Human-AI Collaboration: Outsourcing vs Offloading and the Rise of Co-Produced Cognition

Recording from the Deep Freeze: Craig broadcasts from snow-covered north Louisiana (running on generator and Starlink!), where AI helped him MacGyver a propane tank solution involving ratchet straps, a plastic bucket, and a shop light. Welcome to the wild world of practical AI applications.Featured TopicsOboe.com: The Future of Self-Directed Learning?Craig and Rob explore Oboe (oboe.com), a free AI-powered platform that creates customized courses on virtually any topic in minutes. Craig demonstrates by building a course on AI agents, and Rob becomes his first student. The hosts discuss:How the platform auto-generates quizzes with reasonable multiple-choice options and helpful feedbackThe potential to revolutionize textbook accessibility with low-cost or no-cost alternativesUsing Oboe to supplement existing textbooks (like adding blockchain content to their own textbook)The limitations: shallow sourcing and need for instructor vettingCredit to the AI and I podcast from Every.to (makers of Lex.page) for the discoverySecurity First: The Moltbot WarningNot all that glitters is AI gold. Rob raises important concerns about new tools like Moltbot that can automate processes but may introduce security vulnerabilities. Key takeaway: Educators must apply the same critical thinking they expect from students when evaluating new AI tools for classroom use.Craig's Three-Stage Hierarchy: A Framework for Human-AI InteractionThe centerpiece discussion introduces Craig's developmental model for understanding how we work with AI:Cognitive Outsourcing - AI does the task for you (the "easy" but often problematic approach)Cognitive Offloading - AI handles specific components while you maintain controlCo-Produced Cognition - True collaborative thinking that produces outcomes neither human nor AI could achieve aloneCraig shares his experience co-writing with Claude, comparing it to the collaborative process of updating their textbook with co-author Franz. The magic: AI enables 24/7 expert-level collaboration that would be impossible with humans alone.The Big Idea: This hierarchy should guide our teaching. Rather than telling students to "think critically" (a vague catchall), educators should actively move students from outsourcing toward co-produced cognition, where AI's power truly unlocks.Geeking Out on AffordancesCraig unpacks how AI is fundamentally "a bundle of affordances" - potential uses that only matter when actualized. Using the metaphor of a rock (hammer? erosion control? weapon? stepladder?), he explains:The same AI tool can be used to cheat on an assignment or to write a meaningless email nobody will readWhat matters isn't just what AI can do, but which affordances we choose to actualizeUnderstanding affordances helps us guide students toward productive usesRob adds that affordances can be actualized poorly (like dropping a rock on your toe), emphasizing the need for purposeful, intentional use.The Balanced Path ForwardThe hosts reject both AI extremism and AI evangelism, calling for nuanced, intentional engagement. Whether it's Oboe.com or ChatGPT, tools can be used for good or ill - context and purpose matter.The Challenge: You can't understand AI's affordances without using it. Even if your conclusion is not to use AI in your classroom, that decision should come from informed experimentation, not avoidance.Key Quotes"What we need to do as educators is we need to push students from that outsourcing to the offloading to the co-produced cognition. I see that as our main job with generative AI." - Craig"The whole idea of think critically I think is a catch all phrase that we use very often that's very hard to quantify... I do really like that example of pushing students towards that co-produced cognition." - Rob"If you don't use them, you're not going to know what they're capable of either harm or benefit. So it's really, I think anybody in higher ed, it's your responsibility to start using these tools." - CraigEpisode ResourcesOboe.com - Free AI course creation platform (for now)AI Agent Oboe.com courseAI and I Podcast from Every.toWatch out for: Moltbot security concernsBottom LineDon't be blindly pro-AI or anti-AI. Be intentionally informed. Understanding the affordances of AI tools - and helping students actualize them purposefully - may be one of higher education's most important responsibilities in 2025.AI Goes to College is your guide to navigating generative AI in higher education. Hosted by Dr. Craig Van Slyke (Louisiana Tech University) and Dr. Rob Crossler (Washington State University).Takeaways:In the podcast, we discussed the emergence of Oboe.com, an innovative platform that facilitates self-directed learning through AI.We emphasized the importance of critically evaluating new AI tools before implementing them in educational settings.Our conversation highlighted the significance of distinguishing between cognitive outsourcing and cognitive offloading in the context of AI use.The hosts expressed their...