Dean interviews Dr. Steve Joordens about using AI to address long-standing challenges in education, especially assessment. Joordens argues education is in a paradigm shift and proposes AI-based oral assessments to move beyond multiple choice toward more holistic evaluation of knowledge and skills at scale, potentially supporting mastery learning (“try till you fly”) and reducing reliance on grades. He describes building conversational AI agents (including a “virtual Steve”) that provide 24/7 student support, personalize learning, assist teamwork by acting as a project manager in each group, and simulate scenarios like de-escalation and interview practice, with features such as full-duplex voice, personality, emotions, and reduced sycophancy. They discuss social anxiety, risks of unhealthy attachment to AI, and the need to help students transition to human connection, plus a call for a community of practice to pilot AI assessment across K–12 and beyond.

00:00 Assessment Drives Learning
01:10 Meet Dr Steve Joordens
03:30 How Steve Uses AI
04:35 Three Big Education Wins
05:01 AI Oral Assessments
07:43 Conversational Skills Crisis
09:42 Virtual Steve Office Hours
11:24 Teamwork and Beyond
12:42 Building the AI Platform
13:36 Humanlike Conversation Design
14:26 Personality and Simulations
16:05 Anti Sycophancy and Emotion
17:53 Student Support Beyond Class
21:22 Does It Sound Like Steve
24:06 AI Relationships and Anxiety
27:50 AI Wins in Class
28:32 Phones and Social Connection
31:30 AI Oral Assessment Workflow
33:27 Can AI Grade Fairly
37:24 Mastery Over Grades
40:27 Teachers as Coaches
42:10 Personalized Inclusive Testing
44:19 Advice for K12 Adoption
48:28 Rapid Fire Wrap Up