I think, therefore IB

90+% of students now use AI in their academic work, but only 36% have received formal guidance on how to use it effectively. We were obsessed for a while on how to use AI correctly, i.e. referencing etc., and we neglected to discuss how to use it effectively, so let’s address that now.

The real issue isn’t that students are using AI, it’s that they’re using it passively. When they copy and paste entire paragraphs into assignments, they’re not learning; they’re outsourcing their thinking. The result is generic, shallow work that misses the point of education entirely, although it meets the student’s immediate assessment demands.

Here’s the good news: AI doesn’t have to undermine students’ learning. Used thoughtfully, it can enhance students’ critical thinking skills.

The Psychology Behind the Problem

Research suggests that AI use often triggers what psychologist Daniel Kahneman called ‘System 1 thinking’: fast, automatic responses that bypass deeper reflection. Students treat AI like an all-knowing System 2 tool, but they’re being nudged into heuristics, mental shortcuts by time and stress constraints. The cognitive struggle that builds understanding gets quietly erased.

This isn’t just about grades. Studies show that students who rely heavily on AI demonstrate reduced neural engagement in regions associated with memory and executive control. They produce less original content and struggle to recall what they’ve supposedly ‘written’.

A better approach: Be actively curious

Instead of asking AI to do your thinking, use it to support and enhance your thinking, for example:

Start with your own ideas first. Map out your problem-solving approach before firing up AI and then compare your reasoning with AI’s results. This creates valuable learning moments about your own thought processes.

Interrogate AI’s responses. Ask, ‘Where does this information come from?’ ‘What assumptions is the AI making?’ ‘What would I change and why?’ If you can’t answer these questions without AI’s help, the learning hasn’t happened – yet.

Use AI as the starting point, not the end point. Generate preliminary ideas with AI, then critically evaluate and refine them through independent research. Compare AI’s suggestions against reliable academic sources.

Practise reflective annotation. When you use AI-generated content, annotate it. Explain why you chose to include it, what limitations it might have, and how it connects to broader themes in your field. Just as you would do with material from academic sources.

The goal isn’t to avoid AI – Luddites would want to do that. The goal is to maintain intellectual ownership of your work while leveraging AI’s capabilities. Used appropriately, AI can support your thinking. Used passively, it will replace the cognitive work that deep learning requires.

And at the end, ask yourself: Do I truly understand the content I’m submitting? Can I explain it without AI’s help? If not, I’m missing the point of my education.

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