Is AI a Valuable Education Tool that Improves Student Learning?
Suggested Length: 1 hour
Learning Objectives:
- Explore key ways AI may impact student learning.
- Analyze how specific AI tools may support or conflict with their individual learning strategies using a structured comparison.
- Reflect on how understanding their own learning can help them use AI more ethically and responsibly in educational contexts.
| Approaches to Learning | Vocabulary | Reflection Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Awareness – Metacognition Be aware of how you learn best and what you tend to offload to tools. Adjust strategies to self-regulate learning. Thinking Skills Evaluate advantages and limitations of different AI tools for learning. | Artificial Intelligence (AI) Metacognition Self-regulated learning Self-awareness Cognitive offloading Cognitive onloading Learning strategy | What is one AI-related learning habit you currently have? Is this habit mostly cognitive offloading or onloading? Why? Does this habit help or hurt your learning? If you were to plan one small change to your learning habit, what would you like to keep, change, or try? |
Resources and Preparation
Clone the following discussion and share it with students: Is AI a valuable education tool that improves student learning?
Use Small Group Mode to give groups access to their own version of the discussion, if appropriate.
If students are unfamiliar with metacognition, consider assigning this video in advance: What Is Metacognition?
Introduction
Explain we are going to work on metacognition – thinking about how we think (and learn) and how it relates to how we use AI.
Lead students through a 3 - 2 - 1 Thinking Routine. Ask them to write down:
- 3 actions they took during a good learning day
- 2 ways they received support (AI, classmate, teacher, video, graphic organizer)
- 1 feeling they had when they realized they were learning
Introduce cognitive load using the following video: Cognitive Load Theory
Introduce the concepts of cognitive onloading and offloading.
Think-Pair-Share examples of cognitive onloading and offloading.
Ask students to look back at their good learning day. Instruct them to add:
- One moment where they did most of the work (cognitive onloading).
- One moment where a tool did most of the work (cognitive offloading).
Main Activity
Part 1: Learning Habits and AI Tools
Provide students with the My Learning Habits sheet and the AI Tools for Learning chart.
Have students individually complete the My Learning Habits sheet.
Ask students to circle strategies that require them to think more (onloading) and underline strategies where they use tools to do thinking work for them (offloading).
Explain that cognitive offloading can be split into two categories: helpful offloading and unhelpful offloading.
Explain that students should investigate five AI tools they use for offloading and complete the chart to show:
- How each tool might support their learning (helpful offloading).
- How each tool might undermine their learning (unhelpful offloading).
Come together as a class to share examples.
Part 2: Kialo Discussion
Share the cloned Kialo discussion with the class. You may want to consider using Small Group Mode to encourage more in-depth discussions among your students.
Display the thesis: “AI is a valuable education tool that improves student learning.”
Briefly show students the PRO and CON starter claims:
- PRO: AI provides instant feedback on student work.
- PRO: AI can present information in different ways for different learners.
- CON: AI can give incorrect, biased, or shallow explanations.
- CON: AI takes opportunities away for student thinking.
Explain that students should use findings from the sheet and chart in Part 1 to support their responses.
Clarify interaction expectations for the discussion. You may also set expectations by setting up Tasks in advance.
Each student should:
- Add at least 4 claims in total (e.g., 2 pro and 2 con).
- One claim must be in response to their own idea, supporting it with a sub-claim that cites a specific AI-tool to support their response.
- Reply to at least two additional claims written by another student, either supporting or opposing. Cite specific tools to support claims where needed.
Circulate as students work in the discussion.
Reflection Activity
Lead the students through the following reflection.
- Describe one current AI-related learning habit you have.
- Is this habit mostly cognitive offloading or onloading? Why?
- Does this habit help or hurt your learning?
- Plan one small change to your learning habit for next week. What would you like to keep, change, or try?
