What if instead of getting in the way, AI could help students get deeper into topics that interest them?   I’ve been thinking about this since attending the College Board’s 2023 AP Annual Conference, where a panel of educators spoke about the role of generative AI in the classroom. The majority of teachers attending the session had not used AI and were apprehensive about how it could support them, until some of the early adopters started to share their experiences. A lot of light bulbs began to light up. It turned the conversation quickly from a negative focus on cheating to an emphasis on providing students with new opportunities to learn. Time has allowed more teachers to better understand what AI can do for them, and it is fueling excitement!  One teacher from the panel I caught up with, Bruno Morlan, of Acalanes High School (CA), has his AP History students practice answering questions with feedback from AI to help elicit more details needed for full credit. He’s used AI to help students decide where to do additional research in order to prepare for a presentation. “[AI] has not gotten in the way of honest academic work; it has students getting deeper into topics that interest them.”  We know that teachers are constantly learning, and AI literacy is at the forefront of lifelong learning for educators. Former Chief Reader for the APⓇ Psychology Exam and new coauthor on Myers' Psychology for the APⓇ Course, Elizabeth Yost Hammer, is empowering her students to learn AI literacy alongside other key skills in the college psychology classroom. “We teach critical thinking, we teach tech literacy, and we talk about how these come together in thinking critically about what we’re reading online.  Now we are talking about AI literacy broadly: how do you use it well, how do you critically think about it, and how do you use it ethically.”   Hammer is teaching students to create a hypothesis before using AI to assist in a research project. Students were a bit surprised to hear their professor suggesting they use AI.  At Xavier University of Louisiana, where Hammer serves as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development, their mission is to develop students into leaders.  Hammer encourages her students to use AI as a tool, but to always imbue their voice in their work: “We need you at the table, and you are not going to be at the table if you don’t have a voice.”  AI literacy involves students understanding the benefits and the risks, checking information sources, and always developing their own thoughts.  This is preparing them for their time outside the classroom as they think about career opportunities, too.  At Macmillan Learning, we see AI creating more engaged students with an AI Tutor that we’re piloting in several disciplines in higher ed.  The tutor is prompted to chat with students in a Socratic communication style, aiming to stimulate intellectual curiosity and facilitate self-directed learning. The tutor will not simply provide the answer but is instead instructed to help students with a specific homework question.  Instructors piloting the tutor have reported that their students are getting the help they need in a safe space where they are not embarrassed to persist the way they might with a human tutor. Students are engaging and asking more questions when they don’t understand or need a reminder on key concepts or equations. One instructor noted: “The AI Tutor is helping students get started, resulting in less questions about the basics of how to work problems. This is allowing us to use help room time/office hours for more advanced questions and even some discussions!”  Whether you’re a college instructor or teaching high school, AI is sure to have an impact on your classroom and influence how students learn. Embracing AI doesn't mean losing the essence of teaching and learning; it's about amplifying it, making sure every voice is heard, and every piece of history is explored with a fresh perspective.  Let’s work together to prepare students not just for exams, but for a world where technology and humanity work together to spark new ideas and new voices with our engaged students.   ... View more

Daniel Frank, PhD, is one of three subject matter experts who contributed to the first course at the Institute at Macmillan Learning, "Teaching with Generative AI: A Course for Educators." The course integrates diverse perspectives into the discourse surrounding AI in education by blending asynchronous and synchronous learning. It offers practical experience in formulating AI-related course policies, designing AI-informed assignments, and fostering dialogues with students on AI applications. Dr. Frank offers a unique perspective on AI in higher education, tackling three key questions from our AI webinar series last fall. Explore his background and insights on real queries from fellow professors for a closer look at the practical knowledge the Institute course will offer. Daniel Frank, PhD, teaches First Year Composition, multimedia, and technical writing within the Writing Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research interests include AI Writing technologies, game-based pedagogy, virtual text-spaces and interactive fiction, passionate affinity spaces, and connected learning. Dan is always interested in the ways that new technologies interface with the methods of making, communicating, learning, and playing that students are engaged with across digital ecosystems. His pedagogical focus is always rooted in helping students find their own voices and passions as they learn to create, play, and communicate research, argumentation, and writing, across genres, networks, and digital communities. Should educators consider it their responsibility to educate students on the ethical and responsible use of AI tools, akin to how they teach the responsible use of platforms like Google and Wikipedia and tools like graphing calculators? Daniel Frank: It’s long been my position that the technology is (and is becoming increasingly) ubiquitous, and that attempting to ban all use or consideration of the technology will not remove the tech from our students’ lives, but will instead remove only honest approaches and conversations about the tech from the classroom. Generative AI is a strange technology that can be easily misunderstood and misused. I think it’s much more productive to bring the tools into the light so that they can be critically considered, rather than swept into the shadows for students to use in all the wrong ways. What are some strategies to foster students' intrinsic motivation through generative AI, focusing on methods that go beyond external incentives such as grades or assignment completion? Dan Frank: It’s worth noting that the points-based, grade-focused approach of much of traditional education isn’t conducive to the valuing of personal growth and development. If education is framed as a transactive process where students are here to get their grade and move on, they will turn to tools that promise to automate/alleviate that arduous process. If we want to instill in our students intrinsic motivation, we’ll have to create spaces in our curriculum for experimentation and risk taking. Students should be encouraged to see LLMs as the limited technologies they are and to value their own critical thinking, choices, and rhetorical sovereignty when interfacing with these tools, but the threat to have their work be ‘perfect’ to get the points they need will short-circuit that process and tempt then to cut corners. I think it can be very valuable to try to think about how, for instance, a paper that clearly uses too much generative AI at the cost of clear, unique, personalized, critical thinking might serve as a learning opportunity rather than an ‘I caught you’ moment. How can we harness AI to boost students' writing skills while ensuring they actively engage in the writing process rather than solely relying on AI-generated content? Dan Frank: I think the key to this is to help students learn to value what they can bring to the table that AI cannot. It’s very important to help students learn to critically ‘read’ the output of a Large Language Model (LLM) such as ChatGPT. Though this is a revolutionary technology, it still is deeply limited: it lacks the deeper thinking, creativity, and critical thinking that only a human brain can bring to a paper. Students can be taught to see how LLMs produce predictable sentence structures, throw around unnecessary ‘fluff,’ tend to sound like they’re ‘selling’ rather than analyzing, make gestures at ideas but don’t really unpack them, and so forth. The second part of this is to help students demystify the processes of composition. Many students think that if they can’t produce perfect, beautiful writing at the first attempt, they won’t be able to at all–but concepts such as freewriting, iterative drafting, think-pair-shares, clustering and mind mapping (which LLMS might help with!) can help students see that writing is a constant, continual, developing process, and that this is true for even the best writers in the world. I think that in understanding both of these elements, students can learn to value the development of their own unique voice and will be less inclined to resort to LLM output at the cost of their own rhetorical options. Learn more about the "Teaching with Generative AI" course. Learn more about Daniel Frank ... View more

