generational differences

“One-size-fits-all learning is about to become completely obsolete.” [Miller] + other items re: AI in our LE’s

On 08/05/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty/staff, game-changing environment, generational differences, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, liberal arts, lifelong learning, Microsoft, neurodivergent/special needs, NVIDIA, Open AI, personalized/customized learning, platforms, podcasting, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

One-size-fits-all learning is about to become completely obsolete. — from linkedin.com by Allie Miller

AI in the University: From Generative Assistant to Autonomous Agent This Fall — from insidehighered.com by
This fall we are moving into the agentic generation of artificial intelligence.

“Where generative AI creates, agentic AI acts.” That’s how my trusted assistant, Gemini 2.5 Pro deep research, describes the difference.
…
Agents, unlike generative tools, create and perform multistep goals with minimal human supervision. The essential difference is found in its proactive nature. Rather than waiting for a specific, step-by-step command, agentic systems take a high-level objective and independently create and execute a plan to achieve that goal. This triggers a continuous, iterative workflow that is much like a cognitive loop. The typical agentic process involves six key steps, as described by Nvidia:

AI in Education Podcast — from aipodcast.education by Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming

The State of AI in Education 2025 Key Findings from a National Survey — from Carnegie Learning

Our 2025 national survey of over 650 respondents across 49 states and Puerto Rico reveals both encouraging trends and important challenges. While AI adoption and optimism are growing, concerns about cheating, privacy, and the need for training persist.

Despite these challenges, I’m inspired by the resilience and adaptability of educators. You are the true game-changers in your students’ growth, and we’re honored to support this vital work.

This report reflects both where we are today and where we’re headed with AI. More importantly, it reflects your experiences, insights, and leadership in shaping the future of education.

Instructure and OpenAI Announce Global Partnership to Embed AI Learning Experiences within Canvas — from instructure.com

This groundbreaking collaboration represents a transformative step forward in education technology and will begin with, but is not limited to, an effort between Instructure and OpenAI to enhance the Canvas experience by embedding OpenAI’s next-generation AI technology into the platform.

IgniteAI announced earlier today, establishes Instructure’s future-ready, open ecosystem with agentic support as the AI landscape continues to evolve. This partnership with OpenAI exemplifies this bold vision for AI in education. Instructure’s strategic approach to AI emphasizes the enhancement of connections within an educational ecosystem comprising over 1,100 edtech partners and leading LLM providers.

“We’re committed to delivering next-generation LMS technologies designed with an open ecosystem that empowers educators and learners to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world,” said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. “This collaboration with OpenAI showcases our ambitious vision: creating a future-ready ecosystem that fosters meaningful learning and achievement at every stage of education. This is a significant step forward for the education community as we continuously amplify the learning experience and improve student outcomes.”

Faculty Latest Targets of Big Tech’s AI-ification of Higher Ed — from insidehighered.com by Kathryn Palmer
A new partnership between OpenAI and Instructure will embed generative AI in Canvas. It may make grading easier, but faculty are skeptical it will enhance teaching and learning.

The two companies, which have not disclosed the value of the deal, are also working together to embed large language models into Canvas through a feature called IgniteAI. It will work with an institution’s existing enterprise subscription to LLMs such as Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing instructors to create custom LLM-enabled assignments. They’ll be able to tell the model how to interact with students—and even evaluate those interactions—and what it should look for to assess student learning. According to Instructure, any student information submitted through Canvas will remain private and won’t be shared with OpenAI.
…
Faculty Unsurprised, Skeptical
Few faculty were surprised by the Canvas-OpenAI partnership announcement, though many are reserving judgment until they see how the first year of using it works in practice.

AI and Higher Ed: An Impending Collapse [Niebuhr]

On 07/30/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, disruption, education technology, emerging technologies, face-to-face, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, liberal arts, productivity / tips and tricks, reinvent, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, teaching & learning, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

AI and Higher Ed: An Impending Collapse — from insidehighered.com by Robert Niebuhr; via George Siemens; I also think George’s excerpt (see below) gets right to the point.
Universities’ rush to embrace AI will lead to an untenable outcome, Robert Niebuhr writes.

Herein lies the trap. If students learn how to use AI to complete assignments and faculty use AI to design courses, assignments, and grade student work, then what is the value of higher education? How long until people dismiss the degree as an absurdly overpriced piece of paper? How long until that trickles down and influences our economic and cultural output? Simply put, can we afford a scenario where students pretend to learn and we pretend to teach them?

This next report doesn’t look too good for traditional institutions of higher education either:

No Country for Young Grads — from burningglassinstitute.org

For the first time in modern history, a bachelor’s degree is no longer a reliable path to professional employment. Recent graduates face rising unemployment and widespread underemployment as structural—not cyclical—forces reshape entry?level work. This new report identifies four interlocking drivers: an AI?powered “Expertise Upheaval” eliminating many junior tasks, a post?pandemic shift to lean staffing and risk?averse hiring, AI acting as an accelerant to these changes, and a growing graduate glut. As a result, young degree holders are uniquely seeing their prospects deteriorate – even as the rest of the economy remain robust. Read the full report to explore the data behind these trends.

