African AI Masterclass in Prompt Engineering: Empowering Students Through Responsible and Contextualised AI Literacy
Keywords:
Responsible AI Literacy, Prompt Engineering, Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL);, Digital Resilience, African Languages in Education, HyFlex Pedagogy, Culturally Responsive PedagogyAbstract
This paper reports on the design, implementation, and outcomes of the Afrikan AI Masterclass in Prompt Engineering, a large-scale educational intervention aimed at advancing responsible and contextualised artificial intelligence literacy in higher education. Conducted at the University of South Africa (UNISA), a mega open distance e-learning (ODeL) institution, the initiative responded to growing concerns around students’ uncritical and unethical use of generative AI. Anchored in the AI Literacy Heptagon framework and delivered through a hybrid flexible HyFlex model, the Masterclass combined asynchronous online modules, synchronous webinars, and regional workshops to maximise accessibility and inclusivity. A total of 13,927 students participated across diverse modalities, making this one of the largest empirical AI literacy deployments in higher education to date. Mixed-methods evaluation demonstrated significant gains: students reported increased confidence in using AI tools ethically and effectively, while engagement data revealed participation rates exceeding typical online course benchmarks. Qualitative feedback further highlighted enhanced digital resilience and confidence in applying AI for learning and research. The findings underscore the potential of HyFlex, stakeholder-driven design, and contextualised ethics to scale AI literacy in resource-constrained ODeL environments. While limitations include reliance on self-reported data and the challenge of rapidly evolving AI tools, the study provides robust baseline evidence of students’ ethical awareness and readiness for responsible AI use, illustrating a replicable model for embedding responsible AI practices in higher education. The study contributes to global debates on AI literacy by offering evidence from an African ODeL context, aligned with institutional strategic goals and Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.
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