What Makes Educational AI Useful
Two very different studies reached the same conclusion this week. Technology helps students when it supports the work of thinking, and hurts them when it becomes a substitute for that work.
Two very different studies reached the same conclusion this week. Technology helps students when it supports the work of thinking, and hurts them when it becomes a substitute for that work.
What Happened This Week
A Fortune investigation blames declining test scores on screens.12
The OECD's Digital Education Outlook 2026 reveals a troubling paradox.34
What These Stories Have in Common
The debate about screens is often too broad. A textbook on a screen, a generic chatbot, and a carefully designed tutor are not the same educational tool. What matters is what the student is asked to do while using it.
Koan starts from a simple premise. The final answer is no longer a reliable measure of learning. Schools need to understand how students reached that answer and whether the work made them more capable.
What Schools Can Do
Schools should evaluate AI by looking at student behavior, not just scores or time saved. They should ask whether students explain their reasoning, revise their work, and retain what they learned after the tool is removed.
The goal is not to put more technology in the classroom. It is to use technology in a way that produces more learning.
References
America's math and reading scores tanked after schools ditched textbooks for screens, and AI could worsen the brain rot
Fortune · March 2026
AI tutoring outperforms in-class active learning: an RCT introducing a novel research-based design in an authentic educational setting
Nature Scientific Reports (Kestin et al.) · June 2025
Teachers at the helm: New national AI academy prioritizes educators in classroom tech
American Federation of Teachers · March 2026
OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026
OECD · January 2026
Sources cited in order of appearance. Click any inline number to jump.