4-day ‘Hack to the Future Andhra 2025' held
The pilot programme, implemented across Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, Andhra Pradesh Model School, government high schools in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, introduced learners to foundational AI concepts, future skills and career education. Celebrating the achievement, a four-day-long 'Hack to the Future Andhra 2025' was organised at GITAM, bringing students, teachers and education leaders to celebrate future-ready learning by the government of AP in partnership with Quest Alliance, Samagra Shiksha (SSA AP) and Leadership for Equity.
It also equipped teachers with tools and training to facilitate technology-integrated learning. G Sridevi, a Telugu educator teaching in KGBV Saravakota, said, 'As a Telugu teacher with little knowledge in technology, I relied on poems and stories to teach. Gradually, I began using small apps and IFP panels to engage my students.' The State programme director, Samagra Shiksha, Andhra Pradesh B Srinivasa Rao, said, 'This initiative is not just about introducing students to AI but also about bringing alive the State's ambitious vision of 'Swarna Andhra 2047' where AP emerges as an AI Hub for the country.'
The event featured a hackathon bootcamp, a prototype showcase, and a teacher recognition ceremony. In all 39 students, working in teams of three, developed AI-powered prototypes to solve local problems, with guidance from 13 trained teachers. These projects addressed issues ranging from waste management to access to public services, and were presented to an expert panel comprising professors, funders, educationists and state officials.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
The future of learning: AI that makes students think harder, not less
For years, educators have watched with growing concern as Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT has transformed student behaviour in ways that seemed to undermine the very essence of learning. Students began copying and pasting AI responses, submitting machine-generated essays, and bypassing the mental effort that builds genuine understanding. But a quiet revolution is now underway in classrooms around the world—one that promises to transform AI from an academic shortcut into a powerful thinking partner. The crisis of instant answers The numbers tell a troubling story. A 2023 survey revealed that 30% of college students admitted to using AI to complete work they didn't fully understand, highlighting a critical disconnect between AI assistance and genuine learning. The problem isn't AI's presence in education—it's how these tools have been designed. Educational experts observe that most AI tools entering classrooms today are optimized for output rather than learning. These systems excel at generating essays, solving complex problems, and providing comprehensive explanations—capabilities that inadvertently encourage academic shortcuts. Traditional AI operates as sophisticated answer engines, designed to be helpful by providing immediate solutions. While this approach serves many purposes in professional settings, it fundamentally misaligns with educational goals. Learning requires struggle, reflection, and the gradual construction of understanding—processes that instant answers can circumvent entirely. The Socratic solution The answer lies in reimagining AI as a Socratic partner rather than an oracle. This revolutionary approach, exemplified by innovations such as Claude's Learning Mode, GPT-4's enhanced reasoning capabilities, and Google's Bard educational features, along with similar tools being developed across the education technology sector, transforms AI from a source of answers into a facilitator of inquiry. Instead of responding to 'What caused the 2008 financial crisis?' with a comprehensive explanation, a Socratic AI might ask: 'What economic factors have you already considered?' or 'Which indicators do you think played the most significant role?' This approach extends beyond economics into other critical fields. In healthcare education, rather than immediately diagnosing a patient case study, AI might prompt: 'What symptoms are you prioritizing in your assessment?' or 'Which differential diagnoses have you ruled out and why?' In finance training, instead of providing investment recommendations, AI could ask: 'What risk factors are you weighing in this portfolio decision?' or 'How do current market conditions influence your analysis?' This method draws from centuries of educational theory. Socratic questioning has long been recognized as one of the most effective ways to develop critical thinking skills. By prompting learners to examine their assumptions, articulate their reasoning, and explore alternative perspectives, it builds the intellectual muscles that passive consumption cannot develop. Early adopters see promising result Several major institutions are already pioneering this approach with remarkable results. Northeastern University's deployment of AI across 13 campuses, affecting over 50,000 students and staff, demonstrates the scalability of thoughtful AI integration. The London School of Economics and Champlain College are similarly experimenting with AI tools