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- NewsEdSurge22 Jul 2026
What Does AI Cost When We Skip the Work?
This EdSurge podcast episode discusses the enduring value of a college degree and writing skills in the age of AI, featuring guests who argue that the benefits of these experiences—such as personal growth and deep learning—cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence.
Original abstract
<p>Every few months, another headline declares the college degree dead. <strong>This Week with EdSurge</strong> examines what still holds up when artificial intelligence moves fast, through two guests who are both defending something slow against something fast.</p><h2>A Four Year Degree in the Age of AI</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/author/rita-finkel--9b5e61f9-c70d-441e-b13a-0c1a116d3d60"><u>Rita Finkel</u></a>, co-president of the Armory Foundation and director of the Armory College Prep program, argues that a college degree was never just about a technical skill. She says the data tells a different story than the headlines suggest, and that the value of a degree comes from something artificial intelligence cannot replicate.</p><h2>The Fourth Essay</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/author/cobretti-williams"><u>Cobretti Williams</u></a> of the <strong>EdSurge</strong> Voices of Change Fellowship makes a similar case for writing. He talks about the beauty in imperfection, and how a fellow's fourth essay reads nothing like the first, growth that only comes from doing the work yourself.</p><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/podcasts"><u>Listen to the episode</u></a>.</p><h2>Stories Mentioned in This Episode</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2026-05-28-why-college-degrees-matter-in-the-age-of-ai"><u>Why College Degrees Matter in the Age of AI</u></a></p><p>by Rita Finkel</p><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/collections/edsurge-voices-of-change-writing-fellowship"><u>EdSurge Voices of Change Writing Fellowship</u></a></p><p>by EdSurge</p><p><strong>This Week with EdSurge</strong> is a weekly podcast from <strong>EdSurge</strong>. Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/newsletters"><u>EdSurge newsletters</u></a> for more news and analysis on education and technology.</p><p> </p>
- PaperLanguage Teaching Research9 Jul 2026
Exploring Teacher Agency in Conducting Peer Feedback Activities in English-as-a-Foreign-Language Writing: An Ecological Perspective
Yao Lu, Ying Gao, Tiantian Xu
Two EFL writing teachers exhibited contrasting patterns of agency in conducting peer feedback activities, with a novice teacher shifting from proactive to constrained agency and an experienced teacher moving from automatic to autonomous agency, shaped by temporal affordances and constraints linked to individual and contextual factors. The findings highlight the need for tailored support to enhance teacher agency in facilitating peer feedback.
Original abstract
Although the learning benefits of peer feedback in English-as-a-foreign-language writing instruction have been well recognized, the process and effects of peer feedback are largely reliant on teacher agency in conducting such activities. However, inadequate research has been conducted on this issue, leaving the dynamic features and causes of teacher agency in peer feedback largely unknown. Drawing on an ecological perspective, this comparative case study examined how two English-as-a-foreign-language teachers from two universities enacted agency in organizing peer feedback activities in their writing instructions. Multiple data including classroom observation, interviews and relevant teaching documents were collected and coded for themes. The study revealed that both teachers exerted dynamic agency in creating peer feedback experiences for students, but showed considerable differences before, during and after peer feedback. Overall, the novice teacher shifted from showing proactive agency to constrained agency, whereas the experienced teacher moved from demonstrating automatic agency to autonomous agency. This stark contrast was shaped by the synergism of different temporal affordances and constraints in relation to individual and contextual factors. The study highlights the need to provide tailored support to enhance teacher agency in dealing with possible challenges in facilitating students’ experiences with peer feedback.