— Cold open & welcome00:25 — 94% of students using AI in assessed work00:55 — Employer demand for oral communication education01:30 — How AI weakens core knowledge for AI and oracy skills02:25 — The strategic choice for integrating oral communication education03:05 — Designing learning tasks for oral communication beyond written reports03:50 — Assessing oral communication: Product, Process, and Performance04:30 — Embedding oracy skills through professional development and AI Mavericks05:15 — The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) as a model for developing graduate employability skills05:55 — Oracy as the human differentiator in an AI-augmented worldHow does AI impact student skills for oral communication education?AI can weaken the foundational knowledge and deep synthesis required for effective oral communication by performing too much of the cognitive heavy lifting that students previously did themselves.What graduate employability skills are most valued by employers in the AI age?Employers increasingly value verbal communication, critical thinking, authenticity, and the ability to establish credibility and respond on the fly, as reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and CBI Economics.How can educators improve assessing oral communication in the AI era?Educators can shift focus to oral assessments like debates, presentations, conversational exams, and performance-based tasks that require students to apply knowledge dynamically and respond to spontaneous questions.Featuring: Dan Fitzpatrick, Bruce Hood, Higher Education Policy Institute, National Association of Colleges and Employers, CBI Economics, University of Queensland, Three Minute Thesis, My-Thesis, University of Bristol.Follow AI in Education with Dan Fitzpatrick for more on AI in education.