Yin Yak is a quiet spark in a noisy world, a podcast where ideas wander, worlds collide, and learning finds its rhythm. Hosted by Yin Kreher, each episode explores unexpected intersections across education, design, tech, and human behavior — sharing spicy insights, curious questions, and mic-drop moments you’ll want to carry with you.
Episode 4: From AI Study Buddies to a New Course Design Playbook
In this episode of Yin Yak, we dig into a question a lot of designers, educators, and leaders are quietly wrestling with:
If AI can deliver knowledge and hold real conversations with learners, what’s left for us to design?
To explore this, I’m joined by Eric Newman, Associate Director of Academic Innovation at Boston University. Eric has been shaping some of BU’s most forward-thinking programs—including the Online MBA that Forbes called one of the most disruptive in higher ed.
We yak about:
How AI study buddies and dialogic AI shift the role of instructional designers
What RAG-powered learning means for content, context, and practice
Why “knowledge delivery” is no longer the design challenge
The rise of AI-enabled practice
What a new course design playbook looks like and what stays human
Along the way, we dive into prompting, AI fluency, meaningful constraints, low-stakes practice, and why good design still matters more than ever.
If you're an instructional designer, learning strategist, educator, or just someone curious about the future of learning, this one’s for you.
View Transcript (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yMp-p2xI3sOnbqVDn6le7A5PnhY1kpxTLm62_AAxRt8/edit?usp=sharing)
12 Aug 2025
Episode 3: The Beauty and Burden of Ambiguity
When does ambiguity spark innovation and when does it quietly sink a project?
In this episode, Yin sits down with Joe Vallone, Chief Information Officer & Chief AI Officer at Outcomes360, to explore the fine line between healthy uncertainty and costly misalignment. From late-stage clarity disasters to invisible risks no one wants to name, Joe shares how leaders can turn the unknown into discovery, without letting it derail momentum.
You’ll hear:
Why some ambiguity fuels creativity (and some breeds chaos)
How to surface the risks no one wants to talk about
The “last responsible moment” for making big decisions
Why AI doesn’t remove ambiguity, it just speeds it up
🎧 Listen in and learn how to turn the beauty and burden of ambiguity into your next competitive edge.
View Transcript (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYflUpW7GmQVjbXPVBwCMtDwkju4-RH5e1gQdX3YB_Q/edit?usp=sharing)
1 Jul 2025
Episode 2: The Art of Not Having the Answer - On Ambiguity, Emotion, and Expression
Host Yin Kreher interviews visual artist Susan Singer about art's role in navigating ambiguity and emotional truth, revealing how creative expression fosters healing and deeper perception.
19 May 2025
Episode 1: Muscle Memory Under Pressure - From Ice Rinks to ERs
Host Yin Kreher interviews Julian Cha about muscle memory, exploring how it's built and triggered under pressure, revealing insights for instructional designers from athletes and first responders.
14 May 2025
Trailer: Introducing Yin Yak The Podcast
The host introduces Yin Yak podcast, exploring its inspiration and focus on interdisciplinary connections, highlighting the value of embracing uncertainty for learning.
Podcast Authority Score: 13 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
26
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Host of Yin Yak™?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
