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# Thomas Claeys: A collection of growing thoughts on higher education, edtech, and the future of learning

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Evergreen Notes
- [AI Without the Handover: Managing Research with Model Context Protocol](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/evergreen/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.
- [Fueling the spark: why some highered innovations catch fire](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/evergreen/fueling-the-spark-why-some-highered-innovations-catch-fire/): Every truly revolutionary tool on campus has a story. Not the story of its features, but of its impact: a colleague who finally perfected their dream seminar, a team that unlocked a new way to collaborate with students. These are the moments that matter. They're the sparks that make us lean in and ask a trusted peer, “How did you do that?”

## Growing Notes
- [Building Capacity for Educational Excellence: The Role of Digital Learning Support](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/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.
- [The Struggle We Don’t Name: AI and the Grief of Professional Identity](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/the-struggle-we-dont-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](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/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.
- [Navigating the wicked problem of AI and assessment](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/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](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/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.
- [Why Intention and AI Go Hand in Hand](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/why-intention-and-ai-go-hand-in-hand/): The discussion about AI in education often gets bogged down in practical questions: are you allowed to use it, and how do we then ensure ownership and reliability? While relevant, these questions stem from the outdated idea that technology is a neutral tool, separate from the learning process itself.
- [Thoughts on the Future of Higher Education in an AI-Driven World](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/growing/thoughts-on-the-future-of-higher-education-in-an-ai-driven-world/): Generative AI is no longer a futuristic dream; it is here, and it is transforming higher education as we know it. From personalised learning experiences to intelligent tutoring systems, AI is revolutionising the teaching and learning landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges. For anyone involved in higher education, understanding these changes and adapting to them is crucial.

## Seedlings
- [Building my sixth tool for qualitative analysis with Generative AI](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/seedling/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.
- [Books for HigherEd Professionals 2026](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/seedling/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.
- [XR’s Journey into Mainstream](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/seedling/xrs-journey-into-mainstream/): Bare with me. The year is 2010 and I have my first day of internship as a teacher in training. The class: Ancient History. In my bag are three items that I hope would make learning more tangible: one fake scarab beetle and one Rosetta Stone paperweight (both bought as souvenirs in The British Museum) and one true-to-scale printout of the Narmer Palette (which I stuck on a piece of wood that I cut with a fretsaw the weekend before).
- [Books for Instructional Designers 2020](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/seedling/books-for-instructional-designers-2020/): Need inspiration for your reading list? Here are 10 books for instructional designers, higher education professionals or anyone interested in teaching and learning in the modern age.

## Categories
- [AI](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/category/ai/)
- [edtech](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/category/edtech/)
- [highered](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/category/highered/)
- [instructional design](https://www.thomasclaeys.be/category/instructional-design/)

## Tags