that enhance rather than replace critical thinking. Researchers have found that when students use AI as a thinking partner rather than an answer source, they develop stronger foundational understanding before engaging with more complex classroom discussions. Educational institutions report that students arrive in class better prepared with more focused, sophisticated questions. These early implementations reveal several crucial success factors: Ethical boundaries: Effective educational AI must be programmed to refuse requests that undermine learning integrity. This isn't just content filtering—it requires AI systems designed with educational principles at their core. Faculty integration: Success requires AI tools that complement rather than replace instructors. The most effective implementations support teachers by helping students engage more meaningfully with course material. Student preparation: When properly introduced to these tools, students quickly adapt to using AI as a collaborative thinking partner rather than a homework completion service. The technology behind thinking Creating effective AI tools for critical thinking requires careful consideration of both technical and pedagogical factors. Educational AI is being built with what developers call a 'Constitutional AI Framework'—explicit ethical guidelines that prioritize learning over convenience, embedded in the model's core reasoning rather than added as superficial filters. These new systems feature adaptive questioning that adjusts based on student responses, becoming more sophisticated as learners demonstrate greater mastery. Multi-modal interaction capabilities support various learning preferences through text, voice, visual, and interactive elements, while strict privacy protections ensure student data remains secure. Implementation across levels The Socratic AI approach shows promise across different educational stages: K-12 Education: Elementary students engage with AI tools that ask simple 'why' and 'how' questions to build foundational inquiry skills. Middle schoolers work with more sophisticated questioning that introduces multiple perspectives and evidence evaluation. High school students use advanced critical thinking tools that support research, argumentation, and complex problem-solving. Higher education: Undergraduate programs use AI tools that facilitate deep learning in specific disciplines while maintaining academic integrity. Graduate students work with research-focused AI that helps develop original thinking and methodology. Professional schools employ AI tools that simulate real-world problem-solving scenarios and ethical decision-making. Corporate training: Leadership development programs use AI tools that challenge assumptions and facilitate strategic thinking. Technical training incorporates AI that guides learners through complex problem-solving processes. Compliance training features AI that helps employees think through ethical scenarios and regulatory requirements. Measuring success beyond test scores Traditional educational metrics—standardized test scores, grade point averages, and completion rates—may not capture the full impact of AI tools designed for critical thinking. These conventional measures often emphasize knowledge retention and procedural skills rather than the deeper cognitive abilities that Socratic AI aims to develop. Instead, institutions are pioneering new assessment approaches that evaluate the quality of thinking itself, recognizing that the most important educational outcomes may be the least visible on traditional report cards. Depth of questioning: Educational researchers are tracking whether students' progress from surface-level inquiries to more sophisticated, multi-layered questions that demonstrate genuine curiosity and analytical thinking. Rather than asking 'What happened?' students begin posing questions like 'What factors contributed to this outcome, and how might different circumstances have led to alternative results?' Assessment tools now measure question complexity, the frequency of follow-up inquiries, and students' ability to identify what they don't yet understand. Advanced AI systems can analyse the sophistication of student questions in real-time, providing educators with insights into developing intellectual curiosity that traditional testing cannot reveal. Argumentation quality: Modern assessment focuses on students' ability to construct well-reasoned arguments supported by credible evidence, acknowledge counterarguments, and build logical connections between premises and conclusions. Evaluators examine whether students can distinguish between correlation and causation, recognize bias in sources, and present balanced analyses of complex issues. New rubrics assess the strength of evidence selection, the logical flow of reasoning, and students' ability to anticipate and address potential objections to their positions. This approach values the process of building an argument as much as the final conclusion, recognizing that strong reasoning skills transfer across all academic and professional contexts. Transfer or learning: Perhaps the most crucial indicator of educational success is students' ability to apply critical thinking