Week in Edtech 6/18/25 (Part 1): Professors Battle Cheating, Students Lose Sleep, Meta Buys Scale AI, AI Use Doubles, Gallup & McKinsey Reveal AI Trends, OpenAI Faces Backlash, Handwriting Returns, Parents Drive College Choices, and More!
Matt Tower from Whiteboard Advisors joins the discussion about the evolving edtech landscape. They highlight the rise of AI use in education and workplaces, revealing that it's doubled in just two years. There's concern over OpenAI's push into colleges, with critics fearing increased cheating. Professors are now turning back to blue books and flipped classrooms to combat AI plagiarism. They also delve into how poor tech habits are impacting student performance and the vital role parents play in shaping post-high school choices.
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insights INSIGHT
Banning AI Revives Engagement
Banning AI tools like ChatGPT revives student engagement and deepens classroom discussions.
AI was perceived to cheapen education, and removing it restored a sense of meaningful learning.
insights INSIGHT
Workplace AI Use Doubles
AI use in the workplace has doubled in two years, reaching 8% daily users.
Despite seeming low, this represents rapid adoption across the entire workforce.
insights INSIGHT
OpenAI’s College Role Sparks Backlash
OpenAI’s foray into college sparked backlash due to trust and cheating concerns.
Faculty and students criticize AI’s impact even while recognizing its inevitability.
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The book explores how the ideas 'what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker,' 'always trust your feelings,' and 'life is a battle between good people and evil people' have become embedded in American culture. These 'Great Untruths' contradict basic psychological principles and ancient wisdom, leading to a culture of safetyism that interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. The authors investigate various social trends, including fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the impact of social media, as well as changes on college campuses and the broader context of political polarization in America.
iGen
Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood
Jean Twenge
In 'iGen,' Jean Twenge analyzes the cultural changes affecting today's teens and young adults, born after 1995, who are the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of smartphones. The book draws from nationally representative surveys and in-depth interviews to document how technology has influenced their socialization, mental health, attitudes toward religion, sexuality, and politics. Twenge argues that this generation is distinct due to their extensive use of technology, which has led to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, as well as changes in their developmental pace and social interactions. The book is divided into chapters that explore various themes, including the impact of internet use, changes in social behaviors, mental health crises, and shifts in religious and political attitudes.
Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Matt Tower as they explore the evolving edtech landscape—from rising AI use to old-school solutions for modern challenges.
✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:00:20] Banning AI boosts student engagement and brings back handwritten assessments [00:03:23] Gallup finds AI use in the workplace has doubled in two years [00:06:15] OpenAI’s college push sparks backlash over trust and cheating concerns [00:09:30] Professors turn to blue books and flipped classrooms to fight AI plagiarism [00:13:20] Meta’s $15B investment in Scale AI reshapes the AI training data market [00:21:40] Poor sleep linked to tech use and lower student performance, says new data [00:29:01] Study finds most students rely on parents for post-high school plans—and parents don’t know the options
➡️ Go to Part 2 to listen to the guest interviews this week
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