Course Catalog / BMU 120 / Syllabus
BMU 120 AI 101: Make AI Work for You: Course Syllabus
Welcome. You are an adult with a full life, and this course is built for that. This page shows what you will learn, why it matters, what you will do, and how to succeed. Come back to it any time you wonder what is next.
This page helps you
- Explain what success looks like in this course
- Find your next step and set your own target dates
- Find help when you get stuck
Why this course matters
AI chat tools can save you time on writing, planning, and everyday tasks. They can also be confidently wrong, and scammers use AI too. This course shows you how to get useful results, check them, and protect your private information. You finish with a one page AI playbook.
This course is for you if:
- You keep hearing about AI and want a calm, plain language start
- You want to save time on writing, planning, and everyday tasks
- You care about privacy and do not want to get fooled by wrong answers or scams
What success looks like
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Explain in plain words what an AI chat assistant does well and where it fails, with one example of each.
- Write a prompt with at least four parts of the six part checklist and refine the answer with follow-ups.
- Use AI to save time on one home task and one work task, while following any rules where you are.
- Check an AI answer with the five point check and name a trusted source to verify it.
- Protect private information, spot AI voice and payment scams, and set a family safe word plan.
You will know you got there in two ways. First, you pass the post-test with 80% or higher. Second, your capstone rubric shows Ready to use on each row.
Your next step
Start with the pre-test. It takes about 10 minutes and is not graded. Then open Lesson 1: What AI chat tools are, and what they are not.
Here is the full path through the course:
- Pre-test: 12 questions, plus 3 quick confidence questions. Not graded. You take it once.
- The lessons, in order: 8 lessons, from Lesson 1: What AI chat tools are, and what they are not to Lesson 8: Your AI playbook.
- Post-test: 12 questions. Pass with 80%. Retake as often as you need.
- Course survey: about 2 minutes, optional and anonymous.
- Your certificate: type your name and print it.
- A 30 day check in, if you opt in.
Your dates. BMU sets no deadlines. You choose them. Pick a start date and a target finish date now, and put both on your calendar. Each lesson's action step also says when to do it, such as tomorrow or this week.
Course schedule
Every lesson has the same parts, so you always know what is coming: a short read, a Try it action step you do in real life, and, in most lessons, a quick check. Times come from each lesson page.
| Lesson | Read | Action step | What you do (Try it) | Builds outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-test | 10 min | None | See where you start | All |
| Lesson 1: What AI chat tools are, and what they are not (free preview) | 12 min | 10 min | Your first AI win | O1 |
| Lesson 2: Prompts that work | 14 min | 15 min | Upgrade a prompt | O2 |
| Lesson 3: Save time on writing | 12 min | 20 min | Three messages, less time | O3 |
| Lesson 4: AI at home | 12 min | 20 min | One home project | O3, O5 |
| Lesson 5: AI at work | 11 min | 20 min | Find your work task | O3, O5 |
| Lesson 6: Check AI's work | 12 min | 20 min | Catch the mistake | O4 |
| Lesson 7: Privacy, safety, and scams | 14 min | 20 min | Lock it down | O5 |
| Lesson 8: Your AI playbook | 14 min | 30 min | Capstone: write your AI playbook | O1, O2, O3, O4, O5 |
| Post-test | 10 min | None | Show what you can do (80% to pass) | All |
| Survey (optional) | 2 min | None | Tell us what to improve | None |
Suggested pace
Two lessons a week. That is about four weeks. Go faster or slower if your life calls for it.
| When | What to do | About how long |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Pre-test, Lesson 1, Lesson 2 | 61 min |
| Week 2 | Lesson 3, Lesson 4 | 64 min |
| Week 3 | Lesson 5, Lesson 6 | 63 min |
| Week 4 | Lesson 7, Lesson 8, Post-test, Survey (optional), Certificate | 90 min |
How much time it takes
- Each lesson: 11 to 14 minutes to read, in one sitting.
- Each action step: 10 to 30 minutes, done in your real life within the window the lesson gives.
- At the suggested pace: up to about 90 minutes a week.
- The whole course: about 4 hours and 38 minutes, including the tests and the survey.
