AI-Driven Learning: Empowering Students, Teachers, and Workers Alike

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

1. Automatic organic evolution: Because change can be hard to implement in higher education, the tendency is to stand still. This mindset has left higher ed in a crisis of change today. Instead, Rich has instilled a culture of automatic organic evolution at WCTC. It's part of the DNA of the college to consistently innovate how and what is taught - and that enables the college to move alongside industry.
2. Companies are facing AI gaps in two key places: There is a middle level in business where data scientists and masters degreed engineers are developing and deploying AI. Above and below this level there are huge gaps in AI understanding and implementation. Education needs fill these gaps: first, bringing AI education to executives and managers to help them understand how to leverage the technology for business cases, and second, to bring AI experience to people on the shop floor who can become functional and operational experts.
3.  AI is transforming higher education not just in the classroom, but at its operational core: With the right AI tools, instructors can automate administrative and operational tasks so they have more bandwidth to focus on students and teaching. In the same way, the administrative side of higher ed can leverage data to improve the student experience, which will attract a greater number of enrollees in future years.