The above article was via Brandon Busteed on LinkedIn:

[Gifted article from NY Times] I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students. [O’Rourke]

On 07/24/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, career development, change, colleges, communications, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, creativity, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, expectations, experimentation, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, Open AI, pace of change, parents/guardians, skills, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, United States, universities, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students. — from nytimes.com by Meghan O’Rourke; this is a gifted article.

We need a coherent approach grounded in understanding how the technology works, where it is going and what it will be used for.

From DSC:
I almost feel like Meghan should right the words “this week” or “this month” after the above sentence. Whew! Things are moving fast.

For example, we’re now starting to see more agents hitting the scene — software that can DO things. But that can open up a can of worms too.

Students know the ground has shifted — and that the world outside the university expects them to shift with it. A.I. will be part of their lives regardless of whether we approve. Few issues expose the campus cultural gap as starkly as this one.ce

From DSC:
Universities and colleges have little choice but to integrate AI into their programs and offerings. There’s enough pressure on institutions of traditional higher education to prove their worth/value. Students and their families want solid ROI’s. Students know that they are going to need AI-related skills (see the link immediately below for example), or they are going to be left out of the competitive job search process.

A relevant resource here:

New Lightcast Report: AI Skills Command 28% Salary Premium as Demand Shifts Beyond Tech Industry — from lightcast.io; via Paul Fain
First-of-its-kind analysis reveals specific AI skills employers need most, enabling targeted workforce training strategies across all career areas

Tech Layoffs 2025: Why AI is Behind the Rising Job Cuts — from finalroundai.com by Kaustubh Saini, Jaya Muvania, and Kaivan Dave; via George Siemens
507 tech workers lose their jobs to AI every day in 2025. Complete breakdown of 94,000 job losses across Microsoft, Tesla, IBM, and Meta – plus which positions are next.
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I’ve Spent My Life Measuring Risk. AI Rings Every One of My Alarm Bells — from time.com by Paul Tudor Jones

Amid all the talk about the state of our economy, little noticed and even less discussed was June’s employment data. It showed that the unemployment rate for recent college graduates stood at 5.8%, topping the national level for the first and only time in its 45-year historical record.

It’s an alarming number that needs to be considered in the context of a recent warning from Dario Amodei, CEO of AI juggernaut Anthropic, who predicted artificial intelligence could wipe out half of all entry-level, white-collar-jobs and spike unemployment to 10-20% in the next one to five years.

The upshot: our college graduates’ woes could be just the tip of the spear.

I almost made a terrible mistake last week. — from justinwelsh.me by Justin Welsh; via Roberto Ferraro

But as I thought about it, it just didn’t feel right. Replying to people sharing real gratitude with a copy-paste message seemed like a terribly inauthentic thing to do. I realized that when you optimize the most human parts of your business, you risk removing the very reason people connect with you in the first place.

Building a fully interactive, scenario-based training video in 45 minutes + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 07/12/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, education, education technology, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), instructional design, intelligent systems, IT in HE, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, Microsoft, Open AI, parents/guardians, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, using teams, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

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Tech check: Innovation in motion: How AI is rewiring L&D workflows — from chieflearningofficer.com by Gabrielle Pike
AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to level us up.

For today’s chief learning officer, the days of just rolling out compliance training are long gone. In 2025, learning and development leaders are architects of innovation, crafting ecosystems that are agile, automated and AI-infused. This quarter’s Tech Check invites us to pause, assess and get strategic about where tech is taking us. Because the goal isn’t more tools—it’s smarter, more human learning systems that scale with the business.

Sections include:

The state of AI in L&D: Hype vs. reality
AI in design: From static content to dynamic experiences
AI in development: Redefining production workflows
Strategic questions CLOs should be asking
Future forward: What’s next?
Closing thought

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to Launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers — from aft.org

NEW YORK – The AFT, alongside the United Federation of Teachers and lead partner Microsoft Corp., founding partner OpenAI, and Anthropic, announced the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction today. The groundbreaking $23 million education initiative will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million members of the AFT, starting with K-12 educators. It will be based at a state-of-the-art bricks-and-mortar Manhattan facility designed to transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States.

The academy will help address the gap in structured, accessible AI training and provide a national model for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching that puts educators in the driver’s seat.

Students Are Anxious about the Future with A.I. Their Parents Are, Too. — from educationnext.org by Michael B. Horn
The fast-growing technology is pushing families to rethink the value of college

In an era when the college-going rate of high school graduates has dropped from an all-time high of 70 percent in 2016 to roughly 62 percent now, AI seems to be heightening the anxieties about the value of college.

According to the survey, two-thirds of parents say AI is impacting their view of the value of college. Thirty-seven percent of parents indicate they are now scrutinizing college’s “career-placement outcomes”; 36 percent say they are looking at a college’s “AI-skills curriculum,” while 35 percent respond that a “human-skills emphasis” is important to them.

This echoes what I increasingly hear from college leadership: Parents and students demand to see a difference between what they are getting from a college and what they could be “learning from AI.”

This next item on LinkedIn is compliments of Ray Schroeder:

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How to Prepare Students for a Fast-Moving (AI)World — from rdene915.com by Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth

Preparing for a Future-Ready Classroom
Here are the core components I focus on to prepare students:

1. Unleash Creativity and Problem-Solving.
2. Weave in AI and Computational Thinking.
3. Cultivate Resilience and Adaptability.

