The Homework Apocalypse
AI may finally break the habit of studying for the grade instead of learning. It starts with parents.
I'm a fan of AI overall, because it pushes school and work toward higher-order learning and better human experiences. Schools have long used prompts for assignments to help students develop assessment and analytical skills.
Reading, writing, and discussion take practice the same way running, throwing, and catching get better with instruction and repetition. We use pitching machines to give batters consistent throws. But we still prefer human pitchers in baseball, because creative variation and error are part of the game. As AI gets better, we might wonder whether a robotic pitcher would be even more entertaining. But that's a different tangent…
Effective schooling isn't about getting correct answers for a perfect grade to get into a better school. Effective learning is trying, failing, adjusting, and building capacity. AI may finally break us out of the tragic situation where students have an incentive to study for the grade instead of engaging in learning.
You may think it starts with schools, but I say it starts with parents. Schools will adjust when helicopter parents stop berating them for challenging their kids to grow. Schools do need to adjust, and teachers will have to change decades-old lesson plans. My best advice: lean in quickly and help your local school adjust. Please don't stand back with folded arms and blame the teachers. It will take a collaborative effort to get through this phase of technological change.
Responding to Ethan Mollick, The Homework Apocalypse.
First published on LinkedIn.