Humans in the Loop: Combining High Quality Teaching, Student Agency, x High Quality Tech – SXSW27 Proposal
SXSW EDU 2027 Proposal
Session Title: Humans in the Loop: Combining High Quality Teaching, Student Agency, x High Quality Tech
Session Format: Panel Discussion (60 minutes)
Primary Track: K-12 Innovation, Career-connected learning, Technology
Description
Artificial intelligence is impacting our ways of working, learning, and engaging in everyday experiences. As AI advances, an important question emerges: What is uniquely human, and how should we harness our “human-ness” to support students’ learning?
This session explores how to intentionally design learning experiences in which AI augments, rather than replaces, human relationships, feedback, and agency. We draw fromThe Possible Zone’s career-connected, experiential program, research and tools from The Rithm Project, and PlayLab.ai’s design platform; our panel will discuss the roles of school systems, educators, learners, and AI in developing durable skills, career readiness, and student agency in learning.
This isn’t a tools conversation. We’ll explore the architecture of human-centered learning. We’ll consider practical design principles for keeping educators in the role of coach, students in the role of decision-makers, and AI in the role of side-kick (co-pilot?), ensuring technology augments learning without diminishing what makes learning uniquely human.
Participant takeaways:
- Explore the roles of humans and AI in learning, assessment, and feedback.
- Examine how AI can strengthen student agency and educator expertise through human-in-the-loop design.
- Apply practical principles for creating learning experiences that prioritize reflection, relationships, and authentic growth.
Suggested Panelists:
The Possible Zone
Representative
Representative
The Rithm Project
Moderator: TBD (could be another TPZ rep)
Do you have a question you want the panelists to address? Please share it in the Comment section below.