Digital Garden
A collection of growing thoughts on higher education, edtech, and the future of learning
How I actually used GenAI in 2025
If you feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of AI tools out there right now, you are certainly not alone. With a new model or breakthrough announcing itself every week, simply figuring out what to actually use this technology for has become a task in itself.
Fixing the Broken Bridge of Educational Innovation
Higher education institutions create remarkable teaching innovations. Early adopters experiment, sometimes grants fund pilots, and conferences celebrate successes. Yet, a frustratingly consistent lifecycle unfolds: innovations remain trapped in their local silos. They flourish within the boundaries of specific modules or departments, but often evaporate as soon as the pilot funding is exhausted or the pioneering professional moves on.
Building Capacity for Educational Excellence: The Role of Digital Learning Support
Conversations about technology in higher education often swing between two extremes. On one side, there is immense optimism that digital tools will revolutionise teaching. On the other, there is a wary scepticism about whether technology adds any real value to the student experience. A more balanced view suggests the reality is far more nuanced: the success of digital learning is inextricably linked to the human element of education.
AI Without the Handover: Managing Research with Model Context Protocol
I've got hundreds of papers in Zotero. When I need to reference something, I know it's in there somewhere—a study about student feedback, that framework on assessment design, the article with the perfect quote. But finding it means scrolling, searching, hoping I tagged or summarised it properly six months ago.
The Struggle We Don’t Name: AI and the Grief of Professional Identity
When we discuss Generative AI in education, the conversation often defaults to technical skills. But there is so much more to this shift than 'literacy' or tool mastery. The further we go, the clearer it becomes that the challenge is also deeply human. It gets personal, it gets messy, and for many educators, it's an upheaval that strikes at the centre of their professional identity.
The Peril of Pedagogical & Strategic Paralysis
Nearly three years after generative AI exploded into the mainstream, a strange quiet has settled over much of higher education. The initial, acute panic over plagiarism has faded, but it hasn't been replaced by a unified, urgent call for redesign. Instead, many institutions and their leaders seem to have adopted a posture of cautious observation. This posture suggests a view of AI as a technological shift similar to previous ones, which can be primarily addressed through incremental policy updates or technical solutions. This perspective truly misreads the moment.
Building my sixth tool for qualitative analysis with Generative AI
For the past few years, I've been experimenting with various large language models (LLMs) and tools to better understand the sense and none-sense of generative AI (GenAI). In my quest for meaningful and efficient uses, I've created various tools for personal and professional use (think: article collector and personal home voice assistant). My sixth iteration of an LLM-based qualitative analysis tool is a prime example of where these models can be quite handy. Here’s what I've learned through trial, error and extensive reading.
Navigating the wicked problem of AI and assessment
A constant theme in my recent conversations with teachers, faculty teams and educational developers is the challenge of Generative AI (GenAI) and assessment. There's a palpable sense of pressure in these meetings, an anxious search for a definitive "solution." It’s a feeling I’m sure many in higher education will recognise, as institutions everywhere scramble for policy.
How I built a private AI to conquer my reading list
There is a Japanese word, 'tsundoku,' for the habit of buying books and letting them pile up unread. My pile was digital: a long list of blogs and articles on teaching, learning, generative AI... The pile grew. So did the feeling that I was falling behind.
Books for HigherEd Professionals 2026
Looking for your next read? These eight books won't all sit comfortably together on a shelf—which is exactly the point. They range from scathing critiques of neoliberal universities to surprisingly practical guides on networked learning, instructional design, and (plot twist) no-dig gardening. Each one challenged how I think about teaching, learning, and what actually makes institutions flourish.