In this new era of GenAI, authentic audience will be more important than ever

How do you turn a standard essay assignment into a platform for real-world skills and broader impact? Last semester, one of my students shocked me with a simple request: to complete their mini-essay as a podcast instead.

When I said yes, the student seemed shocked that I was so easily swayed.

But truthfully, the way we assess students is going to change rapidly over the coming months and years.

There are so many things that are about to change in the world of education. Many of these changes have been needed for a while.

I hope that one of those things is the audience that receives student work.

Up until now, that was the teacher. We’re paid to care about the student’s work and progress.

But if we want students want to actually affect change and learn modern skills, we need to expand that audience, and not just when they enter industry or do their first internship.

We need to stop thinking of assessment merely as a way to “show what you know.”

I’m honestly tired of assigning and reading the exact same essay or test from every student.

What if we provided more choice than we’ve ever provided before? What if we get students to really tap into what’s important? What if we explored mediums, such as podcasts and short form video, as a way for students to not only express their knowledge but to inspire and engage audiences outside of the classroom?

Writing is still at the heart of a video, or a podcast, or whatever the end product is. It is still important.

But the way we use it in school seems completely disconnected from how we use it in industry.

I’ve felt this way for more than a decade. But up until now, these ideas seemed nice-to-have and very progressive.

Now, they seem necessary and urgent.