Design for Thinking: What AI-Ready Assessment Actually Looks Like in Practice

Mid century modern editorial illustration showing a shift from AI permission scales to assessment designed around thinking. On the left, a ladder labelled with increasing levels of AI use symbolises traditional AI assessment scales. A large arrow reading “Beyond the Scale” points towards two educators discussing assessment design, while a head silhouette contains icons representing problem-solving, analysis, creative thinking, interpretation, evaluation and reasoning. The image conveys the idea that authentic assessment should be designed to develop and evidence human judgement, rather than simply regulate AI use.

Over the past year I’ve been working with a number of UK universities to rethink assessment for an AI-enabled world. While much of the public conversation has focused on AI policies and guidance, my work has centred on the assessment frameworks that underpin them: the decisions about what students are asked to do, how learning … Continue reading Design for Thinking: What AI-Ready Assessment Actually Looks Like in Practice

Why using AI to make more content may be the least interesting thing we can do with it

Mid-century style illustration showing a transition from ‘Content Generation’ to ‘Judgement & Meaning’. On the left, stacks of papers, a laptop, and a university building represent content production. On the right, an open book, a human profile with a question mark, a magnifying glass, and balance scales represent critical thinking, interpretation, and judgement. A soft arrow connects the two, suggesting a shift from producing content to making meaning.

Higher education is not short on content. It has lectures, readings, videos, activities, frameworks, rubrics, and resources in abundance. What it is increasingly short on is time, clarity, and space for deep thinking. Yet as generative AI becomes embedded across the sector, much of the attention remains fixed on accelerating the very thing we already … Continue reading Why using AI to make more content may be the least interesting thing we can do with it

Google’s AI and the Future of Learning: From Content Delivery to Curiosity

When Google published a major update on AI and Education in May 2024, it signalled a significant step in how one of the world’s largest technology companies imagined learning in an AI-enabled world. Google showcased the potential of large language models to tutor, summarise, assess and personalise content at scale. Yet, it drew fair criticism … Continue reading Google’s AI and the Future of Learning: From Content Delivery to Curiosity

Canvas–OpenAI Alliance: Is the LMS Model now on Borrowed Time?

Graphic of Open AI and Instructure Logos joined together

The recent announcement of a global partnership between Instructure (makers of Canvas LMS) and OpenAI is more than just a high-profile edtech collaboration—it may well mark a turning point in the evolution of digital learning ecosystems. Framed as an ambitious step toward embedding agentic, generative AI experiences within the VLE, the deal has the potential … Continue reading Canvas–OpenAI Alliance: Is the LMS Model now on Borrowed Time?