AI Makes Homework Faster — But Students May Be Learning Less

VoS NEWS DESK | EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

A large study involving more than 25,000 secondary-school students in China has found that students using generative AI spent less time completing homework and achieved better homework results, but later performed worse in examinations where AI assistance was unavailable.

The findings have raised concerns among educators about whether AI is improving genuine learning or simply helping students complete academic tasks more efficiently.

Generative AI can explain difficult subjects, solve mathematical problems, provide research assistance and help students improve written work within seconds. For students struggling with a particular topic, the technology can also function as an instant learning assistant.

However, researchers warn that there is an important difference between using AI to understand a subject and using AI to do the work instead of the student.

When students use AI to receive explanations, identify mistakes or practise difficult concepts, the technology can potentially support learning. But when students rely on AI to produce complete answers or assignments, they may lose opportunities to develop independent reasoning and problem-solving skills.

The research found that this difference can become visible during examinations. Students who had benefited from AI assistance while completing homework did not necessarily perform better when they were required to demonstrate their knowledge independently.

The issue is becoming increasingly important for schools and universities across Britain, Australia and other education systems where students have easy access to powerful AI tools.

Traditional homework and take-home essays are also becoming more difficult for teachers to assess. Educators may struggle to determine whether a student's work represents their own understanding or was largely produced with assistance from an AI system.

As a result, some institutions are reconsidering how students should be assessed. Greater emphasis could be placed on supervised examinations, oral presentations, classroom discussions, practical projects and other forms of assessment that require students to demonstrate their understanding directly.

The debate does not necessarily mean that AI should be removed from education.

Used responsibly, AI can provide personalised explanations, immediate feedback and additional opportunities for students to practise. The challenge is ensuring that the technology remains a learning tool rather than a replacement for learning itself.

The issue is particularly significant because today's students will enter workplaces where artificial intelligence is expected to become increasingly common. Education systems therefore need to prepare students not only to use AI, but also to think critically when AI is unavailable or when its answers cannot be trusted.

The long-term question for schools may therefore be less about whether students use AI and more about how much of the thinking they continue to do themselves.

VoS STRATEGIC INSIGHT

The growing use of AI could fundamentally change the way education measures academic ability.

If students can use AI to complete homework, higher assignment scores may no longer provide a complete picture of their knowledge. Schools and universities may increasingly need to test whether students can explain, analyse and apply information independently.

For British and Australian education systems, the challenge will be finding the right balance between technological progress and traditional learning skills.

AI could become one of the most powerful educational tools available — but only if students continue to develop the ability to think, reason and solve problems without it.

Source: Al Jazeera / CEPR–VoxEU / World Bank / VoS News Desk