HigherEd Series: How MIT is Rethinking AI, Assessment, and the Student Experience with Eric Klopfer & Sam Madden

Samuel Madden is a Distinguished Professor of Computing at MIT’s College of Computing. He leads MIT’s Data Systems Group and DSAIL, researching databases, distributed computing, and AI systems. An ACM Fellow, he co-founded Cambridge Mobile Telematics and has received several major research awards.

Dr. Eric Klopfer is Professor and Director of the Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade at MIT. He is also co-PI of MIT's RAISE initiative in AI education. His research focuses on technology and pedagogy for building understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and systems.

Hosted by Matthew Rascoff
This episode is part of the Edtech Insiders HigherEd Podcast Series, featuring conversations with leaders shaping the future of higher education.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why AI in higher education requires more than a policy.
2. How AI can support learning without undermining student understanding.
3. Why MIT is rethinking grades, assessment, and how students demonstrate skills.
4. How to make collaboration and community central to the student experience.
5. What universities can share and build together to shape AI’s role in education.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:10] Moving beyond AI policy toward broader institutional change
[00:07:41] How AI can help people build, explore, and learn across disciplines
[00:10:46] Why learning must remain a social process
[00:17:54] The value of campus community and learning beyond the classroom
[00:20:24] Rethinking grades and how students demonstrate what they know
[00:25:31] What “pro-learner AI” could look like
[00:35:53] Lessons from calculators for designing AI-supported learning
[00:39:42] Preparing learners for an AI-shaped future

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

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