We don’t know exactly how many high-school students are using AI tools such as ChatGPT. It’s safe to assume, though, that the number is high.
Ofcom estimates that 79 per cent of teenage internet users have at least tried a generative AI tool, and one Department for Education study showed that of those using the technology, most were using it for homework. Some institutions want to ban the technology, others to embrace it fully. Most, I think, are just not sure.
So, what should educators do?
Caution over AI in schools
We have many valid concerns around AI in education. Are students using the technology to plagiarise writing? Are they avoiding difficult work, outsourcing problem solving to a bot? Is their curiosity being replaced by a talent for copying and pasting? These are good questions.
There are other things to worry about, too: the business model of AI is to “scrape” our knowledge and sell it back to us; an AI search can use up to 10 times more electricity than Google; and there are issues around privacy, unequal access, safety and regulation (or lack thereof).
But it seems students are using AI regardless. My feeling is that we have no choice but to become as AI literate as possible, to teach students to be AI literate, and to thereby adopt and model healthy and responsible uses of the technology for all.
That’s what I’m aiming to do in my work with both students and academics, and I think it’s proving successful. Below I’ve noted three key points for using the technology in active and healthy ways that keep learning and academic integrity in view.
1. Keep students at the centre
AI should support learning, not replace it. By showing students how to use AI to put themselves in the driver’s seat, we help them to develop their own ideas and creativity. For example, rather than simply asking an AI to write an essay, students can draft their own work and ask AI to provide feedback.
A student can also speak aloud to a bot about their ideas, with the bot asking follow-up questions, nudging further development, even proposing a structured outline for an essay. This approach can make authorship accessible to a wider range of learners.
2. Treat AI as an interactive learning environment
Instead of seeing AI as a genie in a bottle that helps students to cheat, educators can teach students to view it as a space for thinking. Truly interactive uses of AI chatbots are wonderful opportunities for practice. A chatbot can quiz the user, encouraging them to improve their answer over several tries. It can also debate topics with students and help them to strengthen their ability to apply complex concepts.
3. Teach effective ‘prompt design’
The quality of a student’s AI interaction can hinge upon how they craft their inputs. This is sometimes known as “prompt design”. Educators can quickly learn the basics of prompt design to model good practice for students. It comes down to clearly stating aims and constraints, as well as instructing the chatbot on how to behave and what role to play. For example, students can ask an AI chatbot to play the role of a politician, scientist, historian or poet.
But be careful. Of course, AIs make mistakes. They misunderstand, have biases; sometimes their outputs are mediocre at best. That’s OK, in fact it’s a good thing - as long as we teach AI literacy. The weaknesses of AI bots mean students will have to treat them as study buddies, not experts. Functionally, it becomes clear to students that they can’t afford to relinquish their own knowledge and criticality.
The benefits of AI literacy
Using these strategies, educators can foster a deeper connection between students and their learning. By promoting active recall, critical thinking and creative problem-solving, AI can be transformed from a potential shortcut to a valuable learning environment. This approach is effective and, most importantly, it’s genuinely fun.
So, if you’ve been unsure how to approach AI tools in your school, consider the critical but curious approach of AI literacy. In my experience, this approach allows us to get more done and have fun doing it - without losing the capacity for independent thought.
Josh Thorpe is an academic skills adviser at the University of Stirling. He recently published the book AI for Students, an illustrated guide to using AI tools to think more, not less. He is a senior fellow of AdvanceHE. For more on AI literacy, see Josh’s one-page guide to prompt design
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