15 January 2025
A better approach for teaching about AI (opinion)
“One small change in our approach to teaching about AI makes a big difference.”

Check all AI results for accuracy, fairness, and potential harm. Ultimately, it’s human oversight that safeguards responsible use.
Transforming AI from a Tool to a Learning Partner
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been hailed as a transformative force in education. However, how we conceptualise and use AI in the classroom can make all the difference. Rather than treating AI as a shortcut or a magical solution, educators and students alike can unlock its true potential by embracing it as an interactive partner in the learning process. This shift in perspective not only enhances engagement but also fosters deeper thinking, creativity, and self-reflection.
Moving Beyond AI as a Content Generator
When we think of AI, it is tempting to see it as a tool to save time by generating essays, answers, or explanations. While it is true that AI can produce content quickly, relying on it in this way often results in shallow engagement. A student might receive a perfectly structured essay, but they miss out on the opportunity to grapple with ideas, refine their arguments, and truly learn.
Instead, we should encourage students to interact with AI as a learning partner. This involves shifting the focus from asking AI to do something for them to asking AI to guide and challenge their thinking. This approach makes learning a more active and engaging process.
The Interactive Potential of AI
AI can serve as a space for experimentation, reflection, and growth. By framing AI as a collaborator rather than a substitute, students can use it to:
- Receive Constructive Feedback: Students can:
- Submit a draft of a lab report in biology and ask the AI to highlight sections that require clearer data interpretation.
- Prompt: "You are a biology lecturer. Review this lab report draft for clarity in data interpretation and suggest specific improvements."
- Share the outline of an essay in philosophy and request input on logical coherence.
- Prompt: "Act as a philosophy tutor. Evaluate the logical flow of this essay outline and provide detailed suggestions for improvement."
- Submit a proposed solution for a mathematics problem and ask for critiques of its methodology.
- Prompt: "You are a mathematics professor. Critique this solution for accuracy and methodology, pointing out any areas for refinement."
- Upload a draft of a marketing campaign proposal and request feedback on its effectiveness and appeal.
- Prompt: "You are a marketing consultant. Assess this campaign proposal for effectiveness and provide suggestions for improvement."
- Provide a draft of a research abstract and ask for suggestions to make it more concise and impactful.
- Prompt: "Act as a research supervisor. Review this abstract draft for conciseness and impact, and suggest refinements."
- Submit a draft of a script for a presentation and ask for advice on improving its structure and delivery.
- Prompt: "You are a public speaking coach. Evaluate this presentation script and suggest ways to improve its structure and delivery."
- Submit a draft of a lab report in biology and ask the AI to highlight sections that require clearer data interpretation.
- Explore Multiple Perspectives: AI can help students:
- Analyse the impact of Brexit from economic, political, and social perspectives.
- Prompt: "You are an expert in European studies. Discuss the impact of Brexit from economic, political, and social angles."
- Examine the ethical implications of genetic engineering from both utilitarian and deontological perspectives.
- Prompt: "Act as an ethics lecturer. Compare the implications of genetic engineering using utilitarian and deontological frameworks."
- Investigate how urbanisation influences environmental sustainability in developed and developing countries.
- Prompt: "You are an environmental scientist. Contrast the effects of urbanisation on sustainability in developed versus developing nations."
- Analyse the impact of Brexit from economic, political, and social perspectives.
- Develop Stronger Arguments: AI can assist students to:
- Strengthen their argument for renewable energy adoption by identifying gaps in evidence.
- Prompt: "You are an energy policy expert. Evaluate this argument for renewable energy adoption and suggest stronger supporting evidence."
- Improve their advocacy for universal basic income by addressing potential counterarguments.
- Prompt: "Act as an economist. Critique this argument for universal basic income and identify counterarguments to address."
- Enhance their case study on cultural preservation in globalisation by suggesting additional examples.
- Prompt: "You are a cultural anthropologist. Review this case study on cultural preservation and suggest more examples or evidence to include."
- Strengthen their argument for renewable energy adoption by identifying gaps in evidence.
- Enhance Retention Through Quizzing: Instead of passively reviewing notes, students can:
- Request multiple-choice questions to test their knowledge of chemical reactions.
- Prompt: "You are a chemistry lecturer. Create five multiple-choice questions to test understanding of chemical reactions."
- Ask for fill-in-the-blank exercises to practice legal terminology in contract law.
- Prompt: "You are a law tutor. Provide five fill-in-the-blank exercises to practise legal terms in contract law."
- Challenge themselves with problem-solving scenarios in supply chain management.
- Prompt: "You are a logistics professor. Create three problem-solving scenarios related to supply chain management."
- Request multiple-choice questions to test their knowledge of chemical reactions.
Practical Steps to Engage with AI
For educators and students looking to adopt this approach, here is a simple framework:
- Set a Clear Goal: Define what you want to achieve with the AI. For example, “I want to improve my understanding of thermodynamics” or “I need help refining my argument in a debate.”
- Assign AI a Role: Treat the AI as a partner with a specific role, such as a debate opponent, writing coach, or subject-matter expert.
- Establish Guidelines: Provide constraints to guide the interaction. For example, ask the AI to avoid giving direct answers and instead focus on asking clarifying questions or pointing out areas of improvement.
A New Way of Learning
By treating AI as an interactive space rather than a content generator, students remain at the centre of the learning process. This approach keeps their minds engaged, encourages curiosity, and fosters the development of critical thinking skills. Instead of outsourcing their intellectual effort, students learn to collaborate with AI in a way that enhances their own abilities.
Educators play a crucial role in modelling and promoting this mindset. By incorporating these practices into their teaching, they can help create a culture where AI is not just a tool but a dynamic partner in education. This shift not only makes learning more effective but also more enjoyable—a journey of exploration and discovery where the human mind remains firmly in the driver’s seat.