The flagship course at the Institute at Macmillan Learning, "Teaching with Generative AI: A Course for Educators," was created with leading voices in the discourse of AI in higher education, including Antonio Byrd, PhD. The course combines asynchronous and synchronous learning, providing hands-on practice in crafting course policies regarding AI, creating AI-informed assignments, and engaging in discussions with students about AI usage. Dr. Byrd shares his unique perspective and insights centered around AI in education by answering three questions from our AI webinar series last fall. To gain insight into the practical knowledge offered by the Institute course, delve into his background and insights on real questions from professors like you. Antonio Byrd, PhD, is assistant professor of English at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He teaches courses in professional and technical communication, multimodal composition, composition studies, and qualitative research methods. He serves on the Modern Language Association and Conference on College Composition and Communication Joint Task Force on Writing and AI (MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI). Established in February 2023, this task force of scholars from different subfields of English gathers to support policies, assessments, and teaching about and with artificial intelligence in humanities classes and research. Antonio's first book manuscript From Pipeline to Black Coding Ecosystems: How Black Adults Use Computer Code Bootcamps for Liberation (The WAC Clearinghouse/University Press of Colorado) is forthcoming fall 2024. Based on your knowledge, experience, and/or research, how do students perceive the meaningfulness of feedback provided by AI compared to feedback from human sources? Antonio Byrd: In my first year writing class on research methods, I gave students the option to use a large language model for feedback on their literature reviews. Most students did not take this option, and instead relied on my and their peers’ comments. One student wrote in their self-assessment at the end of the unit that they didn’t like using artificial intelligence and found the human feedback more than helpful. I’ve given students the option to use LLMs for other tasks, and most do not take them. I suspect students bring some critical orientations to AI already and we should reveal those orientations to shape our policies and pedagogical decisions.  What does the future of AI in education look like, and how can educators prepare for upcoming advancements and challenges in this field? Antonio Byrd: The future of AI in education is probably already here. Many educational technology companies offer software already fused with artificial intelligence, such as Grammarly and Google Docs. Rather than going to a website to access a chatbot, the chatbot will come to them in learning management software. Arizona State University has gone a step further by partnering with OpenAI to create AI tools specific to the needs of their students. Educators need to be at the decision-making table when their institutions decide to switch from banning generative AI to willingly integrating them into existing learning tools.  Given the absence of established institutional policies regarding AI usage, particularly in the context of plagiarism, how can educators navigate the ethical considerations surrounding AI adoption? Should using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools to respond to exam questions be considered a form of plagiarism? Antonio Byrd: Navigating ethical considerations and policies for AI adoption may need to be a grassroots effort among faculty and even students. What those policies look like might depend on the discipline and their specific approach to critical inquiry and problem-solving. I think there should be some kind of tiered alignment from institutions to the classroom syllabus; not a copy and paste of the department’s copy and paste of the institution’s broad policy, but one that takes themes from one bigger tier and adapts it down the line to individual classrooms. Even in classrooms, instructors may set ground rules or guidance with students based on the class content.   Learn more about the "Teaching with Generative AI" course. Learn more about Antonio Byrd ... View more

Leonardo da Vinci epitomizes the essence of productivity and innovation. His remarkable ability to juggle painting, engineering, anatomy, and invention with mastery and creativity can serve as a beacon for those seeking to enhance their productivity in today's fast-paced world. In an era where the digital landscape presents both vast opportunities and challenges, the wisdom of one of history's most brilliant minds can offer some invaluable lessons. As students navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, they may want to consider how the wisdom of one of history’s greatest minds could be applied to enhance their own productivity. Below, we explore how da Vinci's timeless strategies, coupled with AI and other modern technology, can lead to a renaissance in modern productivity for students. Curiosity as a Productivity Engine: Da Vinci’s insatiable curiosity propelled him to explore diverse fields of study, much like how a modern professional might seek continuous learning opportunities to stay ahead in their career. In a world where information is at our fingertips, fostering a culture of curiosity is more crucial than ever. AI may be able to serve as a modern torchbearer of da Vinci’s insatiable quest for knowledge.  AI-powered educational platforms, or the tools within these platforms, can adapt to a student's learning style and pace, presenting personalized challenges and topics of interest. For instance, AI tutoring systems can suggest resources on new subjects based on the student’s interactions and progress, fueling curiosity and encouraging self-directed learning.  Meticulous Organization and Note-Taking: Da Vinci kept detailed notebooks filled with sketches, scientific diagrams, and observations. Just as his notebooks were the holding place of new ideas, today's digital tools offer students unparalleled opportunities for organization.  AI-enhanced apps and programs not only store information but also actively help us make connections between disparate ideas. With these tools, students can keep organized notes, prioritize tasks so they can meet deadlines, track their coursework, monitor their progress and even document their ideas.  Setting and Reflecting on Goals: Da Vinci often undertook projects that pushed the boundaries of his knowledge and skills. Similarly, goal setting in the digital age is not just about ambition; it's about reflection and adaptation. Regular reflection on goals can be instrumental in helping students assess where they are and help them get to where they want to be.  Macmillan Learning understands that goal setting and reflection (GRS) is critical to the learning process, and we’ve embedded it within Achieve, our digital learning platform. Our GRS surveys engage each of the three phases of metacognition: planning (where students set goals and plan how to accomplish them), monitoring (where students check in on and track their progress), and evaluating (where students decide whether or not their strategies have been successful, and decide to seek help). Knowing what you want to achieve and setting a plan for how to achieve it can be a helpful boost for productivity! Balancing Breadth and Depth: While da Vinci is known for his diverse interests, he also delved deeply into subjects, mastering them. The Renaissance is distinguished by its holistic approach to knowledge and creativity, where disciplines were deeply interconnected. This encouraged individuals like da Vinci to be both artists AND scholars.  Personalized learning platforms can help support that holistic approach, helping students to achieve a balance between exploring a wide range of subjects and diving deep into specific areas of interest. By analyzing a student’s engagement and comprehension levels, these platforms (like Learning Curve, Achieve’s adaptive quizzing engine) can suggest when to broaden learning horizons and when to focus more intensely on mastery. Rest and Diversification as Sources of Inspiration: da Vinci recognized the value of rest and varied pursuits, which fueled his creativity and productivity. Da Vinci knew the value of stepping away from his work to find inspiration in the world around him. Modern productivity advice often echoes this, advocating for breaks, hobbies, and activities outside of work to rejuvenate the mind and inspire innovation.  Today, AI can remind us when to take a break, ensuring our brains have time to rest and our creativity remains sparked. One way to do this is through AI-based wellness and productivity apps. These can monitor a student's study habits and suggest optimal times for breaks, relaxation, and engaging in hobbies or physical activities, which can help prevent burnout. (Learn more about our thinking on this here.) By looking to the past, we can find enduring strategies to navigate the complexities of modern life and work, much like how da Vinci navigated the renaissance era's challenges and opportunities. He showed us the power of blending curiosity, planning, and learning.  Today, we have the tools to bring his vision into the 21st century, transforming how students can plan for both their present and future. At Macmillan Learning, inspired by da Vinci's enduring curiosity, we constantly explore innovative methods to boost student productivity. As we continue to harness educational technology and AI, we help pave the way for a new era of productivity, where balance, curiosity, and continuous learning all fuel students’ success. ... View more

