Learning Curve
Jeff Young
What does it mean to teach and learn in the age of generative AI? Join host Jeff Young as he talks with educators, tech leaders and students, aiming to cut through the hype and inform a conversation about how education can adapt to AI — and about what kinds of learning need protecting amid the AI gold rush.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 11, 2025 • 58min
How Does AI Fit Into Broader Disruptions to Higher Ed?
In this insightful discussion, Bryan Alexander, a futurist and senior scholar on higher education trends, delves into the notion of 'Peak Higher Education.' He highlights the surge in dual enrollment and changing attitudes towards colleges. Bryan contrasts optimistic and cautious ideologies regarding AI's role in education. He addresses the complexities of AI adoption, faculty divisions, and the risks of personalization. Finally, he emphasizes the importance of critical AI literacy as a way forward for institutions navigating this evolving landscape.
Nov 4, 2025 • 40min
How Do Students Feel About Their AI Use? It's Complicated
In the Know, the podcast of the University of Minnesota's student newspaper, The Minnesota Daily."Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College," in New York magazine.
Oct 28, 2025 • 40min
Can AI Avatars Make Class Time More Human?
Demo of Sara Cochran’s AI avatar, University of Virginia websiteSora and Vibes: AI Video Now Officially Going After Social Media, Platformer
Oct 15, 2025 • 37min
Is My Professor Using AI?
“The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It,” by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times.Northeastern University’s AI use policy.“Automated Essay Writing: An AIED Opinion,” by Mike Sharples in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education.
Sep 30, 2025 • 50min
Should Colleges Provide AI Tools?
DukeGPT“Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College” in New York Magazine.
Sep 16, 2025 • 56min
Will AI Bring More Student Disengagement?
The Disengaged Teen, by Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson “Minnesota high school student weighs the benefits and pitfalls of AI,” Minnesota Now“I’m a High Schooler. AI Is Demolishing My Education,” The AtlanticBrookings Global Task Force on AI in Education website‘We Have to Really Rethink the Purpose of Education,’ The Ezra Klein Show.
4 snips
Sep 2, 2025 • 1h 10min
What If College Teaching Was Redesigned With AI In Mind?
Paul LeBlanc, former president of Southern New Hampshire University, and Maha Bali, an ed-tech scholar at the American University in Cairo, discuss the future of AI in education. They explore how AI can deliver personalized learning, the evolving roles of teachers as mentors, and the potential risks of over-reliance on technology. Maha emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in design and warns against white-savior narratives. Together, they envision AI as a tool for global connection and social justice in learning.
Aug 19, 2025 • 1h 2min
What Kind of Intelligence Is AI?
The viral research paper that started it all: “Attention Is All You Need.”Mutlu Cukurova's paper discussed in this episode, “The Interplay of Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Vision for Hybrid Intelligence.”Brian Christensen's “The Most Human Human.”Apple Intelligence ad discussed in this episode: Writing Tools.
Aug 12, 2025 • 2min
Introducing Learning Curve
Teachers and students can't help wondering ... what are we doing here? What's the role of education when AI seems able to do tasks that once seemed uniquely human. The goal of Learning Curve is to inform a conversation about what it means to learn, whether AI could improve education, and which learning needs protecting amid the AI gold rush. Look for the first episode August 20.
