AI in Education Podcast

Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming
  • 3.7 (12)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming are experienced education renegades who have worked in many various educational institutions and educational companies across the world. They talk about Artificial Intelligence in Education - what it is, how it works, and the different ways it is being used. It's not too serious, or too technical, and is intended to be a good conversation. Please note the views on the podcast are our own or those of our guests, and not of our respective employers (unless we say otherwise at the time!)

  1. 4d ago

    When Does AI Help Learning - and When Does It Replace It?

    What does the research actually tell us about when generative AI helps learning, and when it starts to replace it? Ray and Dan are joined by Dr Natasha Arthars and Dr Hongzhi (Veronica) Yang from the University of Sydney, and Dr Matthew Hill from the Barker Institute, to explore the new "Young People, Learning and Generative AI" report. Drawing together a huge body of research, the report moves the conversation beyond whether AI is simply "good" or "bad" for education. Instead, it identifies the conditions that determine whether AI supports genuine learning. The conversation explores the learner at the centre; the design of the AI tool; the learning task; who else is involved; and the wider cultural and institutional context. Ray learns the difference between cognition and metacognition, and we discuss strategic cognitive offloading, and a crucial new skill for students: deciding what to delegate to AI and what thinking they need to retain themselves. Ultimately, the question for educators becomes: is AI supporting the learning goal, or replacing the learning? The Young People, Learning and Generative AI report is online at: https://doi.org/10.25910/89n4-a383   For more project information, and webinar recordings, head to: https://bit.ly/GenAILiterature-Launch

  2. Aug 13

    Is AI Helping Students Perform, or Actually Learn?

    This week, Ray and Dan end up discussing a fundamental question: what is education actually for in the age of AI? They explore new EU AI Act transparency requirements and the emerging role of AI watermarking, including what this could mean for the often-unreliable world of AI detection. The conversation then turns to assessment. With Australian policymakers questioning take-home assessment and universities rethinking assessment for an AI-enabled world, Ray and Dan discuss why the goal isn't simply to make assessment "AI-proof", but to ensure students are still developing knowledge, judgement, creativity and critical thinking. They also examine major new research into young people's use of generative AI from the Barker Institute and University of Sydney. Across 271 peer-reviewed studies, the evidence suggests AI can improve students' immediate performance and engagement - but better performance doesn't necessarily mean better learning. Finally, they explore "hybrid reading": how students are using AI to orient themselves, clarify difficult concepts, translate academic language and check their own understanding. Mentioned in this episode: Matthew Wemyss' guide to EU AI Act transparency requirements Information on Claude's watermarking of AI text - and a geeky read about how it does it New education plugins in ChatGPT Edu Jason Lodge on AI and assessment NSW's news on 'take home' assessments South Australia's Royal Commission into AI Kelly Ilich on teaching standards in the age of AI Danny Liu & Adam Bridgeman's "What Should Education Look Like in the Age of AI?" Barker Institute's research paper "Young People, Learning and Generative AI" Research from Deakin University's CRADLE team on hybrid reading practices

  3. Aug 6

    The Hidden Gender Gap in AI Education, with Juliana Peloche

    The Hidden Gender Gap in AI Education, with Juliana Peloche   In this episode of the AI in Education Podcast, we welcome Juliana Peloche to explore one of the most important (and often overlooked) conversations in educational AI: the gender gap. Juliana shares how a Year 5 student's curiosity about AI sparked her own research journey, leading to a PhD and, ultimately, the co-founding of Women in AI Australia. Together, we discuss why representation matters (see Will Artificial Intelligence Get in the Way of Achieving Gender Equality?), the barriers women continue to face in AI (see HBR's Women Are Avoiding AI. Will Their Careers Suffer? and Global Evidence on Gender Gaps and Generative AI Over Time) and what educators, institutions and industry can do to create more inclusive opportunities. The conversation hears about new research into how female university students are using AI, revealing surprising findings around ethics, trust, academic integrity, and confidence with AI tools. We also explore AI bias, the importance of visible role models, and practical ways schools and universities can encourage more women to lead in the field. Links and resources: Women in AI Australia Learn more about the Women in AI Australia upcoming events Connect with Juliana Peloche on LinkedIn