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” -Albert Einstein I love questions. I always have. From the simplest idea to the most complex mystery, I have always loved how the sheer act of asking questions opened the door to a new idea, a better understanding, or a discovery. And I’m not the only one. From an early age, questioning emerges naturally. Toddlers famously pepper their caregivers with endless "whys?"—inquiring about everything from why the sky is blue to why bedtime comes so early. But early questioning hints at a valuable lifelong tool: curiosity, an innate desire to explore and better understand the world around them.  As we get older, the questions don’t stop. We explore new ideas in classrooms, our homes, and the world around us. We thrive on discovering and learning. In today’s modern workplace, honing that skill is essential. Curating a Culture of Curiosity The world of work has changed a lot over the past five years, but arguably one of the most impactful to our collective future was the explosive re-emergence of artificial intelligence in 2022. Almost immediately, workers of all professions began worrying about being replaced by machines or more accurately, an uber-efficient AI. The speed with which AI is evolving demands a workforce that is driven by a desire to question, learn, and adapt; a workforce that imagines what could be. Those who explore their curiosity are not only better equipped to leverage AI's potential but also to anticipate its impact on their work. One critical step in nurturing curiosity is to recognize the need for a change in mindset; or, in other words, reevaluating how we could view this technology and what it may make possible. Instead of fearing the creep of AI or the possibility of a future where it replaces work, we could see it as a collaborator that enhances our capabilities. At Macmillan Learning, we offer our employees a continuous series of learning and development opportunities to encourage them to dig in, learn, and experiment. And with a pinch of curiosity, we can dare to explore what could be.  Asking the Right Questions How can AI help us to understand and meet teaching and learning needs more effectively? In what ways can AI contribute to a more equitable and inclusive workplace? What role should AI play in improving engagement and outcomes? How can we best prepare students for the workforce of the future? By asking questions, we begin a journey of learning and discovery, and ultimately personal and professional growth. Using curiosity as a tool means not just asking questions, but asking the right questions. It means understanding the problem you are trying to solve and creating the questions to get to the core, layer by layer.  Beyond the big questions, we can use AI in our everyday work to enhance our creativity and productivity. The more we ask and learn, the better AI will perform for us.  Each question, each additional prompt, reveals something that we can then use our uniquely human skills to address. Our capacity to question, think, and critically analyze are all necessary functions to find the best results. By learning how to develop those questions that challenge the way we think, we can spot opportunities for change and innovation, making curiosity one of the most powerful tools for exploration.  The path forward is filled with both promise and uncertainty, and there is real courage in stepping into the unknown armed only with questions and a willingness to discover. Providing a safe environment where employees are encouraged to inquire, experiment, learn, and even fail at times, will result in a team that is not only better equipped to tackle the uncertainties of the future but importantly, become an active participant in shaping that journey. What’s Next? The future of work isn’t waiting for us to be ready for it. It’s here now. So how does one even begin to cultivate a culture of curiosity? Maybe a first step is to ask yourself today: How can I leverage AI to enhance my unique human capabilities? In this journey, it is important to note that new technical skills are important, but it’s most often softer skills that will need to be nurtured to help employees thrive in a future workplace: adaptability, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. AI is a tool that works best when coupled with human drive, so with a shift in mindset and an openness to explore what’s possible, employees can more effectively harness AI's power to navigate ongoing change.  It is curiosity that propels us to explore that “next thing.” Embracing curiosity in the age of AI is not just about keeping pace with technology—it's about shaping the future of work. It’s about fostering innovation and resilience. It’s about creating a space where we can use our human abilities to take the next steps to create meaningful change.  Could the simple power of curiosity be the asset that unlocks that next great opportunity? Because, I have a few questions... ... View more

The introduction of generative AI in academic environments has sparked a vibrant discussion on its impact on academic integrity, creativity, and the evolving roles of educators. This same dialogue inspired the creation of the Institute at Macmillan Learning and its first course, “Teaching with Generative AI: A Course for Educators.” Laura Dumin, PhD, a leading voice in this discourse, is one of three subject matter experts who contributed to the course, which offers a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning, including hands-on experience developing a course policy around AI, designing assignments with considerations for AI, and navigating conversations with students about the use of AI.  To get a glimpse into the practical knowledge and insights the course will offer, we asked Dr. Dumin five questions about AI in higher education that emerged from our AI webinar series last fall. Read on to get her take as she shares her insights on real questions from instructors like you. Laura Dumin, PhD, is a professor of English and Technical Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma. She has been exploring the impact of generative AI on writing classrooms and runs a Facebook learning community to allow instructors to learn from each other. When she is not teaching, Laura works as a co-managing editor for the Journal of Transformative Learning, directs the Technical Writing BA, and advises the Composition and Rhetoric MA program; she has also been a campus Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) mentor. Laura has created four micro-credentials for the Technical Writing program and one for faculty who complete her AI workshop on campus. In your experience, when it comes to verifying the authenticity of AI-generated content, particularly in academic papers, are there other methods that can be used aside from solely depending on AI and tools like TURNITIN? Laura Dumin: I would turn this question on its head and ask why we are verifying content. Are we concerned about facts that might be hallucinations [or false information generated by AI]? If so, we need to teach our students research skills. Are we worried about AI writing the whole assignment or large portions of it? This gets to a different question about why students are in school and taking classes. Do they need the knowledge for the future or is this course just a graduation requirement that they care little about? How can the information be made more relevant to the students so that they are less likely to cheat? And then finally, teach students about ethical and transparent AI use so that they are willing to tell you and comfortable with telling you when and where they used AI to augment their own work. Should educators consider it their responsibility to educate students on the ethical and responsible use of AI tools, akin to how they teach the responsible use of platforms like Google and Wikipedia and tools like graphing calculators? Laura Dumin: Yes! I get that there is a lot of content for instructors to get through in 15 weeks, but the reality is that these technologies are still new to a lot of students. We can’t expect them to magically learn ethical and responsible AI use if we don’t help them get there. Also, what looks responsible in one field might be different in another field. We want students to learn and understand the tools and the nuances for responsible use. With the increasing role of AI in academic writing, what are your thoughts on universities introducing prerequisite courses dedicated to teaching students how to effectively use AI tools? Laura Dumin: I’m not sold on the need for these types of courses. I’m seeing talk that AI is being approached more in middle school, which means that we have about 5 years before students come to us with a better understanding of ethical and responsible AI use. If it takes an average of 18 months to get a new course on the books, this means that the course probably won’t have a long lifespan. And since the AI landscape keeps rapidly shifting, it would be hard to put together a course that looked the same from start to finally being taught. What are your thoughts on using AI to aid brainstorming while nurturing students' independent thinking? What does it mean and can it potentially hinder students’ creativity in generating original ideas? Laura Dumin: I’m ok with it and I am a writing instructor. I get that the struggle of brainstorming can be part of the process in a writing class. If that’s the case, make that clear to students and help them understand the rationale. But if a student is so frozen by an inability to move past the brainstorming phase that they can’t get the project done, no one wins. In that case, AI can help students have a path forward. AI brainstorming can also help open new possibilities for students to see sides of an issue that they weren’t aware of. Despite the availability of AI-driven revision tools, how might educators motivate students to actively seek feedback from peers and writing centers and recognize its value? Laura Dumin: Having students reflect on AI feedback versus human feedback can help them see the pros and cons of each type. I’m more interested in students getting feedback that is helpful and that works for them. I don’t think it has to be or even should be, an either/or situation. If a student can’t make it to the writing center or doesn’t have access to peers for help, why not use AI to get at least some feedback? Learn more about the "Teaching with Generative AI" course. Learn More About Laura Dumin. ... View more

