A recent report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that students who refrain from using artificial intelligence (AI) perform better academically than those who use it. The analysis is based on survey responses from more than 760,000 students across 91 countries.
Learning requires cognitive effort
An OECD researcher wrote in the report that students "won’t learn without exercising their brains, in the same way that we do not become fit by watching sports but by doing sports." The authors concluded that consuming information which removes the need for any "cognitive struggle" is an ineffective educational approach.
Policy shift: phone and AI restrictions in schools
After a decade-long push to integrate technology into classrooms, many educators and policymakers are reversing course. Twenty-two U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have introduced bell-to-bell mobile phone bans in schools. For the first time this school year, New York City’s and Los Angeles’ public school systems have implemented restrictions on AI use, affecting more than one million students combined. New York City additionally prohibited teachers from using AI to grade assignments.
Questions about edtech’s effectiveness and declining scores
The report and related commentary suggest that educational technology (edtech) may not have delivered the expected learning gains. Reading, science, and mathematics scores have fallen steadily over the past 15 years — a trend that preceded the widespread adoption of AI.
Some experts argue that education may be more effective when it relies more on offline instruction, similar to practices before the advent of the personal computer. They also note that modern technology is so user-friendly that explicit instruction in how to use it may be less necessary, and that many young people are more familiar with AI and smartphones than their parents and teachers.
Why this matters
The OECD findings highlight a pedagogical dilemma: the mere presence of technology in classrooms does not guarantee improved learning. The focus, the report suggests, should be on ensuring that educational methods require active cognitive engagement and on re-evaluating how and when digital tools are used in schools.
(Author: Jake Angelo)
