Episode 272 | From Episodes to Insights: Analyzing Silver Lining for Learning with guests Susie Gronseth, Garrett Ward, Paola Esquivel, & Vidya Menon Silver Lining for Learning is an ongoing conversation on the future of learning with educators and education leaders from across the globe. Hosted by Chris Dede, Curt Bonk, Lydia Cao, Punya Mishra & Yong Zhao, these conversations began under the “dark cloud” of the COVID19 crisis and continue today. We see these conversations as space to discuss the creation of equitable, humanistic and sustainable learning ecosystems that meet the needs of all learners. These conversations are hosted every Saturday and are archived on https://silverliningforlearning.org Music Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music proposed by "Royalty Free Music" : https://bit.ly/37XDja3 Full Of Happiness In My Business by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7453-full-o... License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over six years, Silver Lining for Learning (SLL) has explored powerful ideas about learning, technology, and educational change. In this episode, faculty and graduate students from the University of Houston share a collaborative inquiry project in which they mined the SLL podcast archive for recurring themes emerging across diverse educational contexts worldwide.
The project was collaboratively developed by Dr. Susie Gronseth, Clinical Professor at the University of Houston (UH), and Kelly Davis, a doctoral candidate in Learning, Design, and Technology at UH, in collaboration with Dr. Curt Bonk of Indiana University. Using Dr. Punya Mishra’s Analyzing Silver Lining for Learning AI exploration tool (https://punyamishra.com/sll/), small groups of students analyzed clusters of episodes connected to major topics in online and digital learning, including AI and emerging technologies, equity and access, student voice, social-emotional learning and wellbeing, technology as an enabler, and the reimagining of educational systems.
Across the groups, themes emerged regarding learner-centered design, technology as both an opportunity and a risk, global collaboration, human connection, inclusive instructional design, student agency, teacher empowerment, and the continuing importance of pedagogy over technology itself. In this conversation, the guests and hosts reflect on both the findings that emerged from the podcast analysis and the learning process itself, in which examining conversations within the podcast illuminates larger questions about the future of learning.
About our guests:
Dr. Susie Gronseth
Dr. Susie L. Gronseth is a Clinical Professor in the Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT) program at the University of Houston (UH), where she has taught since 2012. She is affiliate faculty in UH Population Health, the Human Centered AI Institute of the C.T. Bauer College of Business, and the Humana Integrated Health Systems Science Institute in the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. She will be joining the faculty of Texas A&M University as Associate Professor in the Learning Technology Performance Systems program in fall 2026. With a PhD in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, she focuses her research on the intersection of artificial intelligence and instructional design, exploring how AI/ML can support personalized learning, address health disparities, and enhance STEM education. She co-directs the Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Education and has secured funding from the NIH, NSF, and Department of Education. Beyond research, she has developed over 20 courses, served as President of the UH Faculty Senate, led graduate programs in the LDT program area, and contributed to major initiatives, including UH's pandemic-era shift to online teaching and the health coaching certificate program.
Her scholarly impact is reflected in publications in top journals like the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education and Computers & Education, over 200 conference presentations, and a co-edited book on universal design for learning—one of the first internationally focused texts on the topic. She serves as Deputy Editor of the International Journal on Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, a member of the Development section editorial board of Educational Technology Research and Development, and co-chair of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Education Quality in Morocco. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the ISTE Online Learning Network Award, multiple UH President's and teaching excellence awards, the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Award, and induction into Phi Kappa Phi in 2023.
Paola Esquivel
Paola Esquivel-Gallegos is an M.Ed. student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston, specializing in Learning, Design, and Technology. Her work explores the development of a UX-based curriculum for high school students, focusing on how human-centered design can support more engaging learning experiences.
With a background in architecture and UX design, she brings a systems perspective to her work, creating interactive and student-centered learning experiences. She is particularly interested in how practices like user research and iteration can inform instructional design.
Garrett Ward
Garrett Ward is an educational game designer working in virtual production and a recent graduate of the University of Houston’s M.Ed. LDT program. During his studies, he served as the founding Studio Director of Coog Interactive—UH’s game development club—and was a graduate research assistant for the CougAR Lab, UH’s internationally recognized AR/VR research and development lab.
In addition, he is a certified Scrum Master, Product Owner, Project Manager, and Permaculture Designer. This professional background has made him a systems thinker, which he applies to his pursuits of UI/UX design, systems design, and product development. Recently, he has begun utilizing agentic engineering to develop AI assistants, tools, and digital services that empower creatives, students, and educators.
Vidya Menon
Vidya Menon is a pediatric hospital medicine fellow at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. She is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in Health Science Education at the University of Houston. In addition to holding local and national leadership roles in medical education, she is passionate about curriculum design and development of clinical skills and reasoning through the use of high-fidelity simulation. She has nationally presented scholarly work in simulation education focusing on teamwork skills, as well as a project focusing on design, implementation, and assessment of an online module for medical students. She is also excited to be co-leading national workshops focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence in medical education, and promotion of learner autonomy in fellowship programs. She has recently accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at The University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School.