The age-old fantasy of robots ruling the world is no longer a childhood fascination but has manifested in reality. Artificial intelligence has seamlessly woven itself into every fabric of human life, education being no exception. The United States, long hailed as an academic powerhouse, has celebrated and welcomed this transformative technology into classrooms. A nationwide survey by the nonprofit global policy think tank RAND Corporation, conducted during the 2023-2024 academic year, revealed that around 40% of English teachers across the country have incorporated AI tools into their teaching. The study, drawing insights from over 12,000 teachers and school principals, signals a paradigm shift in how students engage with learning. As AI makes inroads into the classroom, a critical question emerges: Is the advent of artificial intelligence intertwined with the declining reading scores in the US?
The alarming drop in reading proficiency
The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report paints a stark picture of declining reading proficiency among students. Since 2019, fourth-grade scores have slipped from 220 to 215, while eighth-grade scores have dropped from 263 to 258. Alarmingly, the findings reveal that students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds have borne the brunt of this decline, exacerbating existing literacy gaps and deepening educational inequalities.
According to the reports, reading proficiency among fourth and eighth graders has yet to recover from pre-pandemic levels and has dipped further in some states. While multiple factors play a massive role in declining scores ranging from learning disruptions during the pandemic to a declining interest in reading – some educators and experts refer to AI’s role in changing how literacy is taught.
“This is not just a pandemic story… We know that teachers are not asking as much for essay responses” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics to USA Today. “We know that teachers are not asking as much for essay responses. “Students are also reading on devices. They’re not reading the kind of passages on devices that maybe you and I did years ago.” he further added.
AI as a double-edged sword
For many educators, AI has become an indispensable tool. English teachers leverage AI-powered platforms like MagicSchool and BriskBoost to generate instant feedback and comprehension quizzes. These tools guarantee efficiency, and accessibility, especially in overcrowded classrooms where individualised feedback is a challenge.
The AI effect: Less reading, less critical thinking?
Well, the picture of education is altering at a drastic rate in the land of opportunities. Nonetheless, one of the biggest challenges remains: Is AI in education eroding critical thinking skills and reading engagement? Some teachers have informed USA Today that students who are highly reliant on AI-generated summaries and analyses tend to engage less with the actual texts.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding AI in education is its impact on critical thinking and reading engagement. Teachers have observed that students relying on AI-generated summaries and analyses tend to engage less with the actual texts.
- Decline in deep reading: Decline in deep reading: AI-generated summaries motivate students to skim through content rather than delve deeper into the text. This not only reduces comprehension and retention but also makes students crippled, limiting their knowledge.
- Weakened critical thinking skills: Overdependence on artificial intelligence means students may accept information at face value rather than developing independent reasoning skills. They do not compel their minds to think beyond what is presented to them. Furthermore, when every solution is available in the blink of an eye, they do not push themselves to dig deeper to understand the solutions.
- Overdependence on AI tools: Is AI enabling or crippling students is a question that has often been a contentious issue. Well, in certain ways it is crippling students by prohibiting them to engage with the text at broader scale. This impedes their ability to think out of the box and develop ideas independently.
- Decreased human interaction: Numerous instances have shown that students have started relying on artificial intelligence for career guidance and suggestions related to studies. AI-driven learning cuts off face-to-face discussions with teachers and peers, which are crucial for comprehension.
- Erosion of research skills: The traditional research method encouraged students to leaf various books, and dig deeper into research journals and other resources to find out the answers. In English subject, it involved reading numerous books to understand the context. However, students nowadays are bypassing traditional research methods, depending on the AI-generated information lacking depth or credibility.
- Reduced writing proficiency: Writing proficiency is in the crosshairs after the advent of AI. The misconception that AI is a better writer is stealing off the writing skills of students. They are not only taking the help of these applications but rather completely generating their answers from AI tools. This is impeding their problem-solving and analytical skills and also is making them dependent on these applications to even write a paragraph. AI-assisted writing tools generate structured responses, but they impede creativity and original thought, leading to weaker writing abilities over time.
- Increased risk of misinformation: AI tools can furnish inaccurate information and students blindly depending on them can develop misinformation about texts and topics.
“This generation’s reading levels are atrocious and I think it’s because of the use of these platforms,” Katie Thomas, New Jersey high school English teacher said to USA Today. “Sometimes ChatGPT is wrong. They are being fed misinformation constantly. I worry we’re going to have a generation that follows AI blindly.” Frustrated by students submitting AI-generated essays, Thomas has banned computer-typed assignments in her classroom.
The issue transcends beyond comprehension. A study from Harvard University suggests that students who interact frequently with AI in educational settings produce less original language and exhibit lower levels of social engagement.
AI’s role in literacy education: A work in progress
While AI has potential in literacy education, experts forewarn that its role should be supplementary rather than a replacement of traditional strategies. Current AI programmes can effectively teach phonetics and basic comprehension but grapple with developing higher-order thinking skills required for deep reading.
Striking a balance: The path forward
As more schools integrate AI into their curricula, finding the right balance is critical. While AI can support teachers in grading and tutoring, it should not scrap off the much-needed human interaction necessary for literacy development. Experts recommend a hybrid approach, where AI is utilised to complement, rather than dictate, learning.
As US schools are welcoming AI, the challenge remains clear: unleashing the technology’s ultimate potential while ensuring that students do not come up short with the fundamental skills that literacy education is built upon. The future of reading in America may depend on how well educators can strike a balance between technology and the human touch.
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