AI, Productivity, and Effective Learning

As schools and educational processes modernize, the focus of learning also shifts from understanding and applying core concepts to being productive in carrying out tasks. Though all stages of the education system have included a component of productivity, the faster pace with which learning evolves today has turned out to be ever more demanding. The advent and inclusion of AI tools have only made this emphasis even clearer. AI productivity and writing tools offer students the opportunity to quickly complete their tasks, regardless of whether or not they understand the principles involved in their assignments. While this has had certain benefits in speeding up learning in concepts that are simpler to imbibe, it also works on a tradeoff, where holistic student learning is often the price paid for quicker completion. 

This effect also came to the fore as students began using artificial intelligence and text generators such as ChatGPT to answer their homework questions and write essays for them. In an obvious breach of academic integrity, the teachers were caught off guard, given that pupils preferred to automate essential tasks to complete them in a matter of a few seconds. Again, this brings into perspective the true cost of prioritizing mere productivity when comprehensive conceptualization and understanding remain the primary focus of student learning. As AI tools gain more prominence in education and around the world, both teachers and students need to balance effective learning with productivity to ensure essential concepts are not compromised. The further sections deal with the dichotomy between the two and also speculate upon how the future of education will rely on which of these is prioritized. 

How AI Tools Influence Productivity: A Perspective from Education

An increased emphasis on productivity might impact learning outcomes.
Image Credit: Photo by Tomas Yates on Unsplash

Using AI for productivity has been the primary purpose of its development, regardless of the sector it is deployed in. Machine learning and artificial intelligence have automated rather mechanical processes and increased productivity. However, in an area where learning and its future application take precedence, the mere speed of completing tasks is not the primary concern. While AI in the form of instant text generation and artificial writers might, in the objective sense, indeed increase productivity, it still leaves behind much to question when it comes to assessing the level of learning a student has undergone from the process. The integration of AI tools in mainstream education also brings to the table intuitive features such as personalized course support and adaptability to an individual student’s unique needs. Though this works in the direction of improving student learning outcomes, it also rakes up concerns surrounding overreliance on AI tools and educational support systems that might mechanize the learning process. Productivity, despite its importance, does not take precedence over holistic understanding, especially in K-12 education, where effective understanding of core concepts becomes a determining factor of the student’s future.

Students can reproduce learned content while maintaining a high level of productivity when the material is still fresh in their minds. This, however, does not guarantee its long-term retention—a factor that determines the utility and implementation of education. AI tools that enhance productivity in learning are also not capable of enhancing critical thinking and reasoning skills in students. These components in a student’s journey through school are indispensable in their lives as individuals that go on to interact with the world around them on an ongoing basis. A practical bearing and repeated degrees of interpretation and engagement with the course material are also not possible with mere mechanical tools, reinforcing the importance of comprehensive learning in the educational sphere. 

The Human Touch vs. AI in Education

An interactive environment often promotes enhanced learning.
Image Credit: Photo by Dom Fou on Unspalsh

The depersonalization of education has been a concern that has prevailed ever since remote learning became a reality in the recent past. The emergence of increased and consistent AI penetration into education exacerbates these fears. Students might feel disconnected from the learning process stemming from an overreliance on artificial intelligence and machines. The human touch is capable of fostering both productivity and effective learning, for teachers have been integral to the learning experience of students. Teachers and their strategies are also indispensable components of the learning environment, which has always been a core determining factor in the learning process and its outcomes. An AI, despite its impact on productivity, cannot replicate the positive, motivating, and encouraging atmosphere a teacher can create in the classroom with their teaching methods and personalized relationships with students. An adequate degree of engagement and intuitive thinking is necessary to gauge and tweak existing educational techniques to fit student needs that might not fall under the conventional spectrum of learning.

Another concern with the blanket deployment of AI in education or its usage is the clear disadvantage of students that lack access to such technologies due to socioeconomic factors. Despite AI’s potential to offer enhanced productivity to students, not all students can access AI given their circumstances. In such situations, these students will remain at a clear disadvantage, leading to a marked inequity in the learning environment and also in the outcomes of the courses taught in these spaces. Similarly, there also exist students that prefer a more organic approach to learning, as opposed to the mechanical methods deployed in an AI productivity tool and learning environment. The use of these tools might not only disrupt the overall learning environment and student experience but also leave behind students that have a different set of preferences when it comes to education. 

Finding Balance

While student productivity might certainly be enhanced by AI tools, their utility seems to be limited and can only be used to support traditional learning methods. However, circumstances also increasingly make it evident that AI will only continue to make its presence known better in the coming years of school education. As teachers grapple with this and tailor their methods to a rapidly modernizing classroom, the depersonalization of learning must be kept at bay, with adequate interactions with students, while also deploying AI productivity tools wherever objectively proven to improve student performance and learning outcomes.