Episode 10
Driving UT Forward, Teaching, Technology, and the Work of Learning
In this episode of ET Talk, Cole Camplese is joined by Julie Schell, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Technology, for a wide‑ranging conversation on how AI is reshaping teaching and learning in higher education. Julie shares her personal journey, from struggling as a physics student to becoming a leader in the learning sciences, and how that experience shaped her belief that anyone can learn complex ideas when the right conditions are in place.
Together, Cole and Julie explore why learning is harder to observe than performance, especially in an age when AI can generate polished outputs with ease. They discuss the productive role of tension and friction in learning, the difference between skill deficit and task augmentation, and why returning to “old” assessment practices misses the opportunity AI presents.
The episode also highlights Sage, UT Austin’s faculty‑guided AI platform embedded directly in the learning environment. Julie explains how Sage centers pedagogical expertise, supports student‑centered learning, and creates new possibilities for seeing metacognition, self‑regulation, and growth at scale.