The book offers strategies for using AI to support course prep, grading, and assignment creation. It also emphasizes the need for critical thinking and AI literacy to prepare students for a changing world.
This guide for educators aims to demystify AI for faculty, providing actionable advice and exercises to help them navigate this new educational landscape.
The two authors are C. Edward Watson, Associate Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation at the AAC&U, and José Antonio Bowen, former president of Goucher College and author of Teaching Naked.
The book comes with a useful website, weteachwithai.com, which includes an up-to-date list of AI models, practical guides to build and deploy bots, a library of practical AI prompts, and slides with updated citations for presentations.
• February 2, 2026: AI for Research, Work, and Thinking
• February 9, 2026: AI for Teaching and Learning
• February 23, 2026: Ethics, Cheating, Policy, & Writing
• March 2, 2026: Creativity, New Assignments, & Custom Bots
edX’s catalog of courses from leading universities and companies, including instructor-led executive education programs, will integrate directly into the Skillsoft Percipio Platform. The two companies announced the agreement last month.
The partnership expands the learning catalog available within the Skillsoft platform, while connecting that learning to how organizations build, apply, and track skills across the workforce.
According to Skillsoft’s 2025 Global Skills Intelligence Survey, only 10% of HR and learning leaders surveyed feel fully confident that their workforce has the skills needed to meet business goals over the next 12 to 24 months.
“The future of work will be defined by how effectively organizations connect skills to the way work actually gets done,” said Ron Hovsepian, Chief Executive Officer, Skillsoft.
Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer at 2U, said, “By joining forces with Skillsoft, we are making it easier for companies to access learning opportunities on edX through the Skillsoft platform, while opening the door for our university partners to reach more learners with world-class education.”
Leading institutions, including the University of Oxford, Saïd Business School, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), partner with edX / 2U to create programs.
AI video generation platforms like Colossyan, Synthesia, HeyGen, and NotebookLM are being adopted by L&D tech teams for rapid production, avatar realism, and multi-language output.
But only two platforms—Colossyan and Synthesia—support evidence-based instructional design in ways that matter most: embedded retrieval practice, learner control, and learning-relevant measurement.
However, critical gaps remain: none automate spacing, none actively prevent cognitive overload from over-signalling, and none make frequent generative retrieval practice the default.
• When researchers analysed 6.9 million MOOC video sessions, they found roughly 100% watching in the first three minutes, about 50% by six to nine minutes, and around 20% by nine to twelve minutes.
• Other studies found that well-designed interactive videos of 10–15 minutes produced learning outcomes equal to or better than those from shorter videos.
• Reports say that quizzes interpolated between video segments reduce mind-wandering and boost final test scores. Also, adding interactivity can expand learners’ effective engagement beyond the so-called “six-minute limit.”
The research is clear: segmentation reduces wasted mental effort. Retrieval practice strengthens memory. Spacing creates durable retention. Measurement enables improvement.
Dr. Philippa Hardmanhighlighted six principles for designing videos that actually produce learning, citing several research papers. These principles reduce cognitive overload, strengthen memory, activate motivation, respect autonomy, and build durable retention.
1. Intentional Segmentation
Breaking content into meaningful chunks improves learning.
Segmented videos beat continuous videos in terms of memory and transfer. Well-structured interactive videos of 10–15 minutes can perform as well as or better than shorter videos.
These segmented videos reduce cognitive load and improve retention compared to a continuous presentation
2. Embedded Retrieval Practice
Quizzes inserted between segments reduce mind-wandering and boost performance.
Retrieval within video content strengthens memory and interrupts passive viewing.
This effect is particularly pronounced in video-based learning, as research using Coursera lectures has found.
3. Strategic Signalling
Well-used visual and verbal cues in video content improve recall, but only when used selectively.
However, excessive or multi-coloured highlighting will backfire.
Effective signalling physically and temporally integrates text with visuals, using 3–4 selective cues per segment rather than cluttering screens with competing emphases.
4. Instructional Presence
Seeing a visible instructor as a presenter (human or hyper-realistic AI) increases motivation, trust, and transfer.
Gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact create a sense of social presence and interpersonal interaction, even when the instructor isn’t physically present.
5. Learner Control
People learn better when multimedia is presented in learner-paced segments rather than continuous units, allowing learners to manage cognitive load by pausing when needed.
Online learners can retain 25–60% more information than in traditional classrooms when they can learn at their own pace and revisit challenging content without time pressure.
6. Distributed Practice (Spacing)
A sequence of shorter sessions spaced days or weeks apart across multiple sessions dramatically improves long-term retention.
Treating video-based learning as a sequence with follow-up days/weeks later builds stronger memory.
To assess how well the mentioned video generation platforms support learning, Dr. Philippa Hardman turned these six evidence-based principles into a scoring rubric.
Segmentation Support: How well does the platform make it easy to chunk content into scenes or chapters?
Retrieval Practice: Can you embed quizzes directly in videos, at any point in the video?
