University of Sydney
AI Dexterity Sprint
- Delivery: Online
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Course Type: Short Course
- Total Price: $1,095
Learn how to prompt, customise and manage Generative AI tools and how to lead their responsible adoption across your team.
Course overview
The AI dexterity sprint equips leaders and managers with practical skills for working effectively with generative AI. Participants learn how these systems actually work, how to craft effective prompts and how to customise AI tools for their professional context. The sprint addresses the organisational dimensions of AI adoption, including managing the tension between efficiency and expertise, establishing guardrails and bringing underground AI use into the open.
Over three modules, you’ll learn from leading researchers who work with generative AI every day, share insights with peers and complete a final project applied to your own organisation.
Key facts
What you will study
The sprint involves two live-streamed sessions (one at the beginning and one to conclude the course). Online modules will be released over the course of one week. Each module includes pre-recorded video content, reading material and a workbook with activities that build skills in support of your final project. Each module also includes opportunities for self-paced online learning and peer-to-peer discussion.
Modules
How generative AI works
What is a large language model and why does it matter that you know? This module strips away the jargon to show how generative AI learns patterns from data, generates content and becomes the conversational tool you use every day. You’ll understand why AI is eloquent but not accurate, productive but not knowledgeable – and why that distinction shapes everything that follows. The module introduces the Plan Learn Make Play framework for mapping AI to your working day.
Assessment
The AI Workbench Project requires participants to analyse AI applications within their own workflow and organisation. You’ll apply the frameworks and skills developed across the sprint to identify where AI can support your work, assess the guardrails needed and develop a practical plan for AI integration. The focus on your own organisational context ensures you leave with something immediately applicable.
Assumed knowledge
Professional experience in knowledge-work roles. Basic familiarity with digital tools. Some prior exposure to AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or similar). No technical background required.
How you will learn
Each module will include around 30-40 minutes of essential video content and then extra content (such as readings, podcasts, additional videos) if you wish to extend yourself. Workbook activities are comprised of reflective questions that will help you consolidate your learning from the videos and apply this learning to organisations you are familiar with. They should require no more than an hour’s thinking. Workbooks are not assessed; they’re designed to give you chunky questions to think about.
Live sessions will run for around 90 minutes, with additional networking and question time afterwards if you choose to stick around.
Additional activities, such as reading, conversations and bonus content, will allow you to dive deeper into the topic. You’ll have access to the modules after the sprint is complete, so you can always return to the extension activities later.
What you will learn
- Understand how generative AI works and why it behaves the way it does – beyond the hype.
- Map AI to your working day using the Plan Learn Make Play framework.
- Build effective prompts. Customise AI tools with preferences, projects and external capabilities.
- Navigate the tension between AI efficiency gains and expertise development.
- Establish practical guardrails for data security, reliability and integrity.
- Work on an AI workbench project for you and your organisation.
- Receive a University of Sydney badge, your personal AI dexterity credential.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain how generative AI systems function and evaluate their capabilities and limitations for professional applications.
- Configure generative AI tools and features to create high-quality and effective outputs in support of diverse workplace tasks.
- Evaluate the implications of generative AI adoption for team productivity and workflows.
Meet your sprint leaders
- Dr Sandra Peter (Director of Sydney Executive Plus and Associate Professor - The University of Sydney Business School)
- Dr Pat Norman (Manager, Research and Development, Sydney Executive Plus - The University of Sydney Business School)
Who You Will Learn From
Dr Sandra Peter
Director of Sydney Executive Plus and Associate Professor
As the Director of Sydney Executive Plus and Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, I spend my time thinking about the future, researching the future, consulting on the future, and speaking about the future. I lead executive and leadership development in cutting edge areas of business, society, and technology—with a focus on AI. So if being prepared for the future appeals to you and your organisation, I’m here to help.
Dr Pat Norman
Manager, Research & Development, Sydney Executive Plus
I'm a Research & Development Lead, helping people become future-focused leaders, strategic thinkers and ethical professionals. I drive Research & Development at Sydney Executive Plus, an initiative of the University of Sydney. Sydney Executive Plus reimagines executive learning to future-proof leaders. We bring together academic expertise with leading industry partners to provide relevant, timely and accessible learning on contemporary high-demand business topics to executives and business leaders.