Ep. 35 - Gemma Garcia: Breaking Silos and Building AI at Arizona State University — The Signal

In this episode of EdTech Connect , host Jeff Dillon sits down with Gemma Garcia, Executive Director of Learning Technology at Arizona State University, to explore how ASU is leading the charge in scalable digital learning innovation.

With over 130,000 learners worldwide, Gemma shares insights on balancing bold experimentation with practical implementation, fostering faculty adoption of new technologies, and ASU's groundbreaking AI initiatives—including their partnership with OpenAI. Discover how ASU's "principled innovation" framework guides responsible AI integration, why personalized learning pathways are the future, and how the university is breaking down silos to create a collaborative, global learning community.

Whether you're an educator, administrator, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers a masterclass in scaling educational innovation while keeping student success at the core.

Key Takeaways

Scalable Innovation: ASU’s "principled innovation" framework ensures new tools align with student outcomes and institutional goals before adoption .

AI in Action: From language-learning chatbots to faculty "AI challenges," ASU leverages AI to enhance engagement while maintaining ethical guardrails.

Faculty Adoption: Meet faculty where they are—emphasizing how tools solve their problems and benefit students—to drive buy-in.

Global Inclusion: Designing for cultural and linguistic diversity is key to serving ASU’s worldwide online learner population.

Personalized Learning: The future of edtech lies in adaptive pathways tailored to individual learning styles (powered by AI).

Dig Deeper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-garcia-336866117/

ASU

http://asu.edu/

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