Signalling & Guidance: Are there tools for text highlighting and emphasis that don’t overwhelm?
Learner Control: Can learners navigate by chapter, adjust playback speed, and replay sections?
Spacing Workflow: Does the platform help you create and schedule follow-up content for spaced practice?
Instructor Presence: Do avatars/presenters show realistic facial expressions and gestures?
Measurement Quality: Does the platform measure learning outcomes (quiz scores) or only engagement (completion)? Can you track results through SCORM or xAPI?
Iteration Stability: Can you edit videos without starting over while keeping instructional structure intact?
Key takeaways from the tests were:
• Only Colossyan and Synthesia scored Strong on embedded retrieval practice—what research identifies as one of the strongest predictors of retention. Both platforms offer built-in quizzes with manual designer placement, SCORM/xAPI export, pass-rate tracking, and immediate feedback.
• HeyGen and NotebookLM score very poorly: they lack native quiz support, no way to embed retrieval prompts, and no score tracking. They can scale content production efficiently, but they don’t easily support the mechanism that turns watching into durable learning.
• Colossyan and Synthesia also support learning-relevant measurement: capturing quiz performance data, pass rates, and learner-level results—the kind of feedback loop L&D teams rely on to improve instruction one of the platforms automate or optimise distributed practice workflows and spacing, which is essential for durable learning teams must manually schedule follow-up quizzes and application tasks 2–3 days and 1–2 weeks after initial video viewing—outside the video platform entirely.
• “For AI video generation to truly transform L&D—not just accelerate it—vendors need to build instructional design workflows that make bad instructional choices hard and good ones easy.”
• “The future of video-based learning isn’t faster production or more convincing avatars—it’s tools that operationalise learning science by default, so that creating effective instruction becomes the path of least resistance.”
• “The AI-video-generation platforms that will most likely win in the L&D space will be the platforms that enable and orchestrate effective learning at pace and scale.”
“Generative AI may increase student overreliance on this technology, diminish critical thinking, shorten attention spans, and complicate academic integrity.”
The research notes that many faculty see value in artificial intelligence tools, particularly for enhancing learning, and are incorporating AI literacy, ethics, and responsible-use practices into their courses.
The report offers insights for campus leaders and educators seeking to understand the current moment, craft policies, and prepare students for an AI-infused world.
What do faculty really think about AI? A new report explores impacts on critical thinking, learning, careers, and campus practice—offering data to guide responsible action. https://t.co/yLqIO21X9qpic.twitter.com/MbWEmpdAhL
Users can create what Google calls “GenTabs,” which suggest web apps to visualize information more effectively.
These outcomes can already be achieved with chatbots, but GenTabs builds them on the fly using Gemini 3, using the browser and chat history.
Instead of building its own stand-alone AI browser, like Perplexity’s Comet or ChatGPT Atlas, Google has integrated its AI assistant, Gemini, into the Chrome browser, where it can be optionally used to ask questions about the web.
The “GenTabs” feature will initially be available only to a small number of testers through Google Labs, who will offer feedback about the experience.
Dallas College secured $3.3 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education this month to launch its AI-Enabled Teaching and Learning Initiative, “a comprehensive effort to integrate artificial intelligence across classrooms, curriculum, and workforce training programs.”
Dallas College Obtains a $3.3 Million in Federal Funding to Prepare Learners for AI-Driven Workforce
Institution leaders say the initiative will position Dallas College as a national model for responsible, scalable AI adoption in higher education by combining faculty development, curriculum redesign, industry-aligned microcredentials, and employer validation.
“It will prepare learners for a rapidly evolving workforce, ensuring our students and faculty have the tools to thrive in a digital economy,” said Dr. Justin Lonon, Dallas College chancellor.
Greg Morris, Senior Vice Provost of Academic Services, said, “The award reflects national confidence in Dallas College’s leadership in innovation and workforce readiness.”
“This AI-Enabled Teaching and Learning Initiative places emerging technologies at the heart of our academic programs,” Morris said. “Through our partnership with Workcred, we are aligning education with industry needs and empowering our region to lead in the future of education and work.”
Workcred, a national nonprofit founded in 2014, will work with Dallas College to design, align, and evaluate microcredentials for rapid launch and continuous improvement.
OpenAI raised questions about the safety of AI agents operating on the open web, specifically its Atlas AI browser.
The San Francisco-based lab admitted that prompt injections, a type of cyberattack that manipulates AI agents to follow malicious instructions, are often hidden in web pages or emails.
“Prompt injection, much like scams and social engineering on the web, is unlikely ever to be fully ‘solved,’” OpenAI wrote in a Monday blog post, conceding that “agent mode” in ChatGPT Atlas “expands the security threat surface.”
OpenAI launched its ChatGPT Atlas browser in October. Security researchers then showed that writing a few words in Google Docs could change the browser’s behavior.
Also in October, Brave published a blog post explaining that indirect prompt injection is a systematic challenge for AI-powered browsers, including Perplexity’s Comet.