Whether in a social or professional context, community plays a critical role in our lives. It creates a support system, offers opportunities for networking and allows people to connect based on shared values. For educators, being part of a vibrant, collaborative community is not just beneficial—it's essential for growth and innovation.  Community in education goes beyond mere networking; it's about building a shared space where experiences, insights, and challenges can be exchanged openly. At Macmillan Learning, we’ve seen the impact that a strong and engaged community of educators can have. We’ve witnessed firsthand the impact that our peer consultants have had on instructors across the country through knowledge sharing and the power that ideas carry when instructors can engage freely and openly with their colleagues.  Understanding the importance of community and peer learning, Macmillan Learning recently launched The Institute at Macmillan Learning. The new venture aims to build and support a community of instructors, provide practical knowledge, and empower educators to meet modern teaching challenges with confidence.  The first course “Teaching With Generative AI: A Course for Educators”, was designed to create a community of practice with asynchronous and synchronous components, interactive workshops, and platforms for discussion and collaboration. During the two month course, attendees improve their abilities, keep up with the latest in technology, and discover ways to leverage artificial intelligence to create enduring benefits for their students and institutions.  Importantly, they’ll participate in an active and accountable community with their peers.  Simply put, we designed the Institute not just to educate on a topic, but to connect educators from various backgrounds, disciplines and institutions to create a rich tapestry of knowledge and experience.  Building a Community of Instructors At the heart of The Institute is community. We want educators to engage in meaningful conversations, explore current educational topics, and collectively seek solutions to contemporary challenges in education. This approach is not only about imparting knowledge; it's about fostering a collaborative environment where every instructor feels heard, valued, and empowered to contribute. And AI is just the beginning. The Institute’s community offers a private online space where instructors can ask and reflect on the complex questions that have been keeping them awake at night. There’s more than one way to take on a challenge, and we believe that hearing perspectives from across disciplines and institutions from both seasoned educators and those newer to teaching offers unparalleled access to insights. In addition to the learning and synchronous parts of the course, feedback and reflection within this community will forge both personal and professional development and, importantly, help facilitate a culture of continuous improvement in AI pedagogy. By participating in this community, educators not only gain access to a wealth of knowledge and resources but also become part of a larger movement in shaping the future of education.  The Institute's focus on collaboration and community building is a testament to Macmillan Learning’s commitment to enhancing the educational landscape, not just for students, but the instructors who inspire them. It will be a place that provides practical knowledge, meaningful community, and opportunities for educators to showcase newfound expertise. About “Teaching with Generative AI: A Course for Educators” Teaching with Generative AI: A Course for Educators is a two-month course that offers a blend of asynchronous and synchronous learning, including hands-on experience developing a course policy around AI, designing assignments with considerations for AI, and navigating conversations with students about the use of AI. Each week will delve into a new topic designed to deepen participants' pedagogical practices, enhance their comfort with and understanding of AI, provide practical assignment blueprints for classroom use, and build a vibrant community of practice for professional growth and innovation in education. The course will be delivered in Macmillan Learning's courseware platform, Achieve.  Participants who successfully complete the course will receive digital certification that can be easily shared with their institutions and with colleagues on platforms like LinkedIn. Registration begins on April 15, and the first 100 to sign up get a 60% discount. For more details, and for information on future courses, visit the Institute’s website.   ... View more

At Macmillan Learning, our commitment to education and the transformative power of learning are at the forefront of our mission: "inspiring what’s possible for every learner." We understand that learning is an inherently human experience, and that technology can play an important role to support it. But with new technologies come new responsibilities and new questions we must ask ourselves; and in our journey to develop AI-driven educational tools, we’re aiming to establish thoughtful governance. While AI can be incredibly helpful to both students and instructors, there are flaws in many AI tools that may negatively impact the learning journey. Given the potential challenges of AI-driven tools, we became determined to avoid perpetuating biases whenever possible, maintain high ethical standards to guide development of digital tools, and seek active guidance from experts.    To navigate these ethical waters successfully, we sought guidance from experts with deep knowledge of both higher education and AI tools. Additionally, we wanted to ensure that the perspectives and experiences of our instructors and students were represented in the advisory process. This led to the creation of two advisory boards, the Macmillan Learning Ethics Advisory Board and the Data Privacy Board. Together, the boards help us to explore complex issues like ethical and equitable ways to ensure representation of the diverse groups we serve, effective mitigation of data privacy concerns, and improvements in how we could leverage AI to fortify our research practices. Our Ethics Advisory Board In my role leading our Learning Science and Insights team, I helped manage the ethics advisory board, which is composed of distinguished individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Each of the advisory board members were carefully selected for their deep understanding of AI and their direct interactions with students; they worked roles that range from Data Science and Data Activist to Professor of Learning Analytics. The advisory board held two virtual sessions during the summer of 2023. In the first session, we presented the Macmillan Learning preliminary AI guidelines, which aimed to establish principles for the responsible development and use of AI in education. The board members provided valuable feedback, helping us refine our guidelines and develop a mission statement that would guide all our AI-related work. Our Mission: "We create research-driven opportunities through AI for educators to better support the diversity of students within their learning environments." We next worked together to create AI principles that will guide our product development. Our AI Principles Based on the feedback and insights gained from these sessions, the Macmillan Learning team is now diligently working on the development of new AI technologies. These technologies are designed to support our instructors and students in meaningful and equitable ways while adhering to the ethical principles established with the guidance of our advisory board. As refined with the advisory board's input, our principles are: We are transparent, accountable, and ethical in how we use AI. We keep people at the center of AI oversight and improvement. We promote AI literacy and education on AI safety, ethics, and responsible use. We strictly observe, monitor, and improve data privacy and security principles. We continually monitor our AI tools and research to verify that we are not introducing unintended harms or exacerbating inequalities. We continually learn from diverse groups of experts to improve AI safety and ethics.  As we move forward, we remain committed to using AI as a tool to augment learning, while also retaining the humanity of learning and fostering meaningful and transferable educational experiences. AI can be a helpful companion on the path to learning, and we are determined to make that learning journey safe, reliable, effective, and unbiased for every learner.  We recognize that our work isn't done. The landscape of AI is constantly evolving, and so we remain committed to updating our practices and policies to ensure our research and development practices are ethical and transparent.  By continuing to have conversations with our learners seeking expert guidance, and undertaking  collaborative explorations of AI's potential uses, we underscore the broader narrative - that the integration of AI into education must always be guided by ethical considerations and a deep commitment to keep learning at the heart of what we do at Macmillan Learning. Stay tuned as we continue to shape the future of AI in education. Read more about Macmillan Learning’s AI journey, including Generative AI and Product Development: What We’ve Learned & What’s Ahead,  The Impact of AI on the Inherently Human Experience of Learning, and how we’re Readying our Workforce for an AI World. ... View more