  4. Jul 30

    Two Free AI Resources Every Teacher Should Download

    Two Free AI Resources Every Teacher Should Download Lee Barrett joins Ray to unpack the biggest AI in education news and research. This week, while Dan enjoys the Pacific Northwest, Ray is joined by returning guest Lee Barrett (from CEnet) for a wide-ranging discussion on the latest AI in education news and research. The episode explores why one of the world's leading law schools is restricting technology in first-year classes while embracing AI later in the course, what Anthropic's new Claude for Teachers initiative could mean for educators, and why headlines about AI "writing" university assignments deserve much closer scrutiny. The conversation also dives into five new research papers covering AI-assisted teaching, student feedback, assessment reform, learning analytics, and how students are really using AI in higher education. Along the way, Ray and Lee discuss why assessment - not AI detection - is becoming education's biggest challenge; why productive struggle still matters; and why good teaching remains at the heart of meaningful learning. This week's free resources Show Your Work: Assessment in the Age of AI – a practical collection of ideas for designing assessment in an AI-enabled world. The Science of Learning and Generative AI: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers – a research-informed guide from La Trobe University that connects learning science with practical classroom use of AI. News mentioned Chicago Law School's first-year technology changes Anthropic's Claude for Teachers More than 50% of Australian university assignments used AI - and Turnitin's Learning Integrity Insights Report AI in Education Research Reports Generative AI can harm teaching https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=7007339  Artificial intelligence and feedback in university education: effectiveness and student perceptions https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2026.2697962 Grading in an age of assessment reform: the elephant in the room https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2026.2694451#d1e187 Interactive learning dashboards: rethinking learning visualisations as engagement tools https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-026-14082-1 Illuminating complex student realities of artificial intelligence through an entangled pedagogy framework https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-026-01730-1  Just one of the papers from the excellent https://aiinhe.org/ project

  5. Jul 23

    Why AI in Education Starts With Better Conversations: Dr Jo Orlando

    How can schools and parents help young people navigate AI while supporting learning, wellbeing and critical thinking? In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by digital wellbeing researcher Dr Jo Orlando to explore how AI is reshaping education and the lives of young people. They discuss AI literacy, digital wellbeing, equity, social media, and why understanding how students actually use technology is essential. Jo shares practical advice for educators and parents, arguing that the most important tool isn't another policy—it's better conversations. A thoughtful discussion on helping students use AI as a thinking partner, rather than letting AI do the thinking for them. Jo's website is https://www.joanneorlando.com.au/ for more details on her, her book, and her professional work. Jo's book, Generation Connected, is available on as both a printed and audiobook

  6. Jul 18

    Higher Marks, Lower Learning? AI's Favourite Magic Trick

    Higher Marks, Lower Learning? AI's Favourite Magic Trick This week, Ray and Dan unpack a bumper collection of AI in education news and research, all pointing to one critical question: Is AI helping students learn…or just helping them score higher? The episode begins with a striking case from Brown University, where a take-home exam averaged 96%, only for the same cohort to average 48% in a supervised final. From there, Ray and Dan explore what the latest research says about AI-assisted assessment, automated marking, AI tutors, critical thinking, and the growing importance of student agency. They also discuss: New evidence on AI marking compared with human examiners Research showing how guided AI tutoring can improve maths learning Why critical thinking is the biggest predictor of successful AI use The risks of "never-skilling" when students rely too heavily on AI AI detectors: what they can (and can't) reliably tell us New Australian data on AI's impact on employment The latest Digital Education Council survey of university students Online safety and the growing challenge of AI-assisted image abuse As always, the episode is packed with practical insights, research summaries, and plenty of discussion about what all this means for educators, schools and universities. Links - News Voice got an upgrade https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live/ Inside Higher Ed article: Brown Professor Suspects Majority of His Class Used AI to Cheat https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/learning-assessment/2026/07/08/brown-professor-suspects-most-his-class-used-ai-cheat Digital Education Council AI in Higher Education Global Survey https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/resource-library-items/ai-in-higher-education-global-survey-2026 One in 25 teens affected by AI-assisted online abuse, study finds. Read Lee Barrett's opinion: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lee-barrett-a7624923b_boys-major-victims-of-ai-assisted-online-share-7480417534723244033-OjWU/ AI and employment in Australia - report from Department of Education and Workplace Relations https://www.dewr.gov.au/download/17666/ai-and-employment-australia/43205/ai-and-employment-australia/pdf   Links - Research AI in University Assessment: Evaluating the Opportunities and Risks of Automated Marking https://www.emotional-cognition.psychol.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/OpRaise%20Report_DIGITAL.pdf LLM Performance on a Real, Double-Marked GCSE Benchmark https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.24973 Teaching with Gemini: Measuring the impact of Guided Learning on student mathematics progress in Sierra Leone https://deepmind.google/blog/measuring-the-impact-of-learning-with-ai-in-sierra-leone-and-beyond/ https://storage.googleapis.com/deepmind-media/LearnLM/learnLM_sierraleone_may26.pdf Access is Not Enough: Human Support Improves Engagement with AI Tutoring https://nssa.stanford.edu/studies/access-not-enough-human-support-improves-engagement-ai-tutoring The Generative AI Learning Penalty: Evidence from Chinese Secondary Education https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6868618 The agency gap: perceived human AI agency, reflection and generative AI learning across UK and China based higher education contexts https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2026.2686986 How Do Autonomy, Critical Thinking, and Artificial Intelligence Value Perception Affect University Student Self-regulated Learning? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11528-026-01203-3 The cognitive impact of ChatGPT in higher education: A systematic review of critical and creative thinking outcomes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X26000330 AI-induced never-skilling in medical education https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04438-y (Paywalled) Who wrote this? Evaluating the reliability of AI detection tools in higher education https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40979-026-00226-w  .

