Wigger, Larry. Forthcoming. “Pedagogy versus Heutagogy: Neuroscience-Informed Strategies for AI-Enhanced Classrooms”. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Forthcoming.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence now sits at the center of both work and learning, challenging educators to strengthen, not surrender, human cognition. This paper links economic change, cognitive neuroscience, and educational pedagogy to show how critical thinking becomes the decisive learning outcome in an AI age. Drawing from research on memory, feedback, and reinforcement, it then outlines how knowledge is built, not merely accessed. These principles are then applied in redesigning an undergraduate analytics course using an AI platform to individualize challenge and feedback. The result is a model for teaching that uses AI to cultivate reasoning, adaptability, and ethical awareness.