{"id":6217,"date":"2026-03-23T22:01:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T22:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/?p=6217"},"modified":"2026-03-23T22:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T22:01:56","slug":"separation-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/?p=6217","title":{"rendered":"Separation Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why the Future of Learning at Stony Brook Depends on How We Design Work
<\/strong>A reflection from Ward Wolf<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a quiet truth behind every great capability you\u2019ve ever mastered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You did not learn it from a course alone.
You learned it alongside someone who already knew<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You watched.
You tried the safe parts.
You stretched under guidance.
And one day, almost without noticing, you became the guide yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ancient rhythm\u2014expert and novice, side by side<\/em>\u2014is how skill has always been formed. From operating rooms to research labs, classrooms to construction sites, the pattern holds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now, it is under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Subtle Risk of Intelligent Machines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Artificial intelligence is not the villain here. In fact, it is extraordinarily helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI allows experts to move faster, solve harder problems, and work with less friction. That\u2019s the promise\u2014and it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a quieter consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When technology absorbs the \u201cstarter work,\u201d novices lose their on-ramp<\/strong>.
When experts no longer need help, apprentices are left watching from the hallway<\/strong>.
When productivity rises but participation falls, skill quietly erodes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, this creates what researchers call a \u201cnovice-optional\u201d workplace<\/em>\u2014one where early-career and developing professionals are no longer essential to the work itself. And when learning by doing disappears, no amount of training can fully replace it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why This Matters at a University<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At Stony Brook, we are stewards of knowledge, research, service, and care. Our mission depends not only on today\u2019s expertise\u2014but on who will be ready tomorrow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If AI separates experts from emerging talent, we risk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Longer ramps to readiness<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • More remedial training later<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fewer people capable of independent judgment under pressure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    This is not a future problem. It is a design problem<\/em>\u2014and it\u2019s happening now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The L&D Imperative: Design Work, Not Just Training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For decades, learning professionals have perfected the art of designing instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, the greater opportunity\u2014and responsibility\u2014is to design work itself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because work is still the most powerful learning environment we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Learning & Development is uniquely positioned to lead this shift:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Others design work for efficiency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • L&D designs work for capability<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      And in an AI-enabled world, we must design for both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Good Work Design Protects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Research shows that skill grows when work preserves three elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Challenge<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Stretching beyond comfort, safely<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Complexity<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Real judgment, not scripted tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Connection<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Ongoing interaction between experts and novices<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        AI can support these conditions\u2014or quietly erase them\u2014depending on how work is structured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Practical Steps We Can Take<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        To protect learning while embracing innovation, organizations should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Audit critical work<\/strong>\u00a0to identify where AI may remove entry-level learning opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Redesign tasks<\/strong>, not just workflows, so novices still participate meaningfully<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Partner across roles<\/strong>\u2014L&D, leaders, technologists\u2014to balance productivity and capability<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Measure what matters<\/strong>, tracking both outcomes\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0skill development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Experiment deliberately<\/strong>, testing work designs that preserve expert\u2013novice collaboration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          The goal is not to slow progress\u2014but to make progress sustainable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A Choice Before Us<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          If we do nothing, the future of work becomes a trade-off:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Productivity wins. Skill loses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          But if we act with intention, something better is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          AI can become not a wall between generations of expertise\u2014but a bridge.
          A tool that amplifies mentoring.
          A catalyst for deeper collaboration.
          A partner in learning, not a replacement for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The future of learning will not be built in classrooms alone.
          It will be built\u2014carefully, thoughtfully\u2014in the way we design our work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          And as always, the work worth doing\u2026
          is the work that leaves people stronger than it found them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u2014 Ward<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Key Takeaways (At a Glance)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Skill is built primarily through\u00a0expert\u2013novice collaboration<\/strong>, not training alone<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • AI risks breaking that bond by removing entry-level work<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • L&D must expand from training design to\u00a0work design<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • The goal is\u00a0joint optimization<\/strong>: productivity\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0skill<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Thoughtful work design can turn AI from a barrier into a bridge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Why the Future of Learning at Stony Brook Depends on How We Design WorkA reflection from Ward Wolf There is a quiet truth behind every great capability you\u2019ve ever mastered. You did not learn it from a course alone.You learned it alongside someone who already knew. You watched.You tried the safe parts.You stretched under guidance.And one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[986,1168,1222],"class_list":["post-6217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing-performance-coaching","tag-ai","tag-mentoring","tag-seperation-anxiety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6217"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6217\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6219,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6217\/revisions\/6219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billcorrigan.com\/updates\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}