AI Is Reshaping Learning Roles—Here’s How to Future-Proof Your Team — from onlinelearningconsortium.org by Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., CEO, Online Learning Consortium; via Robert Gibson on LinkedIn

Culture matters here. Organizations that foster psychological safety—where experimentation is welcomed and mistakes are treated as learning—are making the most progress. When leaders model curiosity, share what they’re trying, and invite open dialogue, teams follow suit. Small tests become shared wins. Shared wins build momentum.

Career development must be part of this equation. As roles evolve, people will need pathways forward. Some will shift into new specialties. Others may leave familiar roles for entirely new ones. Making space for that evolution—through upskilling, mobility, and mentorship—shows your people that you’re not just investing in AI, you’re investing in them.

And above all, people need transparency. Teams don’t expect perfection. But they do need clarity. They need to understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how they’ll be supported through it. That kind of trust-building communication is the foundation for any successful change.

These shifts may play out differently across sectors—but the core leadership questions will likely be similar.

AI marks a turning point—not just for technology, but for how we prepare our people to lead through disruption and shape the future of learning.

Multiple Countries Just Issued Travel Warnings for the U.S. [Dillin]

On 07/06/2025, in Australia, Canada, culture, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, Europe, face-to-face, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, legislatures / government / legal, society, UK, United States, by Daniel Christian

Multiple Countries Just Issued Travel Warnings for the U.S. — from mensjournal.com by Rachel Dillin
In a rare reversal, several of America’s closest allies are now warning their citizens about traveling to the U.S., and it could impact your next trip.

For years, the U.S. has issued cautionary travel advisories to citizens heading overseas. But in a surprising twist, the roles have flipped. Several countries, including longtime allies like Australia, Canada, and the U.K., are now warning their citizens about traveling to the United States, according to Yahoo.

Australia updated its advisory in June, flagging gun violence, civil protests, and unpredictable immigration enforcement. While its guidance remains at Level 1 (“exercise normal safety precautions”), Australian officials urged travelers to stay alert in crowded places like malls, transit hubs, and public venues. They also warned about the Visa Waiver Program, noting that U.S. authorities can deny entry without explanation.

From DSC:
I’ve not heard of a travel warning against the U.S. in my lifetime. Thanks Trump. Making America Great Again. Sure thing….

Will July 4th, 2025 mark the downfall of the Republican Party? Time will tell. [Christian]

On 07/04/2025, in 21st century, culture, Daniel S. Christian, ethics, faith, future, game-changing environment, generational differences, hearts -- matters of the heart, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, morals/values, United States, by Daniel Christian

In Iowa, Trump Begins Task of Selling His Bill to the American Public — from nytimes.com by Tyler Pager
President Trump has spent days cajoling Republicans to support his spending bill. He will also have to sell it to a skeptical public as Democrats focus on all the ways it helps the wealthy.

President Trump took a victory lap on Thursday night after the House passed his sprawling domestic policy bill, which he muscled through Congress even as many in his party fear it will leave them vulnerable to political attacks ahead of next year’s midterm elections. (From DSC: Which it likely will do just that, and very possibly way beyond the midterm elections also.)
…
Just 29 percent of voters support the legislation, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans supported the bill in that poll, a relatively low figure from the president’s own party for his signature legislation, and independents opposed it overwhelmingly.

From DSC:
Did you get that? Just ***29%*** of voters supported the legislation. But it passed anyway. I’m left thinking…so much for democracy. And I’m also disheartened by the caving of the other two branches of our government. The lack of leadership is staggering. But I guess when you remove all leaders that oppose your way of thinking, you have only Yes men/followers and Yes women/followers left. It’s taken years for the Republican Party to carefully orchestrate the ownership of those other branches. (BTW, I celebrate the handful of Republican leaders in the Senate like Sen. Thom Tillis and in the House who did not cave to Trump and Johnson, but instead voted with their own hearts and minds. They showed true strength of conviction and courage. It will likely cost them, but they can look in the mirror and feel good about themselves and what they’ve done.)

Look out Republicans (and I’ve voted for both Republican and Democrat Presidents in the past). Perhaps July 4th, 2025 will mark the downfall of the Republican Party in America. Time will tell. But I’m hopeful that we can find more common ground.

Regardless, it says a lot about who we, as Americans, are these days — that he’s even in the presidency. I highly doubt he would have been there even a generation or two ago. We’re a nation in decline. It’s been hard to watch this through the years. I’m no saint, but I’m also not the President.

Speaking of matters of faith…I can’t help but wonder what the LORD is doing in this. Is He humbling America or is it something far worse…? He’s justified in whatever He has decided to do. Americans have been dissing Him for decades, while refusing to give Him the credit due His Name. Time will tell my friends…time will tell.

Also see:

…

The House passed a sweeping bill to extend tax cuts and slash social safety net programs. The budget office reported the measure would increase U.S. national debt by at least $3.4 trillion over a decade.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Also see:

Trump ignored GOP warnings to gamble on a politically risky bill — from washingtonpost.com by Liz Goodwin, Marianna Sotomayor, Theodoric Meyer, and Emily Davies
In the president’s eagerness to score a win and extend tax cuts, he walked away from a key campaign promise on Medicaid.