skills across different subjects, contexts, and real-world situations. Assessment tools now track whether a student who learns analytical techniques in history class can apply similar reasoning to scientific methodology, business case studies, or personal decision-making. Educators observe whether students recognize patterns and principles that span disciplines, such as understanding how statistical reasoning applies equally to social science research and medical diagnosis. This transfer capability indicates that students have internalized thinking processes rather than merely memorized subject-specific content. Metacognitive awareness: Advanced educational assessment now includes measures of students' consciousness about their own thinking processes—their ability to recognize when they're making assumptions, identify their own knowledge gaps, and select appropriate strategies for different types of problems. Students demonstrating strong metacognitive awareness can articulate their reasoning process, explain why they chose particular approaches, and self-assess the strength of their conclusions. They become skilled at asking themselves questions like 'What evidence would change my mind?' or 'What assumptions am I making that I should examine?' This self-awareness transforms students into independent learners capable of continuous intellectual growth. Intellectual humility: Modern assessment recognizes intellectual humility—the willingness to revise views when presented with compelling evidence—as a crucial indicator of educational maturity. Rather than rewarding students for defending initial positions regardless of new information, evaluation systems now value intellectual flexibility and evidence-based reasoning. Students demonstrating intellectual humility acknowledge the limits of their knowledge, seek out disconfirming evidence, and show genuine curiosity about alternative perspectives. They express confidence in their reasoning process while remaining open to new information that might refine or change their conclusions. Collaborative problem solving: New assessment approaches also evaluate students' ability to engage in productive collaborative thinking, building on others' ideas while contributing unique perspectives. These measures track whether students can synthesize diverse viewpoints, facilitate group inquiry, and help teams navigate disagreement constructively. Long-term impact tracking: Some institutions are implementing longitudinal studies that follow graduates to assess how AI-enhanced critical thinking education influences career success, civic engagement, and lifelong learning habits. These studies examine whether students who experienced Socratic AI education demonstrate superior problem-solving abilities, greater adaptability to changing professional demands, and more effective leadership skills in their post-graduation lives. Portfolio-based assessment: Rather than relying on isolated examinations, innovative institutions are developing portfolio systems that document students' thinking evolution over time. These portfolios include reflection essays, problem-solving process documentation, peer collaboration records, and evidence of intellectual growth across multiple contexts, providing a comprehensive picture of educational development that single assessments cannot capture. Challenges on the horizon The transformation faces significant hurdles. Technical challenges include developing AI capable of sophisticated educational dialogue while ensuring consistent ethical behaviour across diverse contexts. Creating tools that adapt to individual learning needs while maintaining privacy and security presents ongoing difficulties. Institutional challenges include faculty resistance to new technologies, concerns about AI replacing human instruction, budget constraints, and the need for comprehensive training systems. Students themselves may initially resist AI that doesn't provide immediate answers, requiring a learning curve to engage effectively with Socratic AI tools. The digital divide also poses concerns about equitable access to these advanced educational technologies. The future of AI-enhanced learning As AI tools become more sophisticated, several transformative developments are anticipated that will reshape the educational landscape: Personalised learning pathways: The next generation of AI will create unprecedented levels of educational customization. These systems will continuously analyse how individual students learn best, identifying optimal pacing, preferred explanation styles, and effective motivational approaches. For instance, a student struggling with mathematical concepts might receive visual representations and real-world applications, while another excels with abstract theoretical frameworks. AI will also map knowledge gaps in real-time, creating adaptive learning sequences that address weaknesses while building on strengths. This personalization extends beyond academic content to include emotional and social learning, with AI recognizing when students need encouragement, challenge, or different types of support. Cross-curricular integration: Future AI systems will excel at helping students discover connections between seemingly