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AI in Education

Aug 6, 2025

Overview

This lecture explores how students use AI tools for homework, the impact on learning, and effective ways to integrate AI into education responsibly.

Student Use of AI for Homework

  • 26% of US teens use ChatGPT for schoolwork, with usage among Singaporean students also widespread.
  • Students mainly use AI for generating ideas, finding synonyms, completing assignments quickly, and solving math problems.
  • Teachers are often aware and may encourage idea-generation but discourage copying AI-generated content verbatim.
  • Some students feel they learn from AI, especially when it helps them develop new perspectives; others use it for efficiency alone.

Teachers’ and Schools’ Response

  • No consistent, nationwide guidelines for AI use in schools; policies depend on individual teachers.
  • Some teachers encourage AI for brainstorming; others discourage or try to detect AI-generated work.
  • There is a proposed "AI assessment scale" with five levels: No AI, AI-assisted idea generation, AI-assisted editing, AI task completion with human evaluation, and Full AI use.

AI Detection and Limitations

  • AI detectors are unreliable and can misidentify both human and AI-written work.
  • Over-reliance on AI by students can create an illusion of learning and mislead teachers about understanding.

Impact on Learning and Motivation

  • Properly used, AI can help students learn by supporting idea generation and expanding perspectives.
  • Passive use (copying answers) hinders retention and critical thinking.
  • Productive struggle—working through challenging problems—is essential for deep learning.

Experiment Findings

  • Students who engage deeply with AI outputs fare better in understanding and retention.
  • Relying solely on AI without discernment leads to poor test performance and weak exam skills.

Improving AI Use with Prompt Engineering

  • Effective AI use requires clear prompts, double-checking answers, and explicitly requesting step-by-step explanations.
  • Frameworks like CRAFT (Context, Response, Action, Format, Target) for math and TRACE for English can guide better interactions.
  • Students should relate assignments to personal interests to boost motivation and understanding.

Enhancing Learning with AI Tools

  • AI can create engaging resources (images, podcasts, songs) to make learning relatable and interactive.
  • Teachers play a key role in guiding students to use AI as a study aid, not a replacement for thinking.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • AI Chatbot — Software that generates human-like responses, such as ChatGPT.
  • Prompt Engineering — The practice of crafting effective prompts to get desired outputs from AI tools.
  • Productive Struggle — The process of learning through overcoming challenging tasks.
  • AI Detector — Tools designed to identify AI-generated text, often inaccurately.
  • AI Assessment Scale — A framework specifying permissible levels of AI assistance in assignments.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Check with teachers about acceptable AI use for each assignment.
  • Practice using frameworks like CRAFT and TRACE to get more effective help from AI.
  • Always review and verify AI-generated answers before submitting homework.
  • Use AI to enhance, not replace, personal learning and understanding.