Dutch students show growing enthusiasm for generative AI in education | Hacker News Reader

Dutch students show growing enthusiasm for generative AI in education

phys.org

5 pointsjb19917 comments

Lots one could say here. First it kind of feels like the old saying

"you won't always have a calculator in your pocket so learn the math" we all heard. And now we all have a calculator. This seems like the next moment similar to the calculator saying. Kids using Ai to help with papers and "cheat". Teachers trying to detect Ai usage and punish kids. I imagine there will one day be a shift and instead of punishing kids will instead be taught how to use Ai to help with papers but also shown how to also verify the information and possibly tested if they remember any of the information.

The goal of teaching should be to help students gain knowledge. Ai in my opinion has potential to be a great tool for learning. Not just writing complete papers, that isn't great. But tasks like summarizing articles to more quickly determine if they are relevant. Or to read articles to students as many struggle to read well no matter how much they try.

I know there are some cons to Ai and learning but I think with the right attitude it could be a powerful tool for students.

One thing I've learned is to look at teenagers/college students for tech trends.

Some things I learned recently:

* Young people don't use computers. They are masterful at using their phones and iPads to do real work. There is a joke that millennials at work have to teach young GenZs how to use a computer like they do for boomers.

* Young people don't watch Netflix/Youtube much at all. They mostly only consume short videos.

* Young people are absolutely the biggest users of LLMs. They aren't AI skeptics.

And it is very clear that AI will continue to be part of daily life into the future so my belief is not punish the use of it but rather help the students navigate and use it more effectively. Who cares if AI was used to write a paper if the students can demonstrate they have learned the knowledge and that the facts they presented are accurate?

How young are we talking about? I thought YouTube was particularly popular for just about all age groups it seems. It seems to cover such a vast universe of interests and styles and content, something for everyone.

I've been working with some early 20s Gen Zs. None of them watch Youtube. They're on Tiktok/IG Reels all day. They can't put it down. In fact, it's kind of hard to have a conversation with them because they're always on their phones.

I think your point is generally in the right direction, and applies to any new technology.

> The goal of teaching should be to help students gain knowledge.

I strongly disagree with those words. The goal is to teach students how to think - independently, critically, and creatively. Give them fish, and they eat today; teach them how to fish, and they can handle AI and the future big changes in the world during your lifetime.

I completely agree. Knowledge is actually the least interesting result from a good education.

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