To get his bill over the line in time for a self-imposed Friday deadline, Trump pressured Republican lawmakers to set aside their concerns about the political consequences of yanking benefits from voters while adding trillions to the federal deficit.

How the national debt affects the U.S. — and you — in 10 charts [Bogage]

On 06/24/2025, in economics, funding / grants, future, game-changing environment, generational differences, history, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

How the national debt affects the U.S. — and you — in 10 charts — from washingtonpost.com by Jacob Bogage; this is a GIFTED article
The national debt already exceeds $36 trillion and is growing at historic rates. That has cascading consequences for the government and economy.

The federal government is taking on record amounts of debt year after year.

The U.S. owes lenders more than $36 trillion. That is close to an all-time high when comparing the debt to the country’s total economic output — a leading indicator of the nation’s ability to pay it all back.

Debt and annual deficits have colored much of the debate around President Donald Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the mammoth tax and immigration measure the GOP hopes to pass through Congress before July 4. It would add $3 trillion to the debt over the next decade, factoring in the cost of the bill plus interest on the added borrowing, according to nonpartisan estimates.

But how does the national debt affect the U.S. economy and the government? Here are 10 charts to explain.

The 2025 Global Skills Report — from coursera.org
Discover in-demand skills and credentials trends across 100+ countries and six regions to deliver impactful industry-aligned learning programs.

Access trusted insights on:

[NEW] Countries leading AI innovation in our AI Maturity Index
Skill proficiency rankings for 100+ countries in business, data, and technology
How people are building essential skills with micro-credentials
Enrollment trends in cybersecurity, critical thinking, and human skills
Women’s learning trends in GenAI, STEM, and Professional Certificates

AI Agents Are Rewriting The Playbook For Upskilling In 2025 — from forbes.com by Aytekin Tank

Staying competitive now depends on fast, effective training and upskilling—not just for business owners themselves, but for their teams, new and existing employees alike. AI agents are poised to change the corporate training landscape, helping businesses close skills gaps created by rapid technological change.
…
Traditional corporate training programs, which lean on passive content, often fall short of their goals. Companies like Uplimit are rolling out educational AI agents that promise significantly higher completion rates (upwards of 90 percent) and better results. It boils down to engagement—the active learning, with role playing and personalized feedback, is more stimulating than merely watching a video and completing a quiz. Agents can provide 24/7 assistance, responding to questions as soon as they pop up. What’s more, education and training with agents can be highly personalized.

Agents can train a higher volume of employees in the same amount of time. Employees will gain skills more efficiently, giving them more time to apply what they’ve learned—and likely boosting engagement in the process. They’ll be better prepared to stay competitive.

“The AI-enhanced learning ecosystem” [Jennings] + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 06/09/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adjunct faculty, adult learning, architecture, Augmented Reality (AR), bots, business, career development, change, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, curriculum, data related items, design, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, Google, health, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, library / librarians, lifelong learning, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, podcasting, policy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, skills, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, traditional / tradition, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, workplace, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

The AI-enhanced learning ecosystem: A case study in collaborative innovation — from chieflearningofficer.com by Kevin Jennings
How artificial intelligence can serve as a tool and collaborative partner in reimagining content development and management.

Learning and development professionals face unprecedented challenges in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report, 67 percent of L&D professionals report being “maxed out” on capacity, while 66 percent have experienced budget reductions in the past year.

Despite these constraints, 87 percent agree their organizations need to develop employees faster to keep pace with business demands. These statistics paint a clear picture of the pressure L&D teams face: do more, with less, faster.

This article explores how one L&D leader’s strategic partnership with artificial intelligence transformed these persistent challenges into opportunities, creating a responsive learning ecosystem that addresses the modern demands of rapid product evolution and diverse audience needs. With 71 percent of L&D professionals now identifying AI as a high or very high priority for their learning strategy, this case study demonstrates how AI can serve not merely as a tool but as a collaborative partner in reimagining content development and management.
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How we use GenAI and AR to improve students’ design skills — from timeshighereducation.com by Antonio Juarez, Lesly Pliego and Jordi Rábago who are professors of architecture at Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico; Tomas Pachajoa is a professor of architecture at the El Bosque University in Colombia; & Carlos Hinrichsen and Marietta Castro are educators at San Sebastián University in Chile.
Guidance on using generative AI and augmented reality to enhance student creativity, spatial awareness and interdisciplinary collaboration

Blend traditional skills development with AI use
For subjects that require students to develop drawing and modelling skills, have students create initial design sketches or models manually to ensure they practise these skills. Then, introduce GenAI tools such as Midjourney, Leonardo AI and ChatGPT to help students explore new ideas based on their original concepts. Using AI at this stage broadens their creative horizons and introduces innovative perspectives, which are crucial in a rapidly evolving creative industry.

Provide step-by-step tutorials, including both written guides and video demonstrations, to illustrate how initial sketches can be effectively translated into AI-generated concepts. Offer example prompts to demonstrate diverse design possibilities and help students build confidence using GenAI.

Integrating generative AI and AR consistently enhanced student engagement, creativity and spatial understanding on our course.

How Texas is Preparing Higher Education for AI — from the74million.org by Kate McGee
TX colleges are thinking about how to prepare students for a changing workforce and an already overburdened faculty for new challenges in classrooms.

