In an era when generative AI can complete many academic tasks instantly, students increasingly ask:
“Why should I do this myself?”
The Why Learning Matters Project was created to help educators answer that critical question—not merely with policies or restrictions, but with purpose and shared wisdom.
This collaborative initiative gathers and shares the insightful analogies, compelling stories, persuasive strategies, and impactful visuals that instructors use to help students reconnect with the inherent value of their learning. Our goal is to support intrinsic motivation, foster the development of essential human skills, and champion the importance of engaging in meaningful work—even, and especially, when shortcuts are readily available.
Students have often been conditioned to view education as a transaction—a series of requirements on the path to a credential. This perspective can be further entrenched when AI tools seem to offer an easy way to bypass the essential (and often challenging) processes of learning.
As educator Emily Pitts Donahoe so aptly writes:
“There is no way out of this that does not involve students understanding the value of the work we ask them to do and actually wanting to do it.”
This project exists to actively support that vital shift—from an emphasis on extrinsic pressures to the cultivation of authentic, internal engagement.
Educators from diverse disciplines are generously sharing:
Analogies that illuminate the purpose of academic effort (e.g., “Writing is like strength training for the mind” or “Learning is a toolkit you build and carry with you”).
Personal stories or classroom moments that sparked a significant shift in student mindset regarding their learning.
Effective visuals or presentation slides that powerfully convey why learning matters.
Thoughtful rationales explaining why human effort, deep reflection, and dedicated skill-building remain essential—even as we learn to partner with AI.
This growing collection is organized to help you easily find examples relevant to your specific teaching context and student needs.
This resource is designed for:
Instructors seeking meaningful ways to motivate their students.
Educators actively rethinking their teaching approaches in the age of AI.
Faculty, learning designers, and facilitators engaged in professional development or curriculum innovation.
Anyone passionate about helping students discover genuine value and purpose in the work they do.
The Why Learning Matters Project was initiated and is curated by Eric Martinsen, a community college writing instructor and faculty developer.
This work is inspired in significant part by the insights of Anna Mills, whose attention to metaphor and thoughtful framing—such as her use of “mirage” for AI output—helped spark the vision for this resource. The project stems from a deep conviction that how we talk about learning profoundly matters; the metaphors we choose and the values we communicate directly shape how students understand not just their academic tasks, but also their own potential and the world around them.
While curated by Eric, this is a community-focused effort, and collaboration is warmly welcomed. If you have ideas or would like to get more involved, please reach out.
You can explore more of Eric’s work on teaching writing in the AI era at elmartinsen.substack.com.
The "Why Learning Matters Project" is fundamentally committed to open access. Contributions featured here are shared with the explicit permission of their creators and are intended to be a free resource for all educators. We encourage you to use, adapt, and share these materials widely.
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