The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre warned earlier this month that prompt injection attacks against generative AI applications “may never be totally mitigated,” putting websites at risk of data breaches.
In a demo, OpenAI showed how its automated attacker slipped a malicious email into a user’s inbox, sending a resignation message instead of drafting an out-of-office reply.
Socrait, a voice-enabled AI tool that listens to classes and logs useful points for teachers, was named the winner of FETC’s Pitchfest 2.0, the gamified startup competition for K-12 educators and IT leaders who attended the Future of Education Technology Conference this week in Orlando, Florida.
Flawlessly executed, the FETC 2026 conference brought together thousands of K-12 attendees to explore the future of technology in education. In addition to keynotes, sessions, and hands-on workshops, the Orange County Convention Center’s expansive exhibit hall featured over 450 leading solution providers.
Discussions covered a range of topics, including the potential impact of agentic AI on university operations and educational practices. The integration of AI was a major focus. Educators and administrators were provided with insights and strategies for leveraging AI technology to enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for the future.
“Socrait was built by a teacher, for teachers, to reduce the cognitive and administrative burnout of tracking, documenting, and following up on everything that happens in class each day,” said Jim Clor, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President at Socrait.
“When companies listen and iterate with schools, we all benefit from better, more effective products that truly serve students,” explained Jennifer Womble, FETC Conference Chair.
[Jim Clor and Jennifer Womble, in the picture on the right]
The competition featured audience voting through the FETC app based on pitch videos, along with six school and district leader judges.
Yourway Learning finished in second place, followed by QuestionWell AI, Savannah Math Labs, and ReframeXR.
Don’t be sad because it’s over…smile because it’s happening again next year! ❤️🎉
Another successful @fetc#FETC is in the books! Thank y’all again for an AMAZING conference!
We will see you next year back here in the great city of Orlando from 1/26-1/29! pic.twitter.com/5PkstUK12R
— Victoria Thompson, M.S. is at FETC! (@VictoriaTheTech) January 14, 2026
Feeling incredibly grateful to be back at #FETC this year! Excited to share the magic of Augmented Reality and the power of Google NotebookLM with educators who inspire every day. Grateful for this community and the chance to keep learning together. pic.twitter.com/6c7IYt6Kd5
Fantastic week as always at the #FETC26 conference, it was a great honor to be a featured speaker for the classroom leaders track and terrific sharing sessions with teachers from around the world on creative uses of educational technology! #FETC never disappoints!! pic.twitter.com/z2GERRtLSP
Final countdown to @fetc with 1 day to go! Registration is in the west concourse of the @orangecountyconventioncenter🧡 it will open Sunday January 11 at 7:00 AM! We are glad you are here #gamechangers! Remember, it happens in the hallways! Come join us at the #FETC#edtech… pic.twitter.com/tvzg467xEz
— Jennifer Womble →#FETC Jan. 11-14, 2026 (@JenWomble) January 11, 2026
Anthropic this week introduced Cowork, a tool in research preview mode, that allows non-technical users to complete tasks, much like developers use Claude Code.
In Cowork, Claude grants access to a folder on users’ computers, allowing them to read, edit, or create files.
It can also reorganize downloads by sorting and renaming each file, create a new spreadsheet with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft of a report from your scattered notes.
Cowork is built on the very same foundations as an agent. This means Cowork can handle many of the same tasks Claude Code can, but in a more approachable format for non-coding tasks.
Cowork includes an initial set of skills that helps Claude create documents, presentations, and other files. When pairing Cowork with Claude in Chrome, this chatbot can complete tasks that require browser access as well.
In terms of security, the main thing to know is that Claude can take potentially destructive actions (such as deleting local files) if instructed to.
There is also the risk of “prompt injections”, that is, attempts by attackers to alter Claude’s plans through content it might encounter on the internet.
For now, it’s available for Claude Max subscribers on the company’s macOS app. Users on another plan can join the waitlist for future access.
Introducing Cowork: Claude Code for the rest of your work.
Cowork lets you complete non-technical tasks much like how developers use Claude Code. pic.twitter.com/EqckycvFH3
OpenAI is paying employees more than any major tech startup in recent history to keep its lead in the AI race.
The company is trying this by paying out massive stock compensation packages, according to The Wall Street Journal.
OpenAI’s stock-based compensation is expected to increase by about $3 billion annually through 2030.
As a result, some top researchers and engineers are becoming some of the richest employees in Silicon Valley.
OpenAI is facing pressure to increase employee pay, especially after Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg swept up 20-plus OpenAI personnel, including ChatGPT co-creator Shengjia Zhao, and began offering pay packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The company’s compensation [its CEO in the picture above] as a percentage of revenue was set to reach 46% in 2025, the highest among the 18 companies, except for Rivian.
Palantir’s stock-based compensation equaled 33% of its revenue the year before its IPO in 2020, Google’s was 15%, and Facebook’s was 6%, the analysis shows. On average, each company’s stock-based compensation made up about 6% of revenue among tech companies.
