As an educator, what do you do when AI can now complete your prior assignments? In this episode, Jennifer Maddrell, PhD, shares how testing and redesigning her own assignment changed her approach to academic integrity in the age of AI. She frames it as a design challenge that educators have professional judgment to tackle. This…
With AI, educators are facing a tension I like to call the convergence of messy and the magical. While AI promises exciting innovation and efficiency, it also raises significant concerns, such as academic honesty, student privacy, and inclusion. 🎙️ Podcast Focus In Season 1, Episode 1 of the AI for Educators Design Lab podcast, we…
In this trailer of the AI for Educators Design Lab podcast, Jennifer Maddrell, a learning experience designer with a PhD in Instructional Design and Technology, introduces the show’s mission to help educators navigate the complexities of AI integration in teaching. Focusing on the balance between the exciting potential and significant concerns of AI, Jennifer aims…
As I begin working on my 2026 programming that will focus on teaching and learning in an age of AI (join our email list for updates), I’ve been doing deep dives into AI topics of the greatest interest to educators and instructional designers across sectors. One exploration approach I’ve been trying is to engage ChatGPT,…
After six months of research, testing, and refinement, I’m excited to share that AI Pathfinder Foundations is officially open for enrollment! This self-paced online course and private online community help you build the skills to explore five popular AI Assistants, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity, using frameworks for evaluating, using, and verifying the…
I’m in the final stretch of refining the Next Path Design AI Pathfinder Foundations course for a November launch, and I ran some numbers. The course clocks in at around 60,000 words, including the transcripts for all the videos. I knew it was a big project, but I hadn’t realized that I’d essentially written a…
When I began shaping the focus for my AI courses this summer, my aim was to address the gap between what adults new to AI struggle with and what most training currently covers. After months of analyzing AI literacy competencies and frameworks, studying popular YouTube channels, testing several AI Assistants, and talking with friends, colleagues,…
Transparency, Trust, and “Workslop” Could transparency about AI use actually erode trust? A recently published study suggests it might. That’s a provocative claim, especially since I’m developing AI Pathfinder Foundations with transparency as a core principle. As I continue working on the upcoming AI Pathfinder Foundation course, I want to be 100% transparent with learners about…
When I decided to direct Next Path Design toward AI this summer, I began by reviewing existing literature to determine the necessary skills and knowledge for effective AI use. After years of working in adult education and instructional design, I’ve learned the importance of having a solid set of competencies as the foundation for the…
Austin Kleon’s book “Show Your Work” and his tireless approach to sharing his day-to-day creative process have been a huge inspiration. I’ve even tried to bridge the concepts to the instructional design field in my “Design in the Open” classes over the years. Now, as I launch Next Path Design, it’s time to show my…