AI, Instructional Design & Pop Culture: Lessons from a Taylor Swift Podcast Project
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How can AI help students engage with literature, storytelling, and cultural analysis? That was the challenge I took on while designing Taylor Swift and/as Literature, a course that explored Swift’s songwriting as part of a broader literary tradition.
On the Luke Hobson Podcast, Dr. Matt Kinservik (course prof) and I (instructional designer) shared how AI played a key role in shaping both the course design and student experience. AI was woven into every assignment, helping students analyze texts, generate ideas, and refine their work. Some highlights include:
Visual Course Design – We used AI-generated images to create content that fit the Taylor Swift eras and to incorporate classic literature into her world.
AI-Powered Assignments – Every assignment integrated AI tools, allowing students to experiment with generative AI for image, picture, and song generation. We told students, "Think of AI as your co-writer, producer, and visual artist—like Taylor Swift collaborating with Aaron Dessner or Jack Antonoff to create something truly groundbreaking."
The result? A dynamic learning experience where students weren’t just studying literature—they were actively engaging with AI as a blank space where they could write their names.
I’d love to hear from others experimenting with AI in course design. How are you integrating AI into assignments, content creation, or instruction?