unrelated subjects, fostering the interdisciplinary thinking essential for solving complex modern problems. Students studying climate change, for example, will be guided to see connections between chemistry, economics, political science, and ethics. AI will prompt questions like 'How might the economic principles you learned in your business class apply to environmental policy?' or 'What historical patterns can inform our understanding of social responses to scientific challenges?' This approach mirrors how real-world problems require integrated knowledge from multiple disciplines, better preparing students for careers that demand versatile thinking. Real-world problem solving: AI will increasingly facilitate engagement with authentic, complex challenges that mirror those professionals face in their careers. Rather than working with simplified textbook problems, students will tackle genuine issues like urban planning dilemmas, public health crises, or technological implementation challenges. AI will guide students through the messy, non-linear process of real problem-solving, helping them navigate ambiguity, consider multiple stakeholders, and develop practical solutions. These experiences will develop not just critical thinking skills, but also resilience, creativity, and the ability to work with incomplete information—capabilities essential for success in rapidly changing careers. Global collaboration: AI tools will break down geographical and cultural barriers, enabling students from different countries and educational systems to collaborate on shared learning experiences. These platforms will facilitate cross-cultural dialogue while helping students understand different perspectives on global issues. AI will serve as a cultural translator and mediator, helping students from diverse backgrounds communicate effectively and learn from their differences. Virtual exchange programs powered by AI will allow students to engage in joint research projects, debate global challenges, and develop the international competency increasingly valued in the modern workforce. Adapting assessment and feedback: Future AI systems will revolutionize how learning is assessed, moving beyond traditional testing to continuous, contextual evaluation. These tools will observe student thinking processes during problem-solving, providing insights into reasoning patterns, misconceptions, and growth areas. Assessment will become a learning opportunity itself, with AI offering immediate, specific feedback that guides improvement rather than simply measuring performance. Emotional intelligence development: Advanced AI will recognize and respond to students' emotional states, helping develop crucial soft skills alongside academic knowledge. These systems will guide students through collaborative exercises, conflict resolution, and empathy-building activities, preparing them for leadership roles in increasingly complex social environments. Lifelong learning support: As careers become more dynamic and require continuous skill updating, AI learning partners will evolve alongside learners throughout their professional lives. These systems will help professionals identify emerging skill needs, design learning paths for career transitions, and maintain intellectual curiosity across decades of changing work environments. A pedagogical revolution The transformation of AI from answer engine to thinking partner represents more than a technological shift—it's a pedagogical revolution. In an era where information is abundant but understanding is scarce, AI tools that prioritize depth over speed may be essential for developing the critical thinking skills students need for success in an increasingly complex world. Educational technology leaders note that institutions are at a critical juncture in AI implementation. The early success of Socratic AI implementations demonstrates that technology can enhance rather than undermine educational goals when designed with learning principles at its core. As more institutions experiment with these approaches, AI is poised to become an indispensable partner in developing the critical thinking skills that define educated, engaged citizens. The challenge now is to scale these innovations thoughtfully, ensuring that AI tools remain true to their educational mission while becoming accessible to learners across all contexts. The journey from AI as a shortcut to AI as a thinking partner is just beginning. For educators, technologists, and policymakers, the opportunity to shape this transformation represents one of the most important challenges—and opportunities—of our time. The future of education may well depend on our ability to develop AI that makes students think harder, not less. This article is based on research and implementations from leading educational institutions including Northeastern University, the London School of Economics, and Champlain College, as well as analysis of emerging AI tools in classroom settings and educational technology research. (The author is retired professor at IIT Madras)
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
AI is reshaping career skills and college curricula, but are schools ready when students let AI do their assignments?
