NEPC Review: 'Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education' (Bellwether, June 2025)
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| Title: | NEPC Review: 'Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education' (Bellwether, June 2025) |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Thomas M. Philip, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC) |
| Source: | National Education Policy Center. 2025. |
| Availability: | National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative Opinion Papers |
| Descriptors: | Artificial Intelligence, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Change, Cognitive Processes, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Affordances, Reports, Criticism, Misconceptions, Learning Processes, Validity |
| Abstract: | "Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education," recently released by Bellwether, considers the role of GenAI in education. It proposes a criterion for evaluating these new technologies' impact on student learning: When does ease afforded by GenAI enable greater learning, and when is ease a shortcut with a hidden cost? Toward this end, it examines how AI-powered tools may interact with a student's memory and information processing, attention and engagement, motivation and mindset, and metacognition and self-regulation. Unfortunately, the report conflates the distinct and often implicit meanings of learning, which leads to unjustified conclusions about the potential impact of AI in education. Taking a highly individualistic lens to learning, and thus often overlooking complex classroom environments that impact learning, the report also makes unfounded inferences about the use of AI-powered tools in classrooms. Further, it does not offer proactive recommendations to mitigate the known harm associated with the use of GenAI, particularly when used with children and youth. In sum, while the report restates and reminds us of important questions that must be addressed, its usefulness for policymakers is quite limited. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED677339 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | "Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education," recently released by Bellwether, considers the role of GenAI in education. It proposes a criterion for evaluating these new technologies' impact on student learning: When does ease afforded by GenAI enable greater learning, and when is ease a shortcut with a hidden cost? Toward this end, it examines how AI-powered tools may interact with a student's memory and information processing, attention and engagement, motivation and mindset, and metacognition and self-regulation. Unfortunately, the report conflates the distinct and often implicit meanings of learning, which leads to unjustified conclusions about the potential impact of AI in education. Taking a highly individualistic lens to learning, and thus often overlooking complex classroom environments that impact learning, the report also makes unfounded inferences about the use of AI-powered tools in classrooms. Further, it does not offer proactive recommendations to mitigate the known harm associated with the use of GenAI, particularly when used with children and youth. In sum, while the report restates and reminds us of important questions that must be addressed, its usefulness for policymakers is quite limited. |
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