Oxford researchers find most pupils struggle with proper AI use in schoolwork

While children in the UK are turning to AI for their schoolwork, a recent report commissioned by Oxford University Press (OUP) shows that a vast majority of them struggle to identify AI misinformation.

This comes as AI is fast-growing and is being adopted across sectors due to its transformative abilities. But sadly, there is a downside for millions of users who are exposed to the dangers of the technology, including misinformation.

For UK students, they are also worried that the technology will erode their ability to think independently, with others complaining it is now making school work “too easy.” However, other students – 31% indicated that they didn’t think AI use was bad for them. That group insists it enhances their creative skills and makes them fast thinkers.

Majority of UK pupils use AI

According to the Guardian, the OUP asked more than 2,000 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18 about how they regarded AI. Of the surveyed pupils, only 18% said they did not use AI for their school work, while 80% said they regularly used the technology.

The study shows that just over half of the teenagers admitted that it was difficult for them to tell if the information was correct.

According to the OUP, concerned students turned to their teachers for assistance while a third of them felt their tutors were not confident about using AI tools. At Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield for instance, the assistant head teacher Dan Williams revealed that most students were using AI for their homework or revision.

“Some are using it really effectively and are using it as a personal tutor and getting that help. But many are copying and pasting from the AI,” he said. Williams continued, “They do not yet have that bank of knowledge and experience to test whether something is correct or not.”

Williams, also the school’s AI lead, admitted that he also struggled to identify AI-generated people in videos.

According to the OUP, 80% of teenagers or eight out of 10 teenagers surveyed said they used AI for school work. About a third of the teenagers told the OUP researchers they could not distinguish between true and AI content, while a further fifth was simply not sure.

Despite these challenges, the teenagers also praised AI technology, according to Dr Alexandra Tomescu from OUP.

“We hear a lot about how AI is all doom and gloom and how it’s going to make young people very dependent on it,” said Tomescu.

“But when asked, actually nine out of 10 students have said that they have benefitted from AI, especially in skill development,” she said, adding that the students mentioned problem solving and creative writing as some of the skills they gained through AI.

While UK pupils turn to the technology, countries like China are tough on AI use in schools. In June, the country temporarily shut down AI tools to ensure the integrity of college entrance exams.

Oxford mentioned it had created an AI and Education Hub online, designed to assist teachers boost their AI skills. This also comes as the Department of Education published a range of resources to advise schools on how to use AI safely.

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