Soft Skills: The Human Advantage You Might Also Like: US computer science degrees from top universities are leaving graduates jobless: Why is top coding education no longer enough? Why Schools Need to Start Early You Might Also Like: AI can't steal this one human skill, and it could be your ticket to career success before it catches up iStock Colleges are already rethinking their curricula to encourage adaptability, creativity, and collaboration. But K-12 education still largely prepares students for a knowledge economy that may soon look very different. The Hidden Risk A Reading Crisis Compounds the Challenge The Skill to Rule Them All For decades, high-paying careers have been built on the pillars of knowledge work — coding, data analysis, research, and other technical expertise. But the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence is eroding that certainty. Employers are already exploring ways to automate entry-level programming, writing, and analytical AI can write code, draft reports, and generate design concepts in seconds, will the next generation of workers still need these skills at the same depth? And more importantly — are today's schools equipping children for what comes next?A report from The Conversation suggests the answer may lie in a set of abilities AI struggles to replicate: soft skills . These include emotional intelligence , adaptability, collaboration, and complex problem-solving — qualities that might prove more recession-proof than technical prowess in the AI AI can mimic patterns from vast datasets, producing text, images, and even software. But it falters when faced with tasks requiring emotional understanding, ethical judgment, or nuanced social interaction.'Soft skills… are integral to solving complex problems and working with people,' the Conversation report notes, adding that traits like conscientiousness and empathy, while often seen as personality-driven, can in fact be Web Services CEO Matt Garman echoed this in an interview with CNBC, revealing the advice he gave his own teenage son: focus on critical thinking above all else. 'That's actually going to be the most important skill going forward,' Garman backs him up. A 2023 Heliyon study found that even in technical fields, over 40% of in-demand abilities were human-centric — from strategic decision-making to flexibility — areas where AI consistently are already rethinking their curricula to encourage adaptability, creativity, and collaboration. But K-12 education still largely prepares students for a knowledge economy that may soon look very Conversation report outlines simple, practical steps for integrating soft skills into everyday lessons — without sidelining math, science, or reading. One approach is reimagining 'exit tickets' — brief reflections at the end of class — to ask students about moments of kindness, resilience, or intellectual courage. These exercises can build emotional awareness, which predicts stronger teamwork and better problem-solving later in strategy is embedding 'messy' problem-solving into the curriculum. Instead of simply calculating the area of a rectangle, students might work in teams to measure the irregular shapes of playground equipment, or test soil moisture around the school and propose landscaping solutions. Such real-world challenges train students to think beyond textbook answers — a realm where AI still report a growing problem: students using AI to complete assignments they should be doing themselves. While the shortcut might save time, it robs them of the slow, effortful practice needed to master foundational danger is a generation of 'fast learners' who never develop the patience, persistence, and analytical grit required for hard problems. As the Conversation piece warns, classrooms may need to protect certain learning spaces from digital automation — perhaps returning to handwritten essays or oral presentations to ensure deep ability to read, summarize, and compare texts adds another complication. AI tools can now 'ingest' entire novels and produce detailed analyses, allowing students to bypass reading skipping the act of reading strips away its cognitive and emotional benefits. Studies show that reading strengthens empathy, critical thinking, and even long-term brain health. Yet trends are worrying: the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress found that daily reading for pleasure among fourth graders has dropped from 53% in 1984 to 39% in linguist-led research warns, delegating too much reading and analysis to AI risks 'cognitive offloading' — weakening the very thinking skills that schools should be no one can predict exactly how AI will reshape the job market, one truth stands out: technical skills will continue to evolve, but human skills — empathy, adaptability, complex reasoning — remain the most important thing schools can teach is self-awareness: knowing when to use technology and when to rely on one's own mind. In an AI-driven world, the workers who thrive will be those who can not only think critically, but connect deeply — skills worth cultivating long before college begins.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Enterprises see AI's main value in better decision-making rather than as an automation tool: Survey
TIL Creatives All large enterprises covered in a survey see the main value of artificial intelligence in improving the decision-making process rather than its use as a pure automation tool, a business-to-business publication firm CIO & Leader said on Friday. Generative AI deployments have grown five times since 2023, transforming creative processes from marketing content to software code, and by the end of 2025, 30% of IT services will be fully automated by AI, the State of Enterprise Technology Survