OER Project AI Guide
DON’T LET AI DO ALL THE THINKING: FIVE WAYS TO KEEP YOUR STUDENTS SHARP We’re living in the AI revolution, and honestly? It’s pretty amazing. Our students can get instant answers, personalized help, and support with everything from essay writing to coding. But here’s the thing that keeps many of us up at night: Are we accidentally creating a generation of students who’ve forgotten how to think for themselves?Don’t panic—we’ve got this! This guide will show you exactly how to harness AI’s superpowers while making sure your students’ brains stay in the driver’s seat.The Real Talk: How AI Can Mess with Student ThinkingAI is incredibly tempting. Why struggle through a problem when ChatGPT can solve it in seconds? But here’s what happens when students lean too heavily on their AI crutches:• Brain-drain alert: Students start outsourcing their thinking to machines instead of building their own mental muscles. It’s like using a calculator for 2+2—convenient, but not great for developing number sense.• The illusion of understanding: Sure, AI can spit out the “right” answer, but does your student actually get why it’s right? Often, they’re just copying and pasting without the deeper learning that comes from wrestling with ideas.• The accuracy trap: AI sounds confident even when it’s completely wrong. Students need to become AI fact-checkers, not blind followers.• Echo-chamber effect: AI tends to reinforce what students already believe rather than challenging them with new perspectives. Where’s the growth in that?• Lost in translation: When AI does all the heavy lifting, students miss out on understanding how they think—and that metacognitive awareness is pure gold for learning.Your Toolkit: Five Game-Changing Strategies1. Create sacred “no-AI” spacesThink of these as mental gymnasiums where students flex their thinking muscles.What it looks like: Designate specific assignments, discussions, or class periods as AI-free zones. Make it clear that this isn’t punishment—it’s brain training!Try this: Start a class debate with phones and laptops closed. Give students a controversial statement and watch them dig deep into their own knowledge and reasoning. You’ll be amazed at what they come up with when they can’t Google their way out.2. Stage the ultimate showdown: human vs. AITurn comparison into a learning superpower.What it looks like: Have students tackle a problem on their own, and then compare their approach with an AI’s solution. Make it a detective game—what did each approach miss? What made each one unique?
2AI GuideTry this: After students write their own comparison of the Russian and Mexican Revolutions, show them an AI’s take. Ask them questions like these:• Where did you think more creatively?• What assumptions did the AI make?• Which reasoning process was more thorough?• What’s the most significant similarity? The most significant difference?Or you can have them analyze the AI’s response with the attached rubric to see how accurate the response was, and then complete the discussion. Watch their confidence soar as they discover their human edge. 3. Make thinking visibleShift from “show me your answer” to “show me your brain at work.”What it looks like: Design assignments that require students to document their thought processes, not just deliver final products. This encourages students to show what they know without the inclusion of an AI agent. You’re asking them to create a “thinking portfolio.”Try this: Instead of just asking for an essay, require students to submit their brainstorming notes, rough drafts, and reflections on how their thinking evolved. Suddenly, the learning journey becomes just as important as the destination. You could even include a primary source on an assessment and ask students to annotate it using the PIECES approach. 4. Power-up group problem-solvingBecause two heads (or five!) are better than one—or one AI.What it looks like: Create collaborative challenges that require students to think together, debate ideas, and build on each other’s insights: Sometimes with AI assistance, sometimes without.Try this: Present a historical dilemma: “You’re a nation at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Your job is to negotiate a peace treaty. What are your terms?” Let teams brainstorm together first and determine their terms. Once all “nations” have shared their nonnegotiables, have them fact-check their work using AI. Compare how their thinking evolved with and without digital help. 5. Turn students into AI detectivesTeach them to question everything—especially the machines.What it looks like: Explicitly teach students how AI works, where it fails, and how to fact-check its outputs. Make them AI-skeptics in the best possible way.Try this: Give students an AI-generated “fact sheet” that contains some accurate info and some subtle errors. Challenge them to verify everything and identify the mistakes. Create a classroom culture where claim testing or asking, “How do we know this is true?” is encouraged. You can get an example of one of these activities here or here.
3AI GuideThe Bottom LineHere’s the beautiful truth: We don’t have to choose between AI and critical thinking. When we’re intentional about how we integrate these tools, we can give students the best of both worlds—the efficiency of AI andthe irreplaceable power of human reasoning.Your students will thank you for teaching them to think, not just to prompt. In a world full of AI-generated content, the humans who can think critically, question assumptions, and reason through complex problems will be the ones who truly stand out.Ready to revolutionize your classroom? Pick one strategy and try it this week. Your students’ brains will thank you! Resources That Inspired This Guide:• Timothy Cook MEd, “AI Weakens Critical Thinking. This Is How to Rebuild It,” Psychology Today, May 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-algorithmic-mind/202505/ai-weakens-critical-thinking-and-how-to-rebuild-it• Andrew J. Martin, Rebecca J. Collie, Roger Kennett, Danny Liu, Paul Ginns, Lala B. Sudimantara, Ema W. Dewi, Lilith G. Rüschenpöhler, “Generative AI and Explicit Instruction: A Guide to Optimising Students’ Learning,” EducationHQ, May 2025, https://educationhq.com/news/generative-ai-and-explicit-instruction-a-guide-to-optimising-students-learning-194509/OER Project Analyzing AI Responses RubricUse this rubric to become an AI detective! Evaluate how well an AI-generated response demonstrates historical thinking and analysis. Ye sNoNot sureEvidence/ExamplesHistorical accuracy and evidenceAre the historical facts accurate?Does it cite credible sources?Can you verify the information from your class materials?Multiple perspectives and complexityDoes it present different viewpoints on the topic?Does it avoid oversimplifying complex issues?Does it acknowledge that historical events have multiple causes?
4AI GuideYe sNoNot sureEvidence/ExamplesHistorical thinking skillsDoes it explain cause-and-effect relationships clearly?Does it put events in proper historical context?Does it explain how things changed over time?Critical analysis and limitationsDoes it acknowledge potential bias in sources?Does it admit when information might be uncertain?Does it avoid making unsupported claims?Focus and relevanceDoes it directly answer the question asked?Does it stay on-topic throughout?Is the information well-organized?Use of evidenceDoes it provide specific historical examples?Do the examples support the main points?Does it connect evidence to the bigger historical themes?