Education has undergone significant changes over the last decade, particularly with the rise of AI. While some teachers remain hesitant to introduce AI into their classrooms, students in secondary education frequently use it. The use of AI comes with a stigma; it is assumed that AI use translates to a lack of willingness to engage in learning. Under the lens of critical pedagogy, we propose that the hierarchy that exists within education, where AI is viewed as an authoritarian source of knowledge, be broken so that it becomes a co-learner with students in the classroom. When AI becomes a co-learner, students can preserve their epistemic agency by choosing to accept or reject its ideas. They can exercise their critical thinking and analysis skills by questioning AI outputs, rather than interacting with it as an authoritative source. Through this interaction, students are encouraged to hold on to their identities and acknowledge the underlying biases of how AI works. Education should be versatile to adapt and transform with continuous technological changes. Our proposed mindset shift will open new pathways in education, driving the education system towards student-centred pedagogy while embracing advancing technologies like AI. This shift can bring about critical consciousness in students by enhancing their critical analysis skills, consequently solving essential challenges that AI poses. In this research paper, we will identify the challenges of AI usage in secondary classrooms and how our proposed mindset shift can address them.

Authors:
Kashaf Noreen, University of Toronto, Canada
Mariam Al Ramadhan, University of Toronto, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Kashaf Noreen is a PhD student at OISE, University of Toronto. Her interests include knowledge building, AI and student agency. Her current project examines how AI-enhanced environments can support collaborative knowledge creation.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kashafnoreen

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