The 2026 Higher Ed Summer Reading List + Essential Podcast Recommendations
Top Hat has released a curated 2026 summer reading and listening list for higher‑education faculty, featuring eight newly released books and five leading podcasts. The titles tackle pressing topics such as online‑classroom vitality, ungrading, student mental health, memory science, and authentic teaching. Each book is paired with a supplemental Higher Learnings video or podcast episode for deeper insight. The podcast lineup includes Top Hat’s Higher Listenings and other popular shows that explore AI, inclusive pedagogy, and the future of colleges.
7 Practical Ways to Use AI as a Thinking Partner in Your Classroom
Top education strategist Dr. Jessa Roisen proposes treating artificial intelligence as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut. She outlines seven actionable tactics—clarifying assignment payoff, turning AI into the assignment, positioning students as authority, pressure‑testing ideas, emphasizing cognitive engagement, creating...