Interesting Reads This Week

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I'm back home in Utah after two weeks of traveling through Scandinavia. Most of my reading has focused on coping with my newfound addiction to Norwegian hveteboller, and, having given up on resisting them, on how to make them at scale. But what else did I read?

Differing perspectives

The University of Phoenix published a report on workplace learning and how HR and L&D professionals are using generative AI to enhance learning. Like Brighteye Ventures, I increasingly define EdTech as encompassing a seamless continuum from K–12 through higher education and into the workplace. But even beyond that framing, the report offers plenty to consider, especially for those of us focused on higher education.

Two things stood out to me. First, many in HR and L&D seem to have a surprisingly low bar for what qualifies as innovation or reinvention.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, having endured years of the hellish, pedagogically barren experiences that pass for university compliance and corporate training. Still, shouldn’t we aim higher?

Second, I was struck by the stark contrast between how leadership and front line workers view AI in the workplace. For workers, AI is primarily seen as a tool to save time and potentially free them up for higher-order tasks. Leadership, on the other hand, views AI as a catalyst for creativity, improved quality, and better retention.

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