Paradigm shifts, bricoleers [sic], and other animals

In this post I discuss a new paradigm for building plugin-based social applications (e.g. with Elgg or Wordpress) that is grounded in the fact that LLMs are better at creating a plugin from scratch than modifying one that already exists. We don't need to build code, we just need good specs, and LLMs are pretty good at helping us create those, too. This is already very useful, saving thousands of dollars and weeks of…

https://jondron.ca/paradigm-shifts-bricoleers-sic-and-other-animals/

Edison’s Infinite Workshop: Innovation and education in the age of Cognitive Santa Claus Machines (slides from my keynote for IFERP’s EdInnovate 2026)

I've just finished giving a brief keynote for IFERP's 3rd EdInnovate conference in Tokyo (sadly, because I love Tokyo in the Spring,  I was online). Here are the slides. The conference was great: they put all of the keynotes and invited talks on a single day, with a very international and cross-disciplinary bunch of…

https://jondron.ca/edisons-infinite-workshop-innovation-and-education-in-the-age-of-cognitive-santa-claus-machines-slides-from-my-keynote-for-iferps-edinnovate-2026/

More than a game: some thoughts on David Wiley's "Random Audits as a Scalable Deterrent to Cheating"

https://jondron.ca/more-than-a-game-some-thoughts-on-david-wileys-random-audits-as-a-scalable-deterrent-to-cheating/

Tool-using tools – Perceptions and misperceptions of generative AI (slides from my keynote for the Global AI Summit, 2025, at Bennett University, India)

Here are the slides from the first of my two keynotes last week, Tool-using tools - Perceptions and misperceptions of generative AI. This one was for the Global AI Summit 2025, hosted at Bennett University in India. The talk covered ground that I've already blogged about. My big point is that it is not just inaccurate…

https://jondron.ca/tool-using-tools-perceptions-and-misperceptions-of-generative-ai-slides-from-my-keynote-for-the-global-ai-summit-2025-at-bennett-university-india/

Generative vs Degenerative AI (my ICEEL 2025 keynote slides)

I gave my second keynote of the week last week (in person!) at the excellent ICEEL conference in Tokyo.  Here are the slides: Generative AI vs degenerative AI: steps towards the constructive transformation of education in the digital age. The conference theme was "AI-Powered Learning: Transforming Education in the Digital Age",  so this is roughly what I talked about...

https://jondron.ca/generative-vs-degenerative-ai-my-iceel-2025-keynote-slides/

Paper: Cognitive Santa Claus Machines and the Tacit Curriculum

This is my contribution to the inaugural issue of AACE's new journal of AI-Enhanced Learning, Cognitive Santa Claus Machines and the Tacit Curriculum. If the title sounds vaguely familiar, it might be because you might have seen my post offering some further thoughts on cognitive Santa Claus machines written not long after I had submitted this paper. The paper itself delves a bit into the theory and…

https://jondron.ca/paper-cognitive-santa-claus-machines-and-the-tacit-curriculum/

New open journal from AACE: AI-Enhanced Learning (with a paper from me)

The Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education and Learning (AIEL), a diamond open-access journal published under the auspices of AACE and distributed worldwide through LearnTechLib has just launched its inaugural issue, which includes a paper from me (Cognitive Santa Claus Machines and the Tacit Curriculum). This inaugural issue is a great start to what I think will come to be recognized as a…

https://jondron.ca/new-open-journal-from-aace-ai-enhanced-learning-with-a-paper-from-me/

Educational technologies and the synecdochic fallacy

For a few minutes the other day I thought that I had invented a new kind of fallacy or, at least, a great term to describe it. Disappointingly, a quick search revealed that it was not only an old idea but one that has been independently invented at least twice before (Berry & Martin, 1974; Weinstock, 1981). Here is its definition from Weinstock (1981):

https://jondron.ca/educational-technologies-and-the-synecdochic-fallacy/

Cognitive Santa Claus machines

I've just submitted a journal paper (shameless plug: to AACE's AIEL, of which I am an associate editor) in which I describe generative AIs as cognitive Santa Claus machines. I don't know if it's original but the idea appeals to me. Whatever thought we ask for, genAIs will provide it, mining their deep, deep wells of lossily compressed recorded human knowledge to provide us with skills and knowledge we do not currently have.

https://jondron.ca/cognitive-santa-claus-machines/

Democratech: reflections on the human nature of blockchain

At short notice I was invited to be guest of honour and keynote at Bennett University's International Conference on Blockchain for Inclusive and Representative Democracy  yesterday. I was not able to attend the entire conference - my opening keynote was at 9:30pm here in Vancouver and I eventually needed to sleep - but I made it for a few hours. I was impressed with the diversity and breadth of the work going…

https://jondron.ca/democratech-reflections-on-the-human-nature-of-blockchain/