“It doesn’t matter if you enter the health industry, banking, oil and gas, or national security enterprises like we have here in San Antonio,” Eighmy told The Texas Tribune. “Everybody’s asking for competency around AI.”

It’s one of the reasons the public university, which serves 34,000 students, announced earlier this year that it is creating a new college dedicated to AI, cyber security, computing and data science. The new college, which is still in the planning phase, would be one of the first of its kind in the country. UTSA wants to launch the new college by fall 2025.

But many state higher education leaders are thinking beyond that. As AI becomes a part of everyday life in new, unpredictable ways, universities across Texas and the country are also starting to consider how to ensure faculty are keeping up with the new technology and students are ready to use it when they enter the workforce.

In the Room Where It Happens: Generative AI Policy Creation in Higher Education — from er.educause.edu by Esther Brandon, Lance Eaton, Dana Gavin, and Allison Papini

To develop a robust policy for generative artificial intelligence use in higher education, institutional leaders must first create “a room” where diverse perspectives are welcome and included in the process.

Q&A: Artificial Intelligence in Education and What Lies Ahead — from usnews.com by Sarah Wood
Research indicates that AI is becoming an essential skill to learn for students to succeed in the workplace.

Q: How do you expect to see AI embraced more in the future in college and the workplace?
I do believe it’s going to become a permanent fixture for multiple reasons. I think the national security imperative associated with AI as a result of competing against other nations is going to drive a lot of energy and support for AI education. We also see shifts across every field and discipline regarding the usage of AI beyond college. We see this in a broad array of fields, including health care and the field of law. I think it’s here to stay and I think that means we’re going to see AI literacy being taught at most colleges and universities, and more faculty leveraging AI to help improve the quality of their instruction. I feel like we’re just at the beginning of a transition. In fact, I often describe our current moment as the ‘Ask Jeeves’ phase of the growth of AI. There’s a lot of change still ahead of us. AI, for better or worse, it’s here to stay.

AI-Generated Podcasts Outperform Textbooks in Landmark Education Study — form linkedin.com by David Borish

A new study from Drexel University and Google has demonstrated that AI-generated educational podcasts can significantly enhance both student engagement and learning outcomes compared to traditional textbooks. The research, involving 180 college students across the United States, represents one of the first systematic investigations into how artificial intelligence can transform educational content delivery in real-time.

What can we do about generative AI in our teaching? — from linkedin.com by Kristina Peterson

So what can we do?

Interrogate the Process: We can ask ourselves if we I built in enough checkpoints. Steps that can’t be faked. Things like quick writes, question floods, in-person feedback, revision logs.
Reframe AI: We can let students use AI as a partner. We can show them how to prompt better, revise harder, and build from it rather than submit it. Show them the difference between using a tool and being used by one.
Design Assignments for Curiosity, Not Compliance: Even the best of our assignments need to adapt. Mine needs more checkpoints, more reflective questions along the way, more explanation of why my students made the choices they did.

Teachers Are Not OK — from 404media.co by Jason Koebler

The response from teachers and university professors was overwhelming. In my entire career, I’ve rarely gotten so many email responses to a single article, and I have never gotten so many thoughtful and comprehensive responses.

One thing is clear: teachers are not OK.
…
In addition, universities are contracting with companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Google for digital services, and those companies are constantly pushing their AI tools. So a student might hear “don’t use generative AI” from a prof but then log on to the university’s Microsoft suite, which then suggests using Copilot to sum up readings or help draft writing. It’s inconsistent and confusing.

I am sick to my stomach as I write this because I’ve spent 20 years developing a pedagogy that’s about wrestling with big ideas through writing and discussion, and that whole project has been evaporated by for-profit corporations who built their systems on stolen work. It’s demoralizing.

“Our education sector urgently needs scalable solutions to help students navigate a disappearing career ladder — and quickly.” [Salisbury]

On 05/31/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, career development, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, credentialing, curriculum, education, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, expectations, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, online learning, skills, society, student-related, teaching & learning, teaching online, United States, universities, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, workplace, XR - extended reality, youth, by Daniel Christian

Also relevant/see:

Report: 93% of Students Believe Gen AI Training Belongs in Degree Programs — from campustechnology.com by Rhea Kelly

The vast majority of today’s college students — 93% — believe generative AI training should be included in degree programs, according to a recent Coursera report. What’s more, 86% of students consider gen AI the most crucial technical skill for career preparation, prioritizing it above in-demand skills such as data strategy and software development. And 94% agree that microcredentials help build the essential skills they need to achieve career success.

For its Microcredentials Impact Report 2025, Coursera surveyed more than 1,200 learners and 1,000 employers around the globe to better understand the demand for microcredentials and their impact on workforce readiness and hiring trends.

1 in 4 employers say they’ll eliminate degree requirements by year’s end — from hrdive.com by Carolyn Crist
Companies that recently removed degree requirements reported a surge in applications, a more diverse applicant pool and the ability to offer lower salaries.

A quarter of employers surveyed said they will remove bachelor’s degree requirements for some roles by the end of 2025, according to a May 20 report from Resume Templates.

In addition, 7 in 10 hiring managers said their company looks at relevant experience over a bachelor’s degree while making hiring decisions.
…
In the survey of 1,000 hiring managers, 84% of companies that recently removed degree requirements said it has been a successful move. Companies without degree requirements also reported a surge in applications, a more diverse applicant pool and the ability to offer lower salaries.

