Ep. 29 What Higher Ed Gets Wrong About AI and Critical Thinking with Inara Scott

Ep. 29 What Higher Ed Gets Wrong About AI and Critical Thinking with Inara Scott
Nik Janos and Zach Justus

In this episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach sit down with Inara Scott, a leading expert on AI strategy and innovation in higher education, to examine why the conversation around AI may be moving backward instead of forward. They explore faculty resistance, the limits of AI bans and opt-out policies, and the widespread concern that generative AI is eroding students’ critical thinking. Inara introduces her “AI Cognitive Pyramid” as a new framework for understanding where meaningful thinking actually happens in AI-integrated learning. The discussion reframes what it means to take AI seriously in teaching, learning, and institutional strategy.

Inara Scott on LinkedIn

Inara Scott at Oregon State University

The AI Cognitive Pyramid: A Conceptual Framework for Generative AI Use, Critical Thinking, and Learning Design in Higher Education by Inara Scott :: SSRN

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You can find the full show notes and our writing at meltsintoair.org

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Nik Janos

Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico.

https://nikjanos.org
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Ep. 28 AI Retrofit Workshops: Redesigning Teaching for the Age of AI