Generation AI

AI Didn't Break Education - It Exposed the Cracks

Episode Summary

In this thought-provoking episode of Generation AI, hosts Dr. JC Bonilla and Ardis Kadiu welcome special guest Michael McGetrick, a veteran educator and creative technologist, to explore how AI is transforming teaching and learning. They discuss the urgent question facing educators today: what is AI doing to student learning? The conversation examines how AI is exposing existing cracks in educational systems rather than breaking them, highlighting a "relevance crisis" rather than a "cheating crisis." From redesigning assessment methods to understanding how AI enhances skill-based learning, the hosts share research findings and personal experiences about the real impact of tools like ChatGPT in education, and how students and educators can adapt to this new reality that's already here.

Episode Notes

AI's Impact on Teaching and Learning Today (00:00:00)

AI is exposing existing cracks in educational systems rather than breaking them
Introduction to the urgent questions facing educators, parents, and technologists
The shift from AI as the future of education to AI as the present reality

Introduction to Mike McGetrick and His Course (00:02:23)

Mike McGetrick joins as a guest expert - principal at Spark451, veteran educator, and creative technologist
The hosts establish their educational backgrounds and experiences
Mike shares his experience teaching a generative AI course at Brooklyn College

Designing a Curriculum for Generative AI (00:05:27)

How Mike approached creating a curriculum from scratch for teaching AI in design
Balancing traditional design principles with new AI tools
The importance of building a foundation of knowledge while integrating AI tools

The Time-to-Value Shift in Learning (00:07:48)

Students can now apply principles in minutes rather than over weeks
How immediate application affects the learning process
Teaching students to think about design elements as "data features" for prompts

The "Cheating" Controversy in Education (00:12:25)

Discussion of the viral New York Magazine article about students using AI
The concept of "cheating" versus utilizing available tools
How traditional assessment methods are becoming outdated

Redefining Learning Through Outcomes (00:17:52)

Focus on quality of output rather than effort or "the grind"
The balance between mental health concerns and educational standards
The importance of learning through struggle and growth

The Relevance Crisis in Higher Education (00:27:59)

AI didn't break education - it exposed how outdated it already was
The need for education to adapt to modern skills and outcomes
How higher education needs to evolve to remain relevant

Research Findings on AI's Impact on Learning (00:29:23)

Discussion of 51 studies on ChatGPT's effect on learning
Learning performance shows significant improvement with AI after 4-8 weeks
Moderate effects on concept learning and higher-order thinking

AI as Coach Rather Than Answer Provider (00:36:54)

The importance of using AI as a thinking partner
Concern about students not building foundational knowledge
The need to teach students about their own learning process

AI in the Workforce (00:40:59)

The growing emphasis on AI skills in the workplace
CEOs requiring employees to use AI as part of their jobs
Debate on whether specialists or generalists will thrive in an AI-driven workplace

Closing Thoughts: A Path Forward (00:49:17)

Suggestion for a new course on "My Learning Journey" to help students understand how learning happens
Understanding the learning process as crucial for deciding how to use AI effectively
The transformation of education and embracing the changes ahead