ethics Board. Focus group discussions with RRC Polytech staff have provided insightful examples and anecdotes about how AI tools can be productively utilized in polytechnic education. Staff members who contributed to the resource had the option to be credited by name or remain anonymous.

During the fall of 2024, this OER was updated to add information about new developments in AI. This revision also included a rewriting of two chapters (What is Generative AI? and Capabilities and Limitations), which were initially adapted from another OER.

Indigenous Perspectives

The incorporation of Indigenous perspectives and content into this resource has been a priority. In terms of interacting with AI tools in any context related to Indigenous knowledge, it is important to note that Indigenous knowledge is best gained through direct consultation with Indigenous people and accessing Indigenous-created resources. Additionally, some Indigenous traditional knowledges have protocols related to how, when, and by whom they can be shared. For more information about protocols around Indigenous knowledge sharing, visit the Protocols for Culturally Appropriate Knowledge Sharing page from the Indigenous Digital Literacies course by Connie Strayer and Robyn Grebliunas. For emerging Indigenous perspectives on AI, visit the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Working Group and the Indigenous Perspectives in AI course.

Contributors

This OER was made possible with help from dozens of RRC Polytech staff who contributed their time and ideas. This includes sixteen staff who participated in focus groups in November 2023 and shared how they have used AI tools in their work. It also includes a group of reviewers who read a draft of the OER in February 2024 and provided valuable feedback that shaped the final version, and a second group of reviewers who provided feedback on version 2.0 in November 2024. Thank you to RRC Polytech staff who reviewed all or part of this resource, including:

• Laura Armistead, Instructor, Adult Learning Centre (Winkler);
• Chris Basilio, Research Manager, Digital Technology Transformation Initiative;
• Paul Bourget, Instructor, Educational Assistant;
• Jeffrey Brandt, Instructor, Culinary Arts;
• Janet Charron, Instructor, Business Administration;
• Meagen Chorney, Instructor, Nursing;
• Hannah Gifford, Academic Integrity Specialist, Centre for Learning and Program Excellence;
• Christopher Harder, Tutoring Services Supervisor, Academic Success Centre;
• Rebecca Molly Hiebert, Chair, Professional and Academic Advancement;
• Nataliya Kharchenko, Educational Developer, Centre for Learning and Program Excellence;
• Monica Lytwyn, Instructor, Early Childhood Education;
• Atreya Madrone, Research Services Librarian, Library and Academic Services;
• Ebony Novakowski, Copyright Officer, Library and Academic Services;
• Jocelyne Olson, Instructor, Communication;
• Linda Perschonke, Instructional Designer, Centre for Learning and Program Excellence;
• Andrew Roncin, Instructor, Electrical Engineering Technology;
• Donna Sanders, Instructor, Library and Information Technology;
• Navjot Sidhu, Instructor, Advanced Manufacturing;
• Bachitar Singh, Business Systems Analyst, Information Technology Solutions;
• Piers Smettem, Instructor, Communication;
• Dale Stevenson, Accessibility Specialist, Student Accessibility Services;
• Sherrianne Talon, Instructor, Professional Photography;
• Darla Thiessen, Instructor, Communication;
• Nicole Tresoor, Instructor, Educational Assistant;
• Dan Waters, Instructor, IT Operations;
• Braeden Wiley, Work-Integrated Learning Coordinator, Work-Integrated Learning and Career Services;
• Rosemary Woodby, Reference Technician, Library and Academic Services;
• Shannon Zentner, Instructor, Early Childhood Education.

Thank you also to Ariful Shanil from the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub for reviewing.

Thank you to Monica Lytwyn, Meagen Chorney, Ginger Arnold (Instructor, School of Indigenous Education), and Michele Sykes (Instructor, Medical Laboratory Sciences) for helping to develop examples related to their areas of expertise.

Special thanks to Rebecca Molly Hiebert for initiating and leading the project, as well as Paula Havixbeck for leadership support, Ebony Novakowski for copyright support, and to Nataliya Kharchenko and Nicole Mauthe for assistance conducting focus groups.

Thank you to Campus Manitoba for supporting this project with an OER Development Grant, and to Kristy Lacroix, DawnDena Gordon, and Carley McDougall for support with Pressbooks and other aspects of this resource’s development.

Thank you to Red River College Polytechnic for funding this OER through the Strategic Transformation and Applied Research Fund.

Thank you to Winnipeg artist Braelyn Koop for designing the cover art.