The AI Workforce for Higher Ed is Here |

Talk to a Bolt Agent
EP
49
April 25, 2025
Episode #49: The Next Era of Online Learning: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Next Era of Online Learning: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Or listen on:

About the Episode

Got a story to tell? An innovative idea to share? Fill out our guest nomination form and let's chat!

About the Episode:

Higher education is changing fast, and online learning is at the center of it all. In this episode, Dr. Whitney Kilgore, Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of iDesign, joins Ray to unpack the biggest trends shaping the future of education. From the rise of AI to the importance of instructional design, Whitney shares why some institutions are leading the charge while others struggle to keep up.

Join us as we discuss: 

  • [10:57] How to stay human-centered when integrating AI into education
  • [18:32] Why instructional design starts with alignment and how it ensures rigor
  • [23:58] What institutions are getting wrong about online learning 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player.

Connect With Our Host:

Dr. Ray Lutzky

About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast and Generation AI.

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit!

The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education.

Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

👉🏻 Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025!

People in this episode

Host

Dr. Ray Lutzky is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Element451 and the host of Mastering the Next.

Interviewee

Whitney Kilgore

Whitney Kilgore is co-founder and chief academic officer of iDesign.

Other episodes

Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AIPlay Button
Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AI

For this week's episode, Dustin speaks with Jenny Maxwell of Superhuman about the evolving relationship between AI and academic integrity in higher education. They explore how institutions can move beyond viewing AI as a threat and instead embrace more transparent, collaborative approaches that help students learn with AI while maintaining trust, accountability, and meaningful assessment practices.

Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight ModelsPlay Button
Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight Models

JC unpacks two headline-making AI stories every campus and institution needs to understand right now.

Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before ToolsPlay Button
Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before Tools

Artificial intelligence is changing how higher education teams work, but successful AI adoption is about much more than choosing the right tools.

Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero CyclePlay Button
Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero Cycle

Mallory hosts Higher Ed Pulse with guest Jenn Hayes, Associate Dean for Marketing & Communications at Cardozo School of Law in New York, to discuss higher ed’s recurring “hero” cycle: hiring passionate leaders to rebuild broken systems, celebrating visible wins, and then losing them to burnout.

Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across CampusPlay Button
Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across Campus

Jenny Li Fowler welcomes Jessica VanderKolk, a Public Communications Specialist at East Carolina University. The conversation centers on ECU’s innovative communications department structure, which utilizes a liaison model. Rather than being siloed in a central office, communicators are embedded directly within the colleges they cover.

Weekly ideas that make you smarter

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Subscribe
cancel

Search podcasts, blog posts, people