Why AI literacy is now a core competency in education — from weforum.org by Tanya Milberg

Education systems must go beyond digital literacy and embrace AI literacy as a core educational priority.
A new AI Literacy Framework (AILit) aims to empower learners to navigate an AI-integrated world with confidence and purpose.
Here’s what you need to know about the AILit Framework – and how to get involved in making it a success.

Also from Allison Salisbury, see:

“Faculty AI Guides” + “Teachers using AI tools more regularly” + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 05/27/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, Australia, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, digital textbooks, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, liberal arts, personalized/customized learning, skills, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, trends, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

AI & Schools: 4 Ways Artificial Intelligence Can Help Students — from the74million.org by W. Ian O’Byrne
AI creates potential for more personalized learning

I am a literacy educator and researcher, and here are four ways I believe these kinds of systems can be used to help students learn.

Differentiated instruction
Intelligent textbooks
Improved assessment
Personalized learning

5 Skills Kids (and Adults) Need in an AI World — from oreilly.com by Raffi Krikorian
Hint: Coding Isn’t One of Them

Five Essential Skills Kids Need (More than Coding)
I’m not saying we shouldn’t teach kids to code. It’s a useful skill. But these are the five true foundations that will serve them regardless of how technology evolves.

Loving the journey, not just the destination
Being a question-asker, not just an answer-getter
Trying, failing, and trying differently
Seeing the whole picture
Walking in others’ shoes

The AI moment is now: Are teachers and students ready? — from iblnews.org

Day of AI Australia hosted a panel discussion on 20 May, 2025. Hosted by Dr Sebastian Sequoiah-Grayson (Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney) with panel members Katie Ford (Industry Executive – Higher Education at Microsoft), Tamara Templeton (Primary School Teacher, Townsville), Sarina Wilson (Teaching and Learning Coordinator – Emerging Technology at NSW Department of Education) and Professor Didar Zowghi (Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Data61).

Teachers using AI tools more regularly, survey finds — from iblnews.org

As many students face criticism and punishment for using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for assignments, new reporting shows that many instructors are increasingly using those same programs.

Addendum on 5/28/25:

A Museum of Real Use: The Field Guide to Effective AI Use — from mikekentz.substack.com by Mike Kentz
Six Educators Annotate Their Real AI Use—and a Method Emerges for Benchmarking the Chats

Our next challenge is to self-analyze and develop meaningful benchmarks for AI use across contexts. This research exhibit aims to take the first major step in that direction.

With the right approach, a transcript becomes something else:

A window into student decision-making
A record of how understanding evolves
A conversation that can be interpreted and assessed
An opportunity to evaluate content understanding

This week, I’m excited to share something that brings that idea into practice.

Over time, I imagine a future where annotated transcripts are collected and curated. Schools and universities could draw from a shared library of real examples—not polished templates, but genuine conversations that show process, reflection, and revision. These transcripts would live not as static samples but as evolving benchmarks.

This Field Guide is the first move in that direction.

(Gifted article) I’m a LinkedIn Executive. I See the Bottom Rung of the Career Ladder Breaking. [Raman]

On 05/20/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, career development, change, changing business models, corporate / business world, game-changing environment, generational differences, Legal operations, legal technologies, new business models, productivity / tips and tricks, programming, technology (general), trends, United States, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

I’m a LinkedIn Executive. I See the Bottom Rung of the Career Ladder Breaking. — from nytimes.com by Aneesh Raman; this is a gifted article

There are growing signs that artificial intelligence poses a real threat to a substantial number of the jobs that normally serve as the first step for each new generation of young workers. Uncertainty around tariffs and global trade is likely to only accelerate that pressure, just as millions of 2025 graduates enter the work force.
…
Breaking first is the bottom rung of the career ladder. In tech, advanced coding tools are creeping into the tasks of writing simple code and debugging — the ways junior developers gain experience. In law firms, junior paralegals and first-year associates who once cut their teeth on document review are handing weeks of work over to A.I. tools to complete in a matter of hours. And across retailers, A.I. chatbots and automated customer service tools are taking on duties once assigned to young associates.

‘What I learned when students walked out of my AI class’ [Hogg] + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 05/19/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assessment, business side of he, change, colleges, communications, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, metacognition / metacognitive skills, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, UK, United States, universities, vendors, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

‘What I learned when students walked out of my AI class’ — from timeshighereducation.com by Chris Hogg
Chris Hogg found the question of using AI to create art troubled his students deeply. Here’s how the moment led to deeper understanding for both student and educator

Teaching AI can be as thrilling as it is challenging. This became clear one day when three students walked out of my class, visibly upset. They later explained their frustration: after spending years learning their creative skills, they were disheartened to see AI effortlessly outperform them at the blink of an eye.

This moment stuck with me – not because it was unexpected, but because it encapsulates the paradoxical relationship we all seem to have with AI. As both an educator and a creative, I find myself asking: how do we engage with this powerful tool without losing ourselves in the process? This is the story of how I turned moments of resistance into opportunities for deeper understanding.

