
The First Draft: Preserving the "Friction" of Human Thinking
From Deep Learning Dialogues by Katrina Gouett and Whitney McKinley
April 2, 2026 · 39 min · Season 3 · Episode 24
About this episode
The episode discusses the importance of preserving human thought in education amidst the rise of AI, featuring insights from Dr. Alec Couros.
In this episode of Deep Learning Dialogues , hosts Whitney McKinley and Katrina Gouett are joined by Dr. Alec Couros to discuss the vital role of "productive struggle" in an era of instant AI outputs. Dr. Couros breaks down the concepts from his viral article, "The Shortcut That Costs Us Everything," warning against a "reverse-Bloom’s Taxonomy" where students analyze AI text without ever learning to compose it themselves. The conversation explores how to "protect the first draft" as a sacred space for human thought and identity. From the risks of "Model Autography Disorder" (MAD) to practical classroom strategies like "Think-Pair-AI-Share," this episode offers a roadmap for using AI as a critical collaborator rather than a replacement for student voice. Episode Links: LinkedIn Substack Think-Pair-AI Share Dr. Alec Couros is a Professor of Educational Technology and Media at the University of Regina and a globally recognized leader in open education and digital citizenship. Throughout his career, he has explored the intersection of technology and pedagogy, recently focusing on the ethical and cognitive implications of generative AI in the classroom. Through his research and…
People in this episode
Hosts: Whitney McKinley, Katrina Gouett
Guest: Dr. Alec Couros
Topics covered
- AI in education
- productive struggle
- human thinking
- first draft
- digital citizenship
- classroom strategies
Keywords
- AI
- education
- productive struggle
- first draft
- digital citizenship
- classroom strategies
- Model Autography Disorder
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Regina
Books & works: The Shortcut That Costs Us Everything
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- An AI Dialogue with Student Voice at the Center · March 13, 2026 · 1h 1m
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