The most confident AI users are not always the most effective ones.
Many professionals can generate AI prompts, but know less about how the responses are created, where they can fail, and when to trust them.
The University of South Florida's new free, online microcourse, AI, Agents, LLMs, Prompting and More: An Overview, helps close that gap by helping learners understand how AI systems generate responses, where they can fall short, and how to evaluate their outputs.
Developed by faculty expert John Licato in the USF Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing and online learning experts at USF Innovative Education, the self-paced microcourse goes beyond tool-specific tutorials to explain how AI works and why it behaves the way it does.
"We are uniquely positioned to close this skills gap by connecting our community with the expertise of USF faculty,” said Christine Brown, associate vice president of USF Innovative Education. “Innovators like Dr. John Licato, whose work connects innovative research with industry needs, partner with InEd’s expert learning designers to create these microcourses. The faculty developing these free courses are the same people addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges and preparing our students for their future careers. USF faculty's willingness to share their time and knowledge extends the impact of that expertise beyond the university."
A Natural Next Step After AI Whisperer
A companion to AI Whisperer: A Microcourse in Crafting Prompts, the new AI Agents and LLMs microcourse moves beyond prompting into agents, large language models (LLMs) and context management. No technical background or previous AI coursework is required, and learners can finish in approximately one hour at their own pace.
From Prompting to Understanding: What Will You Learn?
Participants in the AI Agents and LLMs microcourse can expect to engage in learning modules that target:
- How LLMs generate responses
- What makes an AI system agentic
- Common AI risks, including hallucinations and sycophantic behavior
- Privacy considerations when using AI tools
- Prompting techniques that improve accuracy
- Methods for evaluating AI outputs, rather than assuming fluency equals correctness
- Building the vocabulary to discuss AI credibly with colleagues and leadership
"You don't need to be a technical expert to benefit from understanding AI," said John Licato, associate professor in the USF Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. "As these technologies become part of more workplace tools and everyday decisions, people need a practical understanding of how AI systems generate responses, where they can go wrong and how to evaluate the information they produce."
Designed for Real Workplace Use
For many professionals, the rise of AI agents has raised questions about how these technologies will affect the workplace. Many employees are finding themselves expected to use technologies they don't fully understand yet.
In McKinsey's 2026 State of AI survey, 40% of respondents from large organizations reported scaling AI agents. Rather than teaching learners to hand work over to AI, the AI Agents and LLMs microcourse explains how these systems operate, where they can fail and how to evaluate their outputs responsibly as skilled users of these tools.
Through four modules covering agentic AI foundations, common pitfalls, prompting, and context engineering, learners gain the confidence to guide, monitor and make informed decisions about AI's role in their work.
Transforming Expertise into Learning Experiences
Innovative Education continues to play an integral role in turning faculty expertise into approachable, engaging online experiences. InEd learning design and course development specialists worked alongside faculty to make complex AI concepts accessible to a broad audience.
That partnership supports USF's growing AI microcourse initiative, which has expanded from one offering to multiple learning experiences that have collectively engaged more than 30,000+ worldwide enrollments across five public AI microcourses.
Ready to Begin?
There is no application, cohort schedule or prerequisite coursework. Participants can complete the microcourse in one hour, and they must finish the course by Jan. 31, 2027. You can enroll yourself in the course now at usf.to/AIAgentsLLMS
Successful completers are eligible to purchase the optional USF AI, Agents, LLMs and Prompting digital badge for $29 to use on LinkedIn profiles, email signatures, résumés, and other professional networking tools. Displaying digital badges is a growing practice to credibly show employers, colleagues and future connections the effort you’ve put forth to expand your knowledge and skills.