In the AI era, how do we battle cognitive laziness in students? — from timeshighereducation.com by Sean McMinn
With the latest AI technology now able to handle complex problem-solving processes, will students risk losing their own cognitive engagement? Metacognitive scaffolding could be the answer, writes Sean McMinn

The concern about cognitive laziness seems to be backed by Anthropic’s report that students use AI tools like Claude primarily for creating (39.8 per cent) and analysing (30.2 per cent) tasks, both considered higher-order cognitive functions according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. While these tasks align well with advanced educational objectives, they also pose a risk: students may increasingly delegate critical thinking and complex cognitive processes directly to AI, risking a reduction in their own cognitive engagement and skill development.

Make Instructional Design Fun Again with AI Agents — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
A special edition practical guide to selecting & building AI agents for instructional design and L&D

Exactly how we do this has been less clear, but — fuelled by the rise of so-called “Agentic AI” — more and more instructional designers ask me: “What exactly can I delegate to AI agents, and how do I start?”

In this week’s post, I share my thoughts on exactly what instructional design tasks can be delegated to AI agents, and provide a step-by-step approach to building and testing your first AI agent.

Here’s a sneak peak….

AI Personality Matters: Why Claude Doesn’t Give Unsolicited Advice (And Why You Should Care) — from mikekentz.substack.com by Mike Kentz
First in a four-part series exploring the subtle yet profound differences between AI systems and their impact on human cognition

After providing Claude with several prompts of context about my creative writing project, I requested feedback on one of my novel chapters. The AI provided thoughtful analysis with pros and cons, as expected. But then I noticed what wasn’t there: the customary offer to rewrite my chapter.
…
Without Claude’s prompting, I found myself in an unexpected moment of metacognition. When faced with improvement suggestions but no offer to implement them, I had to consciously ask myself: “Do I actually want AI to rewrite this section?” The answer surprised me – no, I wanted to revise it myself, incorporating the insights while maintaining my voice and process.

The contrast was striking. With ChatGPT, accepting its offer to rewrite felt like a passive, almost innocent act – as if I were just saying “yes” to a helpful assistant. But with Claude, requesting a rewrite required deliberate action. Typing out the request felt like a more conscious surrender of creative agency.

Also re: metacognition and AI, see:

The concern about cognitive laziness seems to be backed by Anthropic’s report that students use AI tools like Claude primarily for creating (39.8 per cent) and analysing (30.2 per cent) tasks, both considered higher-order cognitive functions according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. While these tasks align well with advanced educational objectives, they also pose a risk: students may increasingly delegate critical thinking and complex cognitive processes directly to AI, risking a reduction in their own cognitive engagement and skill development.

By prompting students to articulate their cognitive processes, such tools reinforce the internalisation of self-regulated learning strategies essential for navigating AI-augmented environments.

EDUCAUSE Panel Highlights Practical Uses for AI in Higher Ed — from govtech.com by Abby Sourwine
A webinar this week featuring panelists from the education, private and nonprofit sectors attested to how institutions are applying generative artificial intelligence to advising, admissions, research and IT.

Many higher education leaders have expressed hope about the potential of artificial intelligence but uncertainty about where to implement it safely and effectively. According to a webinar Tuesday hosted by EDUCAUSE, “Unlocking AI’s Potential in Higher Education,” their answer may be “almost everywhere.”

Panelists at the event, including Kaskaskia College CIO George Kriss, Canyon GBS founder and CEO Joe Licata and Austin Laird, a senior program officer at the Gates Foundation, said generative AI can help colleges and universities meet increasing demands for personalization, timely communication and human-to-human connections throughout an institution, from advising to research to IT support.

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Chatbots — from derekbruff.org by Derek Bruff

Here are the predictions, our votes, and some commentary:

“By 2028, at least half of large universities will embed an AI ‘copilot’ inside their LMS that can draft content, quizzes, and rubrics on demand.” The group leaned toward yes on this one, in part because it was easy to see LMS vendors building this feature in as a default.
“Discipline-specific ‘digital tutors’ (LLM chatbots trained on course materials) will handle at least 30% of routine student questions in gateway courses.” We learned toward yes on this one, too, which is why some of us are exploring these tools today. We would like to be ready how to use them well (or avoid their use) when they are commonly available.
“Adaptive e-texts whose examples, difficulty, and media personalize in real time via AI will outsell static digital textbooks in the U.S. market.” We leaned toward no on this one, in part because the textbook market and what students want from textbooks has historically been slow to change. I remember offering my students a digital version of my statistics textbook maybe 6-7 years ago, and most students opted to print the whole thing out on paper like it was 1983.
“AI text detectors will be largely abandoned as unreliable, shifting assessment design toward oral, studio, or project-based ‘AI-resilient’ tasks.” We leaned toward yes on this. I have some concerns about oral assessments (they certainly privilege some students over others), but more authentic assignments seems like what higher ed needs in the face of AI. Ted Underwood recently suggested a version of this: “projects that attempt genuinely new things, which remain hard even with AI assistance.” See his post and the replies for some good discussion on this idea.
“AI will produce multimodal accessibility layers (live translation, alt-text, sign-language avatars) for most lecture videos without human editing.” We leaned toward yes on this one, too. This seems like another case where something will be provided by default, although my podcast transcripts are AI-generated and still need editing from me, so we’re not there quite yet.