This time last year, Macmillan Learning updated our mission, vision and values. We remain committed to our mission: to inspire what’s possible for every learner. At the core of this mission is our unwavering belief in the enduring value of education. We believe that an investment in education is an investment in human potential. Whether that means a more prosperous future or by providing a stepping-stone to personal and societal growth, we know we have a role to play.  Over the past year, there have been concerns about AI in education leading to its overuse, students’ diminished critical thinking skills, or a reduction in students' investment in their own learning. But I believe that those of us who intimately know what makes learning successful understand that an education is more than just accumulating facts or mastering skills; rather, it's an exploration of self and world and the genesis of lifelong curiosity and learning. This is a new era for education – one that embraces the dynamics of a digital age. But also one that acknowledges the timeless value of human connection and the importance of learning from each other. As we navigate this rapidly changing landscape, our mission remains our anchor, guiding our endeavors and fueling our passion. AI doesn't change this. We believe all  technology enables the human-centric experience of learning. In a world marked by political turbulence, the role of education becomes even more critical. We remain steadfast in adhering to our values and mission and believe that classrooms must be places where ideas are fostered, engaged with, and critiqued – not removed or banned. Which brings me to another thing that hasn’t changed for us in 2024: our dedication towards diversity and inclusion.  We understand how access to our course materials and technology can help transform 'what’s possible' into reality and carry this responsibility with a deep sense of purpose and optimism. Importantly, we take pride in creating products that reflect the rich diversity of the student populations we serve and strengthen the inclusive value of educational environments. It’s through such commitments we envision neutralizing persistent gaps in outcomes reflective of racial, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, and cultural lines. We believe that educators and students should feel represented in our learning materials, and that no student should be expected to adopt any particular political or cultural point-of-view in order to succeed in the classroom. As we proceed in this new year, expect to see us further embolden our commitment to our mission. Expect us to stand firm in our belief in the value of education, and steadfast in our dedication to inspiring possibilities – to fostering curiosity and enabling success for every student. Our ultimate goal? To make a difference in learners' lives – to not just educate, but inspire what’s possible. And we envision a world in which every learner succeeds. Through our content, services and tools we aim to make that a reality. We invite you to join us on this journey, as it will surely be an interesting and exciting one in 2024. ... View more

AI has the potential to transform education by improving students' learning experiences and bolstering their critical thinking skills. This topic is of particular interest to many instructors and surfaced many times during “The Importance of Truth, Honesty, and Pedagogy in an AI World” webinar, which featured Macmillan Learning CEO Susan Winslow. t that  For some instructors, AI raises the concern that LLMs (Large Language Models) will serve as a shortcut to students, hindering the development of their critical thinking skills, including problem-solving and writing. However, that doesn’t need to be the case. One instructor noted during the webinar: “If the gauntlet is just to submit a written paper, we’ve missed the mark of what and how to teach.” He said that the goal instead should be to encourage students to critically navigate life. He added that this would require teaching in a way that helps students to recognize when or why to use these LLMs and, in turn, help them better understand the world around them.  From educators becoming AI learners themselves, to the crucial role of teaching responsible AI use, there are many different ways that it is showing up in the classroom. Before the start of the Spring term, here are seven ways that AI can impact students’ critical thinking skills. Teaching Responsible Use: A crucial aspect of fostering critical thinking in an AI-driven world is teaching responsible AI usage. AI is undeniably a powerful tool, and one instructor on the webinar stated that "it is on us to teach responsible use." By imparting the importance of using AI consciously and ethically, instructors can help equip students with the skills needed to make the best possible choices both in and out of the classroom.  Understanding AI Limitations: Critical thinking involves not only leveraging AI, but also understanding its limitations. Knowing this helps students to make informed decisions about when and how to use AI as a resource. In addition to helping foster a deeper understanding of its role in their learning journey, students can also learn the kind of human touches that AI simply cannot replicate -- which they’ll need to know as they consider their future careers. According to one instructor, part of teaching responsible use is letting students know "what AI can do well, what it can't, and what do WE add that AI can't?"  Mitigation, Not Elimination: Because challenges such as plagiarism may never be fully eliminated, some instructors support the idea of "mitigation" instead. One instructor noted, “as educators, we have the duty to help students navigate the gray areas and use AI to improve, not undermine their writing.” To that end, instructors can encourage students to view AI as a means to expedite research, fix grammatical errors, or enhance their understanding of a topic. By steering students away from the temptation to copy and paste, educators help students leverage technology to augment their learning rather than supersede it. AI's Role in Feedback: Constructive feedback is paramount to learning, but not all students readily embrace it. Introducing AI into the feedback loop can transform this experience and make it more positive, engaging and effective for students. As students interact with AI-generated feedback that’s personalized to them, they are prompted to reflect critically on their work, fostering continuous improvement and enhancing their overall critical thinking abilities. Evolving Classroom Dynamics: AI introduces a level of scalability and personalization that can change classroom dynamics. By tailoring learning experiences to individual student needs and pace, students can engage in a more participatory learning process tailored to their abilities. One instructor noted: “if we allow for AI to take care of most of the basic education students need, then brick and mortar schools have the opportunity to become a place for flourishing of project-based learning, social and cultural development, and experiential education-- all of which will still need us teachers to facilitate!" AI as an Enhancer of the Learning Process: Although AI cannot replicate human touch or original ideas, it can contribute significantly to the learning process. It can provide explanations, aid comprehension, and offer a platform for students to explore and understand complex topics. For students who may feel uncomfortable asking repetitive questions in a traditional setting, AI can act like a tutor and serve as a reliable and accessible resource. It democratizes education and becomes what CEO Susan Winslow refers to as “the great equalizer.” Educators as AI Learners: When it comes to AI, instructors are also students. Many are actively engaged with AI technologies, continually experimenting with different approaches to harness its power in and out of the classroom. This iterative process of improvement ensures that they’re well-equipped to guide their students as well as take advantage of the latest advancements. As they adapt and refine their approaches, they become role models for students in embracing technology to help augment their critical thinking abilities. AI in education represents more than just a technological advancement; it is a paradigm shift that empowers students to adapt, explore, and refine their critical thinking skills. It can bring about a significant shift in education, creating new landscapes for students to adapt, explore, and enhance their critical thinking skills. As educators embrace AI as a tool for enrichment, they pave the way for a more engaging, equitable, and intellectually stimulating educational landscape. If you're curious about the intersection of education and AI, check out additional insights from instructors on Supporting Academic Integrity in an AI World or check out Five Things Instructors Should Consider When Assigning Homework in a World with ChatGPT.   ... View more

