Edna's Design Studio

We know AI can generate essays, answer prompts, and produce polished work in seconds. That reality isn't going away—and it invites us to rethink how we assess learning.

The question isn't how we keep AI out of our classrooms. It's how we design learning experiences where students' thinking, judgment, and voice are the evidence of learning.

This isn't a new idea. Educators committed to equity, liberatory pedagogy, and authentic learning have long designed assessments that make student thinking visible. Today's research points in the same direction: when AI does the thinking, students miss the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills that matter most.

Together, we can design assessments where AI supports learning—but never replaces it. Because the goal has never been the finished product. It's the thinking that gets students there.

Edna runs on a framework called Friction by Design.  The process is intentionally challenging—but always in service of better learning.

Together, we'll examine questions that matter: 

1. What is this assessment really measuring? 

2. Where is student thinking visible? 

3. Does the design invite learning or simply evaluate completion? 

Some of these questions may feel uncomfortable, and that's okay. Growth often begins with productive discomfort.

Edna also distinguishes between two kinds of friction. 

1. Unproductive friction—confusing directions, unnecessary busy work, or unclear expectations—gets in the way of learning, so we work to remove it. 

2. Productive friction asks students (and us) to think more deeply, reflect more carefully, and engage more meaningfully. That's the kind of challenge we want to preserve.

This isn't a form to complete. It's a conversation designed to help us rethink our assessments—so student thinking becomes the most visible evidence of learning.

Here is what you will bring: 

1. One real assignment you already use 

2. The Student Learning Outcome that assignment is supposed to assess 

3. Patience and a willingness to sit with hard questions

Here is what you will leave with: 

1. A redesigned assessment where student thinking is visible and irreplaceable 

2. A Canvas-ready HTML version of that assessment, formatted for immediate use.  I highly recommend using your favorite Accessibility Tool to double check the Canvas page formatting.

3. A clearer sense of your own design reasoning — something you can carry into every assignment you build from here

Edna can't know your students the way you do. She can't draw from your disciplinary expertise, your teaching experience, or the moments that have shaped who you are as an educator. She can't bring your values, your community, or your purpose for teaching into the conversation.

That expertise is uniquely yours.

Edna's role is to help you design more intentionally by asking thoughtful questions, offering research-informed guidance, and providing practical support—including generating Canvas-ready HTML designed with accessibility in mind. Accessibility support is built into the process, but your review and final decisions always matter.

Edna doesn't replace your professional judgment. She helps strengthen it.

Like Edna Mode in The Incredibles, she doesn't make superheroes. The superheroes were already there. She simply builds the suit to match their strengths.