AI in Schools: Good or Bad

 AI in Schools: Good or Bad

A student sits down to start their homework but instead of opening up a textbook first, they open ChatGPT, type in a question and get a full explanation in seconds. What first took hours of researching and reading to understand topics and do an assignment is now done in just a few minutes. In many of my classes, teachers have been setting guidelines for when AI can be used and for what purposes. Nowadays, I've also noticed many of my online textbooks have a built in chatbox to help understanding.  However, while AI makes learning faster and more convenient, it always raises an important question: what are the effects of relying on AI on students and young minds? 


Using AI as Support:

One of the most powerful aspects of AI in education is its ability to act as a personalized tutor. Sometimes, classrooms often move at a fixed pace, which can leave some students behind while others feel bored. AI tools can adapt to each learner’s speed and understanding. For example, Khan Academy’s Khanmigo helps teach complex topics to students without fully giving away the answer which helps students catch up and learn from their mistakes. From a more neuroscience perspective, this connects to cognitive psychology. The brain works and improves when students get immediate feedback and can correct misunderstandings easily, which is what AI helps with. AI tutors provide this feedback instantly which strengthens memory and comprehension. 


Self Determination Theory and AI:

In psychology, there is a concept called the Self Determination Theory which says that people learn best when their 3 needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness are fulfilled. Autonomy can be defined as the urge to self ‘govern’, competence by the ability to do something successfully and relatedness as the state of being connected. AI tools help raise autonomy by allowing students to explore topics at their own pace. When a question is asked to an AI, a clear explanation is given which gives the feeling of being in control of one’s learning. In return, this boosts a snake of competence by breaking concepts into smaller and more understandable topics. 


However, all of this must be done in a balance. If students rely too much on AI to complete assignments instead of thinking everything through themselves, it can weaken the learning process. Psychologically it can reduce the development of the brain and problem solving skills are no ‘good stress’ is pushed upon the mind. 


Cognitive Offloading, and how it relates: 

Another psychological concept relevant to AI in schools is Cognitive Offloading, which is when students delegate such tasks like research writing and problem solving to AI tools to reduce mental effort. This helps reduce mental strain but if too much of cognitive offloading is done, it may weaken critical thinking, memory and developmental skills known as cognitive atrophy.

AI can dramatically increase this effect. Instead of remembering formulas, summarizing texts, or organizing ideas, students may simply ask an AI system to do the work. While this can save time, it may weaken long-term learning if students skip the mental effort needed to build strong knowledge structures. The key is about how AI is used, to guide or to replace thinking. 

The Future: 

AI will not replace teachers but will definitely reshape their role. Instead of spending time making lesson plans or grading assignments they can focus more on mentoring and discussions in the classrooms. Teachers provide emotional understanding and social interaction which AI cannot take over. AI can assist learning, but it cannot replace the encouragement, empathy, and inspiration that come from real human mentors. The introduction of AI in schools has been revolutionary but if used poorly, it turns into a risk of copied answers instead of developing understanding. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Deep Spiral

  A Deep Spiral I’ve been an overthinker for all the time I can remember. Overthinking can start from the smallest of things, perhaps you start to think about how you said hi to someone but they didn’t reply. This can end up spiraling into thinking if you did something wrong, did you come off as awkward, or if the other person is upset with you. Before you realize it, your mind has built a narrative based on one incoherent interaction. The word overthinking has been used very commonly lately as if it's immature or insensitive- something needing to be fixed. However, from the lens of psychology and cognitive science, it's not the person’s fault or a flaw in the ability to think but it's a flaw in regulation.  Psychologists describe this process as rumination, a pattern of repetitive thinking that focuses on uncertainty and perceived mistakes instead of solutions. What makes this really hard to stop is that you don’t realize when you end up going into this black hole of think...
Read more

16 Lessons I Learned Turning 16

  16 Lessons I Learned Turning 16 Turning 16 feels like standing on the two poles of the world, half kid and half (almost) adults. Its a strange mix of uncertainty and excitement, where in some days it feels like I’m ready to take on the world and other I just want to rot in bed. Priorities have changed too, few years ago, it felt like all I cared about was hanging out with friends, playing games, or just having fun. Now, a lot of my focus is shifting toward school, grades, and thinking about college, or at least what comes after high school. Yet, I try my very best to still keep that little kid in me alive. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned trying to do this: Its ok to not have it all figured out. Life is all about learning, so might as well go with the flow.  Some people act like they know exactly what they want at 16, but honestly, most of us are just winging it. And that’s totally fine. Friendships are about quality not quantity. A group of five friends who actua...
Read more

Beyond Just Psychology

  Beyond Just Psychology Aarya Godse When I first reached out to Kyla Mitsunaga, a family constellations facilitator and life healer, I wanted to learn more about nontraditional approaches to therapy and the different career paths within psychology and behavioral health. What I did not expect was to learn how much her career had evolved through a combination of education, personal experiences, mentorship, and exploration of different fields. From teaching English in Korea and studying positive psychology and neuroscience to building her own coaching business and becoming a family constellations facilitator, Kyla offered valuable insight into the intersection of psychology, education, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. I would like to thank Kyla Mitsunaga for taking the time to share her experiences and perspectives with me. Here is what I learned. Success to Self Discovery In 2016, Kyla was living a life many people would consider successful. She was an award-winning ESL profes...
Read more