Jun 15, 2026
Primer: asking better questions about AI in education with Punya Mishra
The AI in education conversation has been captured by one question: how do we stop students cheating? We think that's the wrong question.
It’s a relief to hear an academic talking from experience about using AI in learning design. But when their institution has 180k students (the majority online) you need to pay attention.
This is our interview with Dr Punya Mishra, learning scientist at Arizona State University and co-creator of TPACK — the most-cited framework for technology integration in teaching.
What sets Punya apart is that he’s not just a commentator — he’s building learning experiences at an innovative institution with an agile culture that rewards risk. And in his practice he’s asking much better questions:
-
How can educators treat AI as a creative partner rather than a threat to manage?
-
How to turn what he calls a “smart, drunk, sycophantic intern” into an experience that challenges students rather than feeds them slop
-
And what parts of learning should stay deliberately hard – where do students need to struggle?
Share