  7. Jul 9

    What schools and small business can teach each other about AI

    Most Australian students won't graduate into global tech companies. They'll build careers in small and medium businesses. So are schools and universities preparing them for that reality? In this episode, Dan and Ray are joined by Amanda Rose - Co-founder and Director of Women in AI Australia and Founder & CEO of Entrepreneurial & Small Business Women Australia (ESBWA) -to explore what education can learn from the businesses driving Australia's economy. Amanda shares practical advice on introducing AI without losing critical thinking, why educators should partner with local businesses to bring authentic problem-solving into the classroom, and how simple AI policies can help schools and organisations move from uncertainty to action. The conversation also tackles AI equity, bias in AI systems, and why students need to develop their own voice and judgement before relying on AI tools. If you're a teacher, school leader, university educator or anyone interested in preparing learners for an AI-enabled workforce, this episode offers practical strategies you can put into practice straight away. Find out more about: Women in AI Australia Entrepreneurial & Small Business Women Australia (ESBWA)

  8. Jul 2

    We've Read the AI Reports So You Don't Have To

    This week, Ray and Dan dive into a mountain of new AI in education research, so you don't have to. They unpack major reports from around the world covering how students are really using AI, why schools are still struggling to provide clear guidance, and what the latest AI literacy and education readiness frameworks mean for teachers and leaders. Along the way they discuss Norway's AI restrictions in primary schools, student concerns about AI data centres, new guidance on AI in assessment, and the growing importance of the human skills that AI can't replace. If you're trying to make sense of where AI in education is heading, this episode brings together the latest evidence, trends and practical insights in one conversation. And hopefully you won't have to read all the reports below, but our conversation has given you a head start to find the right one(s) for you! Power Toys (to turn your Copilot button into a shortcut for any AI) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager  EU: Norway imposes near ban on AI in elementary schools https://www.reuters.com/technology/norway-imposes-near-ban-ai-elementary-school-2026-06-19/  Australia: Sunshine Coast students push back as Australia positions itself as a global AI leader https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-23/students-protest-ai-amid-growing-national-concerns/106808776  UK: Navigating AI in Education - Pupils' perspectives on the role of AI in the classroom https://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/oxed/research-reports/Navigating_AI_in_Education_Research_Report_June2026_v05.pdf  US: Common Sense Media Census: AI use by Teens and Tweens https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/a-comprehensive-report-on-teens-tweens-and-ai  Australia: Learning First School Research https://learningfirst.com/s/Learning-First_AI-use-in-schools-Taking-action-now_FINAL.pdf  Global: AI Literacy Framework from OECD & EC https://ailiteracyframework.org/  Global: New WEF report: Shaping the Future of Learning: Education Readiness for the Age of AI https://www.weforum.org/publications/shaping-the-future-of-learning-education-readiness-for-the-age-of-ai/  Australia: AI in Higher Education Research in Australia https://aiinhe.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-hedx-conference-260617_0114.pdf  US: Lumina Foundation/Gallup - "AI in Higher Education: Widespread Use, Unclear Rules" https://www.luminafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Lumina-Foundation-Gallup-SOHE_AI_Report.pdf  Australia: TEQSA's new guidance on detecting AI use in student assessments https://www.teqsa.gov.au/guides-resources/protecting-academic-integrity/academic-integrity-toolkit/risks-academic-integrity-ai/detecting-plagiarism-ai-generated-text-student-assessments-and-securing-take-home-written-assessments  Global: Preparing students for the future of work from Microsoft  https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-preparing-students-for-the-future-of-work.html Global: QS World Future Skills Index https://www.qs.com/world-future-skills-index/2027

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3.7
out of 5
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Dan Bowen and Ray Fleming are experienced education renegades who have worked in many various educational institutions and educational companies across the world. They talk about Artificial Intelligence in Education - what it is, how it works, and the different ways it is being used. It's not too serious, or too technical, and is intended to be a good conversation. Please note the views on the podcast are our own or those of our guests, and not of our respective employers (unless we say otherwise at the time!)

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