A tool can help us produce an answer quickly. Having an answer, however, does not by itself tell us what we have learned. This essay proposes a different starting question: what capability should the learner develop, and what would demonstrate it?
From output to the thinking behind it
Two pieces of writing may look equally polished while representing different learning processes. One may follow reading, comparison and revision; another may have been copied without understanding. We therefore suggest asking for a short account of the process: the question, the sources and the changes between the first draft and the final version.
This need not turn every task into a lengthy log. An oral question or a new example can reveal understanding. Ask the learner to explain a choice, apply the idea in another context or identify a weakness in the answer. The output becomes the starting point for a conversation about learning.
Space for assistance and for independence
Learners need to know when assistance is allowed and what its limits are. A tool might be permitted to suggest an outline or practice questions while the final argument must be written independently. State the rule before the task, and ask learners to disclose their use, rather than guessing afterwards.
We suggest a two-stage exercise: an initial attempt without a tool, followed by an assisted revision. The learner explains what they accepted, rejected and why. This is a proposed teaching arrangement, not a finding from an experiment conducted by Mustanef.
Fairness belongs in the task design
When an activity requires a service some learners cannot access, performance may reflect unequal access as well as understanding. Provide an alternative, shared time with the tool or a task that everyone can complete with available resources. Avoid entering personal information or other people’s work without permission.
What remains the teacher’s responsibility?
Choosing the goal, understanding the context, assessing progress and interpreting mistakes require human judgement. A tool can help prepare options; the teacher decides which fit the learners. Information and references still need to be checked before they are used in a learning activity.
UNESCO’s guidance on generative AI in education and research offers a human-centred frame. We draw on that broad perspective for these questions, without attributing our specific teaching proposals to UNESCO.
A question to continue the conversation
If a polished assignment could be produced in minutes, what evidence would you ask for to demonstrate learning? Send us one task and a way to assess understanding and the process behind it.
Further reading
UNESCO: Guidance for generative AI in education and research (2023).
An opening editorial prepared with AI assistance. The proposals are offered for discussion and are not findings from field research.