Student Perspective: Reflecting on the Role of AI in Education
At GOA, we believe students should be at the center of conversations about how new technologies shape learning. Dylan, a grade 12 student at American International School of Johannesburg, recently reflected on the evolving role of AI in school and life, raising thoughtful questions about how we use these tools and how we might use them better. Dylan took GOA’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and also serves as a GOA Student Ambassador.
“At first, we asked [the AI tool] questions, tried to understand an assignment, reworded prompts, and helped summarize articles,” Dylan said. They often now see students use of AI to “complete assignments, homework, and even submitted assessments [that] are more the work of AI than students. How much of this is a good thing? Are students making the right decision?”
For their GOA Global Capstone project, Dylan researched the effects of GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) such as ChatGPT and their impact on students and the classroom. They even built a sample GAN to demonstrate how these technologies generate content. Their work highlights both the potential of AI and the ethical dilemmas it presents in educational settings.
Sample Code from Dylan’s Global Capstone project (Link to the external code)
“AI is undoubtedly a tool and the height of humans’ technological advances,” they said, recognizing the powerful ways AI can support learning, especially when used with intention and care. “It can help those who are neurodivergent with reading, writing, and other essential tasks. More specifically, it allows those with trouble focusing to have a tool to summarize long articles and get the main ideas. … But, nowadays, there is much insecurity around using AI [that teachers and schools are] not letting students explore and learn.”
They also noted how academic pressure can drive students to rely on AI for more than just support. “Yet teachers aren’t entirely wrong,” Dylan continues. “Students can go too far. As a student, I have noticed that many students use AI resources like ChatGPT because of their simplicity and ease of use.” With so many responsibilities — school, extracurriculars, coursework, and more — students may turn to AI as a way to manage an overwhelming workload. “With so many assignments and the stress of tests, AI can quickly and easily get another thing off our plates,” they said. Many students feel like “AI like ChatGPT can be the only solution when they have to prioritize, for example, a test to study for.”
Dylan also reflects on how AI fits into different learning environments, including online courses where students have more flexibility and independence. This can be empowering, but it also calls for strong self-awareness and guidance. When “students cross the bounds of ethical AI use,” they said, it can lead to a “lack of actual learning. The phenomenon is detrimental, as when students finish high school, what do they learn? We’re so dependent on AI that we don’t know what to do when it doesn’t work or help.”
Looking ahead, Dylan calls on teachers and schools to lean into students’ interest and curiosity in AI and help them use it well. “AI is the next significant technological advancement in the world, and students will use it,” they said. “If students don’t understand and learn their limits, it will lead to worse outcomes and less learning. … If treated as a proper resource and [we learn] how to use it responsibly, students and teachers alike can increase the quality of learning with new technology.”
Dylan’s reflection highlights the promise and complexity of AI in education. Their insights are a reminder that students don’t just need access to new tools; they need support in learning how to use them ethically, effectively, and with a deep understanding of their impact. As schools continue to evolve alongside these technologies, student voices will be essential in shaping the way forward.
For more, see:
Reimagining Professional Learning: Emerging Models for Educator Growth
Personalized Pathways Programming at International School of Prague
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