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There is growing research and commentary suggesting that we do not yet fully understand how generative AI is shaping student learning, thinking, and motivation. Research like Your Brain on ChatGPT and Chronicle articles such as Stop Pretending You Know How to Teach with AI and The Student Brain on AI all point to the same reality: the technology is moving faster than the learning science.

Lane Freeman’s AI Sandwich enters this moment as a thoughtful proposal, not a proven solution. The model suggests that students begin with their own thinking, engage AI in the middle, and then return to human judgment to evaluate and revise. It is an appealing idea, especially for those who want guardrails around AI use.

But it is important to remember that this, too, is still a hypothesis. We do not yet know whether structuring AI use this way protects learning, shifts it, or subtly reshapes it in ways we cannot yet see.

What the AI Sandwich does offer is a shared language for design conversations. It gives faculty a way to slow down, ask better questions, and examine where AI enters the learning process and why.

If you are curious, cautious, or somewhere in between, a Hub instructional designer can help you think through what intentional, learning-centered AI use might look like in your course. Sometimes the most important step is not adopting a framework or technology, but having a conversation about what you want students to be learning in the first place.

Friday, February 6, 2026 - 10:00 a.m-11:15 a.m. (Zoom)

This virtual event will have one panelist from each campus participating in DE Day, providing a variety of views and experiences with Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity.  

The panelists are:

Find out more about all the events around Digital Education Day

I wanted to share an upcoming event that I’m excited about and honored to be part of.

On Friday, February 13 from 1–3:30 pm in Kochoff Hall, UM-Dearborn is hosting AI, Integrity & Innovation: Faculty and Staff Workshop - and I’m excited to be part of the panel following the keynote.

We’ll start with a keynote from Dr. Tazin Daniels (UM-Ann Arbor, CRLT), who will share a framework for engaging with GenAI that makes space for uncertainty, values, and intentional choice. After that, I’ll be joining her and a panel of faculty colleagues from across campus to talk honestly about how AI is showing up in our teaching, learning, and research. Besides Dr. Daniels and I the panelists will include:

Stein Brunvand, Interim Associate Provost for Digital Learning and Faculty Development, will facilitate the panel.

Keynote speaker Dr. Tazin Daniels will join us for the panel following her keynote.

Please Register by Tuesday,
February 10th
The event will be recorded if you can’t attend in person.

Questions or comments? Autumm Caines acaines@umich.edu

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