‘We Have to Really Rethink the Purpose of Education’
The Ezra Klein Show

Description: I honestly don’t know how I should be educating my kids. A.I. has raised a lot of questions for schools. Teachers have had to adapt to the most ingenious cheating technology ever devised. But for me, the deeper question is: What should schools be teaching at all? A.I. is going to make the future look very different. How do you prepare kids for a world you can’t predict?

And if we can offload more and more tasks to generative A.I., what’s left for the human mind to do?

Rebecca Winthrop is the director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. She is also an author, with Jenny Anderson, of “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.” We discuss how A.I. is transforming what it means to work and be educated, and how our use of A.I. could revive — or undermine — American schools.

“Student Guide to AI”; “AI Isn’t Just Changing How We Work — It’s Changing How We Learn”; + other items re: AI in our LE’s

On 05/12/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, change, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, digital learning, digital video, education, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, expectations, experimentation, Facebook / Meta Platforms, faculty/staff, formal learning, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, Google, health, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, immersion, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, languages and translation, law schools, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, learning spaces, media/film, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), multimedia, new media literacies, online media, online tutoring, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, skills, society, staying relevant, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, vision/possibilities, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, wearables, workplace, XR - extended reality, youth, by Daniel Christian

.Get the 2025 Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence — from studentguidetoai.org
This guide is made available under a Creative Commons license by Elon University and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
.

AI Isn’t Just Changing How We Work — It’s Changing How We Learn — from entrepreneur.com by Aytekin Tank; edited by Kara McIntyre
AI agents are opening doors to education that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. Here’s how.

Agentic AI is taking these already huge strides even further. Rather than simply asking a question and receiving an answer, an AI agent can assess your current level of understanding and tailor a reply to help you learn. They can also help you come up with a timetable and personalized lesson plan to make you feel as though you have a one-on-one instructor walking you through the process. If your goal is to learn to speak a new language, for example, an agent might map out a plan starting with basic vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, then progress to simple conversations, grammar rules and finally, real-world listening and speaking practice.
…
For instance, if you’re an entrepreneur looking to sharpen your leadership skills, an AI agent might suggest a mix of foundational books, insightful TED Talks and case studies on high-performing executives. If you’re aiming to master data analysis, it might point you toward hands-on coding exercises, interactive tutorials and real-world datasets to practice with.

The beauty of AI-driven learning is that it’s adaptive. As you gain proficiency, your AI coach can shift its recommendations, challenge you with new concepts and even simulate real-world scenarios to deepen your understanding.

Ironically, the very technology feared by workers can also be leveraged to help them. Rather than requiring expensive external training programs or lengthy in-person workshops, AI agents can deliver personalized, on-demand learning paths tailored to each employee’s role, skill level, and career aspirations. Given that 68% of employees find today’s workplace training to be overly “one-size-fits-all,” an AI-driven approach will not only cut costs and save time but will be more effective.

What’s the Future for AI-Free Spaces? — from higherai.substack.com by Jason Gulya
Please let me dream…

This is one reason why I don’t see AI-embedded classrooms and AI-free classrooms as opposite poles. The bone of contention, here, is not whether we can cultivate AI-free moments in the classroom, but for how long those moments are actually sustainable.

Can we sustain those AI-free moments for an hour? A class session? Longer?
…
Here’s what I think will happen. As AI becomes embedded in society at large, the sustainability of imposed AI-free learning spaces will get tested. Hard. I think it’ll become more and more difficult (though maybe not impossible) to impose AI-free learning spaces on students.

However, consensual and hybrid AI-free learning spaces will continue to have a lot of value. I can imagine classes where students opt into an AI-free space. Or they’ll even create and maintain those spaces.

Duolingo’s AI Revolution — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
What 148 AI-Generated Courses Tell Us About the Future of Instructional Design & Human Learning

Last week, Duolingo announced an unprecedented expansion: 148 new language courses created using generative AI, effectively doubling their content library in just one year. This represents a seismic shift in how learning content is created — a process that previously took the company 12 years for their first 100 courses.

As CEO Luis von Ahn stated in the announcement, “This is a great example of how generative AI can directly benefit our learners… allowing us to scale at unprecedented speed and quality.”

In this week’s blog, I’ll dissect exactly how Duolingo has reimagined instructional design through AI, what this means for the learner experience, and most importantly, what it tells us about the future of our profession.

Are Mixed Reality AI Agents the Future of Medical Education? — from ehealth.eletsonline.com

Medical education is experiencing a quiet revolution—one that’s not taking place in lecture theatres or textbooks, but with headsets and holograms. At the heart of this revolution are Mixed Reality (MR) AI Agents, a new generation of devices that combine the immersive depth of mixed reality with the flexibility of artificial intelligence. These technologies are not mere flashy gadgets; they’re revolutionising the way medical students interact with complicated content, rehearse clinical skills, and prepare for real-world situations. By combining digital simulations with the physical world, MR AI Agents are redefining what it means to learn medicine in the 21st century.

4 Reasons To Use Claude AI to Teach — from techlearning.com by Erik Ofgang
Features that make Claude AI appealing to educators include a focus on privacy and conversational style.

After experimenting using Claude AI on various teaching exercises, from generating quizzes to tutoring and offering writing suggestions, I found that it’s not perfect, but I think it behaves favorably compared to other AI tools in general, with an easy-to-use interface and some unique features that make it particularly suited for use in education.

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