SXSW EDU 2026

At SXSW EDU 2026, in March, I had the pleasure of moderating our panel “Educating Minds: Critical Thinking for the AI Generation.”

I was joined by an outstanding panel: C. Edward Watson, Michelle Singh, Ph.D. Singh, and George Philip LeBourdais, PhD.

Listening from the moderator’s chair, several strategies emerged for higher education as AI becomes embedded in teaching & learning:

*Develop a shared vocabulary for AI literacy so faculty, administrators, and students are speaking the same language.
*Connect AI literacy to critical thinking, not just as tool use-by helping students examine both the outputs AI produces and the systems creating them.
*Include student voice as institutions design coherent approaches to AI use and learning.
*Help students move from passive consumption to active critique of AI-generated content.
*Encourage cross-disciplinary thinking about AI, helping students understand how AI operates differently across fields—from the humanities to STEM to professional programs.
*Create spaces for dialogue and inquiry where students unpack AI outputs together.

AI may be new, but our goal remain timeless: helping students think critically about the information they encounter—and create.
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