Research Objectives
Initial Findings
EXAMINE
UNDERSTAND
IDENTIFY
how students and recent graduates are developing AI fluency across formal education, informal learning, and self-directed exploration, with attention to the role of physical learning environments.
the alignment (or misalignment) between higher education and workforce demands by exploring recent graduates’ transitions into AI-influenced roles and the expectations of hiring managers.
how campus spaces and workplace environments shape AI preparedness to inform the design of more inclusive, effective, and future-ready learning ecosystems.
The hardest part isn't learning AI — it's the transition between environments with different structures and expectations.
Moving from high restriction (school) to low restriction (workplace) — or vice versa — creates real disorientation and skill gaps.
Without institutional support, students are left to navigate that transition alone and "self-teach" or find ways around restrictions.
Building AI fluency combined with traditional skills to adapt and flex prepares students for any quadrant they move to.
Low Structure / Support
Low Freedom
High Freedom
AI-forward
University
AI-enabled
Workplace
AI-prohibited
University
AI-structured
Workplace
High Structure / Support
SPECTRUM OF AI EXPOSURE