On Tuesday, August 11, Darius Williams, a teacher from Texas, posted an emotional video regarding his students’ low literacy rates. Williams’ video immediately sparked attention and caused an uproar across social media. The internet not only began criticizing Williams’ reaction, but also sparked an argument. Many are unsure whether to blame the United States school systems or AI-integrated programs for lowering students’ literacy levels.
In the video, Williams says, “I don’t know. I simply don’t know where the problem is.” While others in the comments posted, “I truly think it’s all due to technology. We need to get back to physical textbooks, pen, and paper.” Though the reasoning behind the low rates is unclear, what we do know is that more students are beginning to rely on outside sources rather than putting in the effort to learn the material themselves.
Blaming The American School Systems
Many policies within the American school system have changed throughout the past few years. As technology advances and minds evolve, more schools are altering the way things are run. For example, it’s much more common for late work to be accepted, and fewer teachers are distributing zeros as grades. The reasoning behind this is that schools want to see more students succeed and move on with their lives, even if it actually hurts them in the long run.
Technology is another reason students may be educationally struggling. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to transition to online classes, educators noticed how much easier it was to teach. Chromebooks and laptops are now commonly handed out to students so they can partake in digital classwork.
The issue behind digital classwork is that it drastically reduces students’ attention spans, focus, and cognitive effort. Most digital programs have artificial intelligence or override features that eventually do the work for the student. Not only does digital classwork negatively affect a student’s cognitive skills, but it can also create physical issues. Constant screen usage can cause eye strain, headaches, and posture problems.
Is AI the Problem or the Solution?
Artificial intelligence has had both a positive and negative impact on our society, but many are beginning to notice a negative shift in students’ grades. Is it possible that AI is the reason behind this shift? Absolutely. Not only does AI often provide answers to many classwork assignments, but it also encourages students to work around the actual assignment, instead focusing on how to make it easier for themselves. When using AI, a student’s problem-solving skills immediately vanish as they no longer think for themselves.
Even AI-integrated systems like QuillBot, Grammarly, and Scribbr can cause students to heavily depend on provided assistance, rather than learning from their mistakes. Creativity dwindles each time a student uses an AI program. Because they rely on the bot to create their work, they refuse to creatively express themselves through their work. AI may be helping students get through high school quickly, but it’s sure to set them up for failure when they reach adulthood.
Opinions From an Educator
After hearing rumors of Williams using his emotional reaction to gain attention online, the N Crew was curious to know what other educators thought. We sat down with an anonymous, small-town educator from Michigan and asked them a few questions:
JNL: In your opinion, how is AI negatively affecting the way students learn?
Educator: I think AI is like everything else on a digital platform. It can be an excellent tool, but should not be relied on heavily. My main concern with AI is that students are not well-versed in evaluating the information they find using the tool. Rather, students are simply plugging prompts into AI platforms, pressing a button, and then using those responses in assignments without even reading them, instead using AI as a useful tool that can assist students with research, learning, and creation. It is, at times, being used as a crutch or a substitute for actual learning and application of concepts taught in the classroom.
JNL: How does your school reduce the usage of AI within its classrooms?
Educator: Our students generally complete their work on paper before typing, especially with longer-form passage-based writing prompts. We find that this benefits our students during learning the important steps of the writing process, as well as minimizing the opportunities for students to misuse AI platforms.
JNL: Would you consider AI a resource for students or an easy way out of doing work?
Educator: We know that AI isn’t going anywhere. It is my sincere hope that we in the educational field are able to teach our students how to use AI as the tool it was intended to be. There is so much in the world to learn, and these types of platforms can be an excellent way to open up that world. We must teach our students how to properly assess, evaluate, and apply the information they glean from AI sources while doing their own work. So, to answer your question, I believe that it could be both. It all depends on how it is used.
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