Since its explosion over the last year, AI is no longer a distant, futuristic concept. It's here, woven into our daily lives in ways we might not even realize. From voice assistants guiding our mornings, to algorithms helping us choose what to watch or buy, AI is everywhere, quietly shaping our world. But how do we prepare our workforces for this new era? Macmillan Learning CEO, Susan Winslow, recently described her AI journey akin to processing the stages of grief; I see some of our teams having the same experience - denying the impact AI will have on their workflows, hoping it will go away, or angry at being asked to evaluate processes that seem fine already. It is clear to me, however, that we all need to embrace the AI learning curve. That extends beyond our tech talent and coding gurus and starts with seeing AI not as a replacement for our jobs, but an opportunity to enhance human potential. At Macmillan Learning, we are providing our teams with foundational courses to get them started, including content explaining what AI is to understanding the various ways that AI can be leveraged as a learning tool. We’ve been training best practices of good prompting and creating guidelines on how to ensure safety and ethical use along the way. These basics are followed with a challenge for each of us to keep an open mind, take initiative, and experiment. Our leaders are not exempt from this. It’s proven important for each of us to lead by example, rolling up our sleeves and diving in to set the tone for our teams. I recently took a hands-on approach to testing HR use cases for generative AI and even dug into the development of an employee self-service chatbot. The insights that I have gained from both successes and failures have helped me to communicate, first hand, insights to hopefully make it a little less scary for our teams to take a first step. But change is hard and saying “this will be a fun adventure” doesn’t always quiet the fears people have about the unknown. That’s why we have to continually remind ourselves that people will always be at the center of successful evolution. AI can handle repetitive tasks, and serve as a great starting point for ideation; but empathy, creativity, and intuition? Those are OUR superpowers. That's what sets us apart from the algorithms.  As a People & Culture leader, I talk every day to our team about jobs, and AI has left a big question mark for a lot of people as they worry about proficiency or replacement. I have told our teams to try not viewing AI as competition, but a collaboration between human ingenuity and AI efficiency that frees us up to focus on what we do best—using our creativity, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills. Incidentally, those are the skills I’m leaning into to get the most out of using AI tools too.  Our approach may not be perfect, and I keep reminding myself that it will take resilience to stay energized about the possibilities when advances in tomorrow’s technology require us to retool our thinking all together. I will challenge you, just like our teams, to embrace the potential of AI, learn from it, and together, let's shape a future where technology empowers us to be the best versions of ourselves. As one of our core values reminds: learning is a journey we are on together. ... View more

In a recent Executive Order from the White House on AI, President Biden encouraged the industry to “shape AI’s potential to transform education by creating resources to support educators deploying AI-enabled educational tools, such as personalized tutoring in schools.” We’ve known since research completed in the 1980s that personalized tutoring is significantly more effective than “factory models of education,” and I have spent a good portion of my career considering how human-centered product design and technology can help fulfill the promise of personalized learning.  The time is now. This fall, I’ve watched with great interest and excitement as our teams at Macmillan Learning have tested personalized tutoring with thousands of students in courses in our digital courseware product, Achieve.  Early results indicate that AI-enhanced personalized tutoring positively impacts student engagement and progress, especially at times when they need help with assignments. Without giving answers away, the AI-powered tutor uses socratic-style questions delivered in a chatbot to help guide students step-by-step to the correct conclusion. Importantly, we have seen that whereas students sometimes feel self-conscious asking their instructor or teaching assistants for help, they are open and persistent with the AI tutor, asking questions repeatedly until they gain better understanding. Faculty have also responded positively, noting that the AI tutor is available late at night or generally when faculty and teaching assistants are not available to answer questions. Because our AI tutor is grounded in the specific Achieve course content from the instructor’s assignment, faculty have reported confidence that their students are receiving better assistance than other online options. While it’s still a bit early for us to understand the efficacy of the AI tutor, we have enough early positive indicators that we are eager to now understand the impact it has on learning. Please stay tuned!  AI tutoring is just the beginning of the opportunities in front of us. Imagine a learning environment in which teachers have a learning assistant that knows each student's preferences and levels of preparedness, paces lessons accordingly, and provides timely interventions when needed. Imagine that instructors can intrinsically engage students by framing knowledge acquisition and skill-building in ways that acknowledge the student’s curiosity, their lived experience, cultural background, and personal goals/mission–all while ensuring that students make progress against faculty course outcomes. The promise of AI is that we can support both instructors and students in making learning more deeply personal, accessible, and engaging. But how do we get there? It may be easy to surmise that with the breathtakingly fast evolution of Generative AI technology the promise of personalized learning assistants will be delivered very soon by large language models. But, human-centered products never result purely from technological advancement–instead, we must roll up our sleeves and intentionally create products that students and teachers find valuable and trustworthy.  One of the most challenging and important problems to solve with AI-enhanced personalized learning is the management and protection of student data privacy and security. In surveys Macmillan Learning has conducted this fall, 63% of students indicated that they have concerns about how data is used, stored, and generated by AI applications and companies. In our fall 2023 AI tutor tests, we have been firmly grounded in the AI safety and ethics principles and processes that we developed with the help of two advisory boards of experts. Good intentions are important, but they’re not enough.  We have been, and will continue, actively monitoring to ensure that data, privacy, and security measures are working as intended. We will continually work with experts to stay current on quickly evolving tools and best practices, and importantly, to implement auditing processes on the AI products/features we’re developing. We are resolute that AI tutors and assistants in our Achieve and iClicker platforms will align with our rigorous human-centered AI ethical principles and processes. We’ve also heard concerns that the use of AI may create disparities in education, as economically disadvantaged individuals might not have access to the same resources. There's also the risk of AI systems inheriting biases present in their training data, which can also perpetuate disparities. We believe that it's essential to approach the integration of AI in education with an awareness of these challenges and a commitment to use these tools ethically, inclusively, and equitably.  Again, good intentions are important, but not enough. We are working with AI bias experts to determine if we can proactively detect and, when possible, mitigate bias in training data. This fall, we have conducted research specifically with students and faculty at minority-serving institutions to ensure that we acknowledge the needs, questions, and concerns around AI from traditionally underrepresented populations. As if these substantial challenges are not enough, we also have new AI software infrastructure, QA testing, and monitoring projects to tackle. Every workday feels more full and fulfilling than the day before, but I’ve truly never been more energized in my career in education. I share President Biden’s observation that we have not recently had such a tangible opportunity to fundamentally transform education–and to do so in a way that benefits every learner. ... View more

