For many years, educators have envisioned personalized learning as a way to tailor education to each student’s unique needs. With advances in artificial intelligence, this vision is becoming a reality. AI has the potential to transform classrooms by offering personalized learning experiences that align with individual strengths, interests and learning needs.
At the same time, there is a growing emphasis on fostering creativity and authenticity in student work. AI can play a pivotal role in supporting the original process, from generating ideas to refining projects. By making the original process more explicit and accessible, AI empowers students to overcome obstacles and express their unique perspectives. This approach not only boosts engagement but also prepares students for a future where original thinking and problem-solving are indispensable skills.
Brian Johnsrud
Director of Education Learning and Advocacy, Adobe
Recently, EdSurge spoke with Brian Johnsrud, the director of education learning and advocacy at Adobe, about using educational tools that not only harness the power of AI but also uphold the original integrity of students and teachers. He highlights how AI can support personalize learning by allowing students to present their understanding and ideas in diverse and individualized ways. This shift from standardized assignments to personalized projects can make learning more engaging and relevant for each student.
EdSurge: How can educators safely and responsibly leverage AI for more personalized learning?
Johnsrud: The dream of learning personalization has been around for decades. The first phase really focused on getting the right content to the right student at the right time. Now, with AI, we’re in the second phase, which isn’t just about personalizing content but also about how students present their understanding and share their knowledge. Because a hallmark of creativity is uniqueness. So if we want students to be doing original thinking, then 30 assignments done by 30 different students should all look different.
As for deploying AI safely and responsibly, schools are paying attention to a number of things right now. The first step is to check if the AI tool is actually designed for education specifically. If it wasn’t made for the classroom, it probably wasn’t made to improve learning. It won’t necessarily have those pedagogical pieces baked in or the accessibility and other edtech integrations that you need.
Check if the AI tool is actually designed for education specifically. If it wasn’t made for the classroom, it probably wasn’t made to improve learning. It won’t necessarily have those pedagogical pieces baked in or the accessibility and other edtech integrations that you need.
— Brian Johnsrud
Part of being designed for safety and responsibility includes ensuring that the tools don’t train their models on student or teacher projects because the original work you develop as a teacher or student in the classroom should be respected and protected. If you’re using a tool that benefits or takes inspiration from your original masterpiece, it’s not truly aligned with core original values and academic integrity.
In what ways does AI support foster creativity while ensuring that student work remains original?
AI can support any part of the original process. If a student is stuck in brainstorming, AI can support generate multiple ideas. If another student is good at brainstorming but needs support refining their work, AI can act as a thought partner, providing critique. This is what’s electrifying about AI designed for creativity! It makes the steps of the original process explicit and helps students overcome obstacles. It removes that fear of the blank canvas.
I hope AI helps shift the focus from teachers being the content creators to students taking on that role. As an example inspired by my time as a social studies teacher, instead of asking students to write a paragraph about continuity and change in a historical era, you could have them choose an era, pick a topic that shows continuity, and design an imaginary propaganda poster from that period. The benefits of this original assignment are clear to every educator. But with inflexible standards and a packed curriculum, it’s challenging to dedicate two weeks to it. The good news is, with AI, you could complete this assignment in just 30 minutes during class.
Interestingly, we crave authenticity more than ever in the age of AI. AI tools are moving beyond the basic prompt-and-result, “grab and go” approach. They’re becoming integrated into our original workflows, allowing us to bring our best ideas to life and express ourselves more genuinely. The goal isn’t for AI to do the work for us but to support us create more original, meaningful content so we can be impactful storytellers. As a teacher, you should be able to see each student’s unique voice in the work they produce.
The goal isn’t for AI to do the work for us but to support us create more original, meaningful content so we can be impactful storytellers.
— Johnsrud
How do AI literacy and original thinking equip students for future job market demands?
In just a few years, AI skills have become indispensable. The 2024 Work Trend Index Report found that 66 percent of industry leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. It’s amazing how quickly this has become a hiring dealbreaker. In that same report, 71 percent of leaders said they’re more likely to hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them. For students, this means having AI skills can level the playing field with more seasoned professionals.
At the same time, creativity and original thinking are also in high demand. The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report highlighted original thinking as a top skill for the future. The creator economy is booming, with 200,000 up-to-date original jobs created in the United States in 2023 alone. Students who can combine AI skills with original problem-solving are able to seize some pretty incredible opportunities.
Research has shown that the more students are able to create, the more they thrive. And AI opens up more opportunities for student creation. A 2019 Gallup report found that educators who focus on creativity and employ technology in transformative ways see significant gains — students are more engaged, demonstrate better critical thinking, retain more, make connections between subjects and achieve deeper learning. For educators, seeing students excited and proud of their work is incredibly rewarding, especially in a time of increased teacher burnout.
How can educators easily incorporate original thinking into their lessons?
Start by identifying areas in your curriculum where students need to dive deep into a concept or fully demonstrate their understanding. These are the moments where original activities can replace classic methods like note-taking or multiple-choice questions and garner a much wider and deeper set of learning outcomes.