What you will do and why
Each task below practices or checks one of the outcomes above. Nothing here is busywork.
| Task | What you do | Counts toward the certificate? |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-test | Answer 12 questions and 3 confidence questions before Lesson 1. It shows where you start, so you can see your growth later. | No. Not graded. |
| Check your understanding | Answer 3 or 4 short questions at the end of a lesson. Every answer tells you why it is right or wrong. | No. Try as many times as you like. |
| Try it action steps | Do one real task after each lesson. Each one builds a piece of your capstone. | No, but they are where the change happens. |
| Capstone | AI Playbook: three real uses, three saved prompts with blanks, a written checking habit, and a privacy line with a family scam plan. | You score it yourself with the rubric. It is not checked by BMU. |
| Post-test | Answer 12 questions and the same 3 confidence questions. Each retake mixes the order and swaps in some new questions. | Yes. Pass with 80% or higher. |
| Self-assessment | Rate yourself on each outcome and pick one to review. | No. It is for you. |
| Survey and 30 day check in | Tell us what helped and what to fix. Opt in to a check in at 30 days. | No. Both are optional. |
Your capstone rubric checks these parts:
- Three uses
- Three saved prompts
- Checking habit
- Privacy line
Grading and your certificate
- Pre-test: not graded. You take it once. It is fine to miss questions. They show where to start.
- Post-test: you need 80% or higher. You can retake it as many times as you need. Your first try is the one BMU uses to see how much the course helped, so there is no need to rush it.
- Capstone: self-scored with the rubric. A row that says Not yet just shows you where to look next.
- Certificate: it unlocks when you pass the post-test. The survey is optional and never blocks it. Type your name on the certificate page and print it.
What you need
- Cost: Lesson 1 is free. The rest of the course is part of BMU All Access, $9.99 a month, when enrollment opens.
- Device: a phone, tablet, or computer with internet and a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
- Skills: you can open links, type in a box, and scroll. Printing is optional. You can also save pages as a PDF.
- Any free AI chat assistant you are comfortable using. You do not need a paid plan.
- Job aids and tools: AI 101 One Page Playbook and Safety Checklist (printable); AI Prompt Builder (free BMU tool).
How this course works
This course is self-paced and online. There are no live classes, no group posts, and no one checks when you log in. Taking part means three things:
- Read each lesson in order, in one sitting if you can.
- Do the Try it step in your real life. That is where the learning happens.
- Be honest with yourself on the checks, the rubric, and the self-assessment. Your reflections are private, and you never have to share them.
Policies and flexibility
- Pace: go at your own speed. There are no late penalties. If you miss a week, pick up where you left off.
- Retakes: lesson checks and the post-test have no limit on tries.
- Your progress: lessons, notes, and test scores are saved in this browser on this device. They are not tied to your name. If you clear your browser data, use private browsing, or switch devices, your progress will not follow you.
- Honest work: take the pre-test and post-test on your own, without notes, other people, or AI. Please do not share test answers. Your certificate says you passed, so let the score show what you can do.
- Using AI: You will use AI on purpose in this course. Follow the safety rules in each lesson, and follow any AI rules at your job or school. Never paste passwords, account numbers, or medical details into an AI tool.
- Changes: if BMU changes this course, the date at the top of this page will change, and we will say what changed here.
Getting help
This course was created by MM3, U.S. Navy veteran and educator. Because the course is self-paced, there is no live instructor. You are not on your own, though. Here is where to go:
- Quick answers: the BMU Help Center covers progress, certificates, billing, and technical problems.
- Ask a person: use the Contact BMU support form and pick a topic. We read every message and reply as soon as we can. Please do not send card numbers or passwords.
- Something not working: refresh the page and try a current browser. If it still fails, contact support, choose Technical problem, and tell us the page, your device, and your browser.
Accessibility
We want every page to work with a keyboard, a screen reader, and zoom. Tables scroll on small screens, and answers open with a tap. If anything gets in your way, or you need a lesson in another format, tell us on the contact form. Choose Technical problem, say it is an accessibility issue, and describe the page. We will work to fix it or get you the content another way.
Check your understanding of this syllabus
Can you answer these three questions? If so, you are ready to start.
1. What does success look like in this course?
You can do the 5 things listed under What success looks like. You pass the post-test with 80% or higher, and your capstone rubric shows Ready to use.
2. What is your next step?
Take the pre-test, then start Lesson 1: What AI chat tools are, and what they are not. Put your own start and finish dates on your calendar.
3. Where do you get help?
Try the Help Center first. Then use the contact form. We read every message and reply as soon as we can.
Recap
- Start with the pre-test. It is not graded.
- Do one lesson at a time, and do each Try it step in real life.
- Pass the post-test with 80% to earn your certificate. Retakes are unlimited.
- Need help? Use the Help Center or the contact form.
Sources
This syllabus is built from the course design record. The research behind each lesson is listed at the end of that lesson.