This Professor Let Half His Class Use AI. Here’s What Happened


A split classroom scene with a professor in the middle, presenting data. The left side, labeled "GROUP A: WITH AI," shows disengaged students with "F" grades. The right side, labeled "GROUP B: NO AI," shows engaged students with "A+" grades, depicting contrasting outcomes of AI use in a classroom experiment. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
An academic experiment unfolds: Visualizing the stark differences in engagement and performance between students who used AI and those who did not, as observed by one professor. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

Gizmodo

Summary

A study by University of Massachusetts Amherst professor Christian Rojas compared two sections of the same advanced economics course—one permitted structured AI use, the other did not. The results revealed that allowing AI under clear guidelines improved student engagement, confidence, and reflective learning but did not affect exam performance. Students with AI access reported greater efficiency and satisfaction with course design while developing stronger habits of self-correction and critical evaluation of AI outputs. Rojas concludes that carefully scaffolded AI integration can enrich learning experiences without fostering dependency or academic shortcuts, though larger studies are needed.

Key Points

  • Structured AI use increased engagement and confidence but not exam scores.
  • Students used AI for longer, more focused sessions and reflective learning.
  • Positive perceptions grew regarding efficiency and instructor quality.
  • AI integration encouraged editing, critical thinking, and ownership of ideas.
  • Researchers stress that broader trials are required to validate results.

Keywords

URL

https://gizmodo.com/this-professor-let-half-his-class-use-ai-heres-what-happened-2000678960

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


Edufair 2025: Why outthinking AI is the next big skill for students


In a futuristic classroom or lecture hall, a male professor stands at the front, gesturing towards a large interactive screen. The screen prominently displays "OUTTHINKING AI: THE NEXT BIG SKILL," with a glowing red human brain at the center and icons illustrating the process of human thought surpassing AI. Students are seated in rows, all wearing glowing brain-shaped neural interfaces and working on laptops, deeply engaged in the lesson. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
In an era increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, the capacity to “outthink AI” is emerging as the next indispensable skill for students. This image visualises an advanced educational setting focused on cultivating superior human cognitive abilities, emphasising critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving that can go beyond the capabilities of current AI systems. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

Gulf News

Summary

At Gulf News Edufair 2025, education leaders argued that as AI becomes better at recalling facts, the real skill universities must teach is how to outthink AI. That means equipping students with judgment to critique AI outputs, detect bias or hallucinations, and interrogate machine-generated suggestions. Panelists emphasised embedding reflective routines, scaffolded assessment, and toolkits (e.g. 3-2-1 reflection, peer review) so students must pause, question, and add human insight. The shift demands rethinking course design, teaching methods, and assessment strategies to emphasise reasoning over regurgitation.

Key Points

  • AI can reliably recall facts; the human task is to question, judge, and contextualise these outputs.
  • Reflection must be built into learner routines (journals, peer reviews, short prompts) to avoid blind acceptance.
  • Toolkits should reshape how content is structured and assessed to push students beyond surface use.
  • AI literacy is not optional: students must grasp bias, hallucination, model mechanisms, and interpret AI output.
  • Interdisciplinary exposure, structured critical prompts, and scaffolding across curricula help broaden perspective.

Keywords

URL

https://gulfnews.com/uae/edufair-2025-why-outthinking-ai-is-the-next-big-skill-for-students-1.500294455

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5