Macmillan Learning recently wrapped up EconEd, our annual economics conference which explores the multifaceted ways that instructors teach college economics. This year’s focus was the topic on everyone’s mind: AI’s impact on education, work and life.  The 2023 conference included a series of webinars from instructors, who also happen to be our Principles of Economics authors. Justin Wolfers’ session discussed the elephant in the room - Assigning Homework in a World with ChatGPT. The Macmillan Learning Principles of Economics author, New York Times Contributing Columnist, and professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan spoke about how traditional ways of assessing students are being challenged with the rise of powerful AI tools like ChatGPT.  There aren't always simple solutions when AI tools can not only quickly finish homework assignments and pass exams, but in some cases, can even outperform students or trick instructors into believing generated essays were written by students. At a time when algorithms and automation are reshaping industries, it’s more important than ever that higher education helps equip students with skills that complement AI. This is especially true in an economics course, where students can develop these critical thinking skills alongside an understanding of how AI intersects with economic theories and practices.  Instructors are considering the best ways to restructure their syllabi and assessment methods and, importantly, seeking out the best ways to support students’ ability to succeed both in class and down the road; they're also exploring how they can best account for the presence of AI tools in the class while at the same time encourage academic integrity.   Here are five things instructors should consider about homework and assessments in their Economics class. Whether or Not to Use AI is an Economic Decision for Students Every decision is an economic decision. Thus, it’s also the case for students deciding whether or not to use an AI like ChatGPT when completing homework or other assessments. Using a cost-benefit analysis framework, students have to weigh the benefits of saving time and potentially getting higher grades versus the costs of getting caught, facing punishment, and missing out on learning opportunities.  The Challenge of Academic Integrity In our digital-first world, the line between legitimate assistance and outright cheating has blurred. With 35% of students admitting to using online tools during remote exams, educators are challenged to reconsider assessment strategies. Wolfers cautions educators about the dangers of relying solely on detection software to catch instances where ChatGPT or other similar models might have been used to complete assignments.  It’s Time to Rethink Traditional Assessments ChatGPT's performance varies with question type and subject area. For example, it is very proficient in answering introductory economics questions and scored high on multiple standardized tests related to economics, outperforming many students. ChatGPT achieved an A- in microeconomics and an A in macroeconomics in tests conducted at Harvard. It scored 5 out of 5 on AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics exams, placing it among the top students. Wolfers argues that to discourage cheating, the goal should be to use questions in a way that makes large language models like ChatGPT less reliable. To that end, ChatGPT struggles more with multiple choice than true/false questions, and it’s not much help with the graphical ones. For instance, when presented with a graph depicting economic trends, ChatGPT couldn't interpret the data as effectively. It also struggled with multi-step questions with interdependent information. While its capabilities are advancing quickly, by delving deeper and focusing on application or critical thinking, educators can make these tools less appealing for cheating.  Leveraging Technology's Double-Edged Sword Ignoring the growing role of AI in education isn't a solution. While the immediate fear is cheating, ChatGPT and similar models can also be used to enhance educational experiences. For example, ChatGPT can act as a learning companion, answering questions, explaining complex concepts, and providing instant feedback. Wolfers demonstrated an AI tutor designed to help students, but without providing direct answers. The tutor follows a Socratic approach, guiding students toward answers rather than giving them outright. Make the Content Relevant Making assessments and content in textbooks more relevant and meaningful to students can motivate them to complete their work. Real-world examples and applications can enhance the learning experience not just by presenting information, but by offering context, fostering critical thinking, and facilitating deep understanding. Interactive experiences, real-world case studies, guided exercises, and opportunities for active learning can differentiate a textbook from mere information. To that end, the role of textbooks should not just be about information delivery but conceptual organization, rich context, and problem-solving guidance. A good textbook doesn't just present data, but crafts a narrative or a framework that makes the data make sense in a way that AI-driven summaries might not -- especially when paired with effective teaching. According to Wolfers, while tools like ChatGPT might change the landscape of learning, they can't replace the depth, contextual understanding, and human touch that comes from well-crafted educational materials and effective teaching. The challenge is for educators to continually adapt and ensure that the materials and methods they use provide genuine value to students. A recording of Wolfers’ session alongside content from the last decade of EconEd and fresh content from our teaching community of peer consultants is available at our revamped EconEd page. We will be offering fresh content in this space throughout the year, and giving updates about EconED 2024 in Chicago next fall.  For more information from Wolfers, be sure to watch the full webinar: Assigning Homework in a World with ChatGPT. ... View more

As long as I’ve been with Macmillan Learning, our company has been anchored by its belief in the transformative power of learning. This commitment and the responsibility derived from it lives in our mission: "Inspiring what’s possible for every learner." From general education courses throughout the higher education curriculum to the expanding reach of Advanced Placement® courses in high schools and the development of enterprise technology solutions that promote student engagement and success, our mission drives us to discover the individual learner in any product or service we provide.  We are also at an inflection point with AI, as the educational environment and opportunities to support learning are changing rapidly. The emergence of Generative AI, among other AI-based programs, has the power to amplify our mission and help us do what we do best better than ever. Both inside and outside the classroom, AI has the potential to reinforce some of the most important pedagogical strategies. And at the same time, it challenges many long-held assumptions. Our Compass is Good Pedagogy  Central to our ethos are evidence-based teaching practices. These instructional practices, which have been rigorously vetted and validated through empirical research, are the foundational pillars that dictate the creation and refinement of our tools. These practices provide a framework that reaches beyond the origins of our work as a textbook publisher to the learning company that we have become and, used ethically and effectively, AI can serve to reinforce, strengthen, and advance use of those practices. Over time, the influence on the overall education experience and impact that Macmillan Learning has had on student success has grown. Gone are the days where students received a printed textbook and our work was done. Now our products offer students multimodal experiences that help incite their curiosity, motivation, and engagement. In particular, we see personalized learning turning an important corner; new technologies advanced by AI can help make the educational experience even more meaningful, relevant, and transferable. These new technologies can help realize the long sought-after goal to advance skills and competencies in students that are demonstrable, repeatable, and applicable to the novel situations they will encounter over their lifetimes. In this work, we help to enrich and foster a learning environment that supports and advances learning, but which also brings comfort, belonging, and compassion to the educational environment for each learner. Today, our responsibility to each learner is to create an educational experience in which we inform, inspire, enrich, and help each student understand themselves in the arc of their educational journey. Together, the outcomes are students who know their learning, love their learning, do their learning, and become their learning. Pedagogy is the Heart of Any AI Implementation As with any tool, efficacy depends on how it’s designed and used. The litmus test for any AI application in education is this: does it augment learning and advance human endeavors or does it act only as a sufficient substitute? We believe that the greatest benefits are realized for students when AI serves to augment the learning process in ways that retain its humanity and foster learning that is applied and transferable. The real power of AI lies not in its advanced algorithms and LLMs, but in its thoughtful implementation.  Our obligation to the success of classrooms drives our work everyday and frames our decisions as we integrate AI and new technologies into our work, products, and educational services. In practical terms, this means supporting the different ways that learning takes place and supporting them differently than we have in the past.  