Leveraging Co-Creation As A Transformative Pedagogy In Higher Learning

Forbes

18-07-2025

Patty Patria is the CIO at Babson College.
Over the last several hundred years, higher education has been fairly consistent when it comes to pedagogy. A highly educated faculty member has imparted his or her knowledge to students who are generally hungry to learn, with the goal of attaining knowledge that will help them obtain a job they're passionate about.
While we've seen shifts in teaching styles over the years, from traditional to active learning to hybrid to lifelong learning, pedagogy has not changed significantly overall. Forward-thinking institutions have changed pedagogy to emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, soft skills and collaborative learning as critical skills students need to learn while in college. However, most institutions still have an expert sharing knowledge with those who are trying to absorb that knowledge.
In 2023, generative AI (GenAI) entered the learning scene, and it's starting to change how students learn and what they expect from institutions of higher education. GenAI tools like ChatGPT and Claude have made vast amounts of information readily available to anyone with an internet connection. Because many AI tools are no-cost or low-cost, it has also drastically reduced the cost of obtaining and processing this information.
Additionally, many students have learned how to leverage AI at a faster rate than other employees. They leverage tools in their own business to automate sales, marketing and routine tasks. They leverage AI to develop entirely new products that were not available before. This dynamic has shifted students to become subject matter experts on AI, with knowledge they can share with others.
Although many students are quickly embracing AI, many universities are struggling with how to implement AI strategically, as well as how to gain the proper AI support from faculty and administrators. According to a June 2024 research report published by Ithaka S+R, only 14% of surveyed instructors were confident when teaching with AI.
This could be attributed to a lack of effective teacher training programs on AI and effective education on ethical, legal or pedagogical concerns. Universities also might not have a comprehensive institutional strategy that encompasses curriculum, student experience and administrative operations and allows them to measure the success (or failure) of these initiatives and evaluate yearly on next steps. For institutions that invest in both an AI strategy and training programs for faculty and staff and then measure effectiveness, the benefits are plentiful.
For higher education to move forward when information has become a commodity, it is important for institutions to build a comprehensive AI strategy. From a curriculum perspective, one of the answers might also be a pedagogical shift to co-creation, or two-way experiential learning, where students work with faculty and outside constituents to collaboratively develop innovative solutions, particularly around AI.
We recently held a daylong workshop designed to educate small business leaders on how they can leverage AI to grow their business. Erik Noyes, associate professor of entrepreneurship, and other faculty members from our interdisciplinary AI lab, The Generator, partnered with their students to show small business leaders how they can use AI in their organizations.
Students demonstrated use cases ranging from AI for advertising, prototyping and visualization to agents for competitive analysis or sales lead generation. The students were very excited about the mission and purpose of this workshop, allowing them to share expertise as subject matter experts with AI while, at the same time, learning how to run a successful business from seasoned entrepreneurs.
With this new model, the faculty member acted as a facilitator of learning, helping to conduct the program instead of being the subject matter expert at the head of the room. Overall, the new model was a huge success. The small business owners gave rave reviews, with one noting how it opened their eyes to new possibilities for their business, while others noted that the students demonstrated AI agents and the automation of tasks very well.
Another method of co-creation in higher education is leveraging student-led projects that pair students with a business where they need to solve a pressing problem. I recently attended final presentations for a graduate course where student teams were asked to leverage AI to solve real-world business problems for both small and large businesses. The solutions the students suggested, after receiving guidance from their faculty member, were spot on. Each group offered a recommendation (which included the technology that would be required), outlined risks and mitigation strategies and even included details on training and change management.
As with any massive shift in technology, pedagogy or process, co-creation's results should be measured to ensure your outcomes are achieved. This can be done through surveys assessing participant feedback, student impact and engagement surveys and leveraging feedback loops and iteration. Changes like this won't be easy, but if colleges and universities can provide a more comprehensive education to students by actively engaging them in the learning and education process, we can promote educational growth and transform lives through new learning processes.
Although some institutions are still on the fence about AI, it's here to stay, and it's already changing the way students learn and faculty members teach. Could embracing co-creation with students inside and outside of the classroom be the answer for higher education? I guess we'll find out over the next few years, and I look forward to watching the journey.
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