Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

No longer active

This site is now an archive of my previous work. I have moved all my ongoing writing to https://michael-rowe.github.io/home-michael/

Category: Technology

  • AI for academics: From prompting to professional practice

    Most approaches to AI for academics stop at prompting techniques. But the academics most comfortable with AI have progressed through three stages: substitution, adaptation, and transformation. This progression develops context sovereignty and professional taste—capabilities that turn AI from occasional tool into integrated professional practice. Here’s how to move beyond mere prompting and integrate AI use…

  • Read-it-later apps for academics

    Academic reading in the digital age demands systematic curation, yet most scholars manage incoming information chaotically. Read-it-later apps for academics transform scattered consumption into intentional workflows, offering unified reading experiences, robust annotation systems, and reliable export functionality that supports sustained intellectual engagement across disciplines and research projects.

  • Build an academic prompt library for AI using templates for common tasks

    Learn how to create and maintain an academic prompt library to streamline your administrative tasks. This practical guide shows you how to start a personal collection of pre-written, tested prompts that reduce cognitive overhead and create space for meaningful work, helping you develop sustainable systems for academic productivity.

  • Text expanders for academics save time and enhance communication

    Discover how text expanders can transform your academic workflow. Learn how these time-saving tools can help you compose professional responses to prospective students, create consistent email templates, and manage repetitive academic communications – all while maintaining quality and professionalism in your correspondence.

  • Google Scholar PDF Reader adds AI outlines

    Google Scholar has introduced AI outlines in its PDF Reader to help users read papers more efficiently. These outlines provide an extended table of contents with bullet points for each key section. Users can skim the outline for a quick overview or click on specific bullets to dive deeper into topics of interest.

  • Use AI to focus on meaningful core work

    New research shows how AI tools might transform academic productivity by enabling knowledge workers to focus more on meaningful core work while reducing administrative burden. Like software developers using GitHub Copilot, academics can leverage AI to streamline workflows, work more autonomously, and explore new research directions – particularly benefiting early-career researchers.

  • New course on Generative AI for Academics

    Learn how to effectively integrate AI into your academic workflow with this new short course designed specifically for busy scholars. Covering everything from structured prompts to using AI as a reading companion, this practical introduction helps academics develop sustainable AI habits without adding stress.

  • Simple guide to writing effective AI prompts

    Writing effective AI prompts is crucial for academics looking to reduce administrative workload. Using a simple framework of defining the AI’s role, stating your goal, and providing clear instructions can help you get better results. Learn how to write AI prompts that free up time for meaningful academic work.

  • Google Scholar PDF Reader

    The Google Scholar PDF Reader extension provides additional functionality to help with reading PDFs in the browser.

  • Streamline your research with AI PDF analysis tools in the browser

    Looking for a smarter way to work with research papers? Learn how to leverage AI PDF analysis tools built into Edge browser’s Copilot sidebar for immediate document processing and analysis. This powerful feature helps academics engage with research materials more efficiently, though some advanced features require an Enterprise license.

  • Create MCQs from a slideshow using AI

    Learn how to use generative AI to create MCQs from your slideshow presentations. This time-saving approach helps academics streamline assessment creation while maintaining quality. Watch a practical demonstration of the process, including effective prompting strategies and tips for validating AI-generated questions for classroom use.

  • Writing precise AI prompts for better outputs

    Learn to write precise AI prompts that generate more useful, contextually relevant outputs. For busy academics, crafting clear, detailed prompts is essential for leveraging AI effectively. Discover practical strategies for better prompting that help preserve your cognitive energy for high-value academic work.