Learning begins with the learner, not the educational tools we create. It means challenging our pedagogical intent by viewing it through the lens of a first generation college student experiencing campus life for the first time; a student commuting between job and an online class who searches the course catalog for the skills and know-how they will need at their next employer. We ask questions about assessments and how they could impact a student who throughout their life has experienced socioeconomic barriers that question if they belong in the college environment at all. We believe that it's in the moments of grappling with complex problems that the most good can be fostered, not to make learning easy but to make it meaningful in every respect to every learner. The Nexus of Outcome-Driven Education and AI As we think about the best uses of AI, we consider the important aspects of pedagogy and how they relate to the human experience of education and together they inform Macmillan Learning’s mission. This is where everything changes -- from how we assess learning to helping students hone their metacognitive skills. It is revealed in the way learners discover themselves that education truly can be transformative. Accomplishing these goals requires continual improvement and new strategies. While traditional tests and formative assessments may not be as effective in an AI world, it doesn’t mean that assessments don't have a place. Maybe, as our CEO Susan Winslow said, we were placing too much value on the multiple choice question all along. Continuous evaluation and feedback during the learning process can offer invaluable insights into students’ understanding of material and AI can be an effective, though imperfect, resource in that effort: queries about a confusing topic need not wait for office hours nor require the student to stumble through articles from a browser search; persistent engagement with AI can not only be a positive pedagogical practice but can help the student practice skills that will transfer outside the classroom, build confidence, and help them envision new possibilities and their potential within them.  Instead of students just absorbing information, AI-driven tools can further enable the shift to active participation, change the way educators design project-based learning, and captivate learners with personalized challenges and real-time feedback creating a learning experience that is uniquely their own. Additionally, AI can aid in fostering metacognitive skills, advance students’ own thinking about thinking, and help students become more self-aware and strategic in their approach to their education, reduce anxiety, and increase their self-assurance.  All of these possibilities are only as real as the care we put into making them safe, reliable, ethical, and unbiased. All the trapdoors and stumbling blocks remain; no system will drive them out entirely. Measured approaches need to produce measurable results; good intentions and optimism won’t win the day on their own.  At Macmillan Learning, we prioritize good pedagogy and evidence-based teaching practices as the framework to make these important decisions. As we navigate this AI-influenced pedagogical landscape, we won’t lose sight of our belief that technology is most beneficial when it complements, not substitutes, the human touch in education. While AI is not the destination, it can be a rather helpful companion on the path to learning. ... View more

At Macmillan Learning’s Tech Ed Conference this year, I connected with dozens of instructors teaching the next generation of learners about the topic on everyone’s mind -- Artificial Intelligence. AI will undoubtedly continue to change the learning experience. But I would also argue that the most meaningful parts of learning, at the core, are deeply human, and that's something we must never forget. So as teachers around the world have returned to class, I wanted to share some thoughts on our future and on what I believe will be AI’s impact on education. But first, let’s take a step back in time to November 30, 2022 -- the day that Chat GPT was unleashed as a free platform for the world to use and explore. I remember vividly the enormous influx of messages from my colleagues across the company and in classrooms. Everyone had questions about what it meant to education, what it meant for Macmillan Learning, and what its impact will be on society in general.  Not too long thereafter, we were inundated by headlines like The End of High-School English from The Atlantic and Teachers are on alert for inevitable cheating after release of ChatGPT from The Washington Post.  We began getting messages from instructors letting us know that their students were cheating using AI to write essays, to answer homework, and even during quizzes -- and they needed help.  It was at that moment of information crush that I remember looking up at the ceiling and understanding that everything had completely changed. I told our instructors at Tech Ed that in that moment, it felt a bit like I was rapidly going through the stages of grief: Denial. Sadness. Bargaining. Depression. And finally, acceptance. But that journey was critical to understanding the problem … and envisioning the solutions. AI as an Educational Tool  To best solve a problem you first need to understand it. So the first thing I did was what so many of us who work in education love doing -- learning more about the problem. I spent the next two months with various generative AI tools, with tech leaders, at AI conferences, with students and with teachers, and ultimately fortified myself on what Macmillan Learning’s role could and should be. There were enough people training the AI how to learn. Our job is to help humans learn.  Coming to that conclusion, for me, changed everything. I became optimistic. I remembered that learning should require effort. To form those new synapses, you need to be puzzled, challenged, engaged. The education community works tirelessly to both guide students along their learning path, and ensure the reward once it is taken.  I considered that this may be another opportunity to revisit some of our goals when it comes to reaching learners. To do things in a better way. To address issues of equity, equality, neurodiversity, or access in a different way. To address issues of bias in the system. To create stronger assessment tools, that can be tailored to a broader set of outcomes. Maybe we can unlock new learning experiences, reach more students, and have a real learning renaissance. Maybe the multiple choice problem wasn't the best assessment tool to begin with. Maybe there are other experiences we can develop that will assist all instructors in creating that magic moment that becomes the human connection to learning with their students.  Learning is Still Human In each of our lives, there likely has been someone or something that inspires: an influential moment in a person’s life that helped them to become the person who they were; a book they read; a speech, a lesson they learned in class; an instructor who took the time to get to know them and make them feel like they could do it. As amazing and useful as generative AI technology is, it still falls short of that person who inspired you to be better, that maybe changed your life. And that is ok. AI can do what it does well, and there is still a place for the human connection to do what it does best. As a learning company, enabling more of those moments needs to be at the forefront of the work we do. This means that we need to talk directly with, and listen to, students about how they use AI, and under what circumstances it advances their learning. As I have talked to students, I have found that they are not shy about sharing how they have used AI, talking as much about how they have used AI apps to cheat as they have used them to assist in their learning. We need to do more work here to know what exactly they’re doing and why they’re doing it.  Can we unlock learning for students in a way that is exciting and expands their curiosity? In my conversations with them, in many cases, they have told me they’re not actually sure if what they’re doing is, in fact, cheating. And when I ask them what motivated them to use AI in the first place, the answer is often “because I want to see if it will work.” There’s curiosity in there. There is learning happening there. With the rapid advance of AI tools and functionality, we’re getting into the potential of a new experiential learning experience. Students were one of the fastest adopting demographics for AI and there’s much to learn about how they use it.  Can we use metacognition in a way that helps provoke learning? If you ask ChatGPT what it learned this year, it responds “I don't have the ability to learn or experience things in the way humans do, as I am a pre-trained model with a knowledge cutoff in September 2021…” We can work with that. We can use metacognitive prompts to ask students if they’re aware of their learning, and what they learned. We can use the science of learning to help our human students be better at learning, to gain the kinds of critical thinking and awareness skills that will be crucial to helping them get better jobs in an AI-assisted future.  At Macmillan Learning, we see significant opportunity in this new world, but we also know there is a lot to continue to learn, understand, and be careful of. We’re partners in this journey. We’ve already rolled up our sleeves and are digging in creating new, exciting products and processes to support students and instructors. We are working to set new standards in inclusive practices within AI tools. And we are committed to advancing the learning science that will shape our next education renaissance.  In the coming months, you will begin to hear from our company leaders about our strategy, our projects, and our ideas. We’re working on some cool things. We’re eager to learn from you along the way. I hope you will stay close to us through our collective journey so we can inform each other’s progress. Our job is to help humans learn, to inspire what’s possible for every learner, to envision a world where every learner succeeds. And AI is changing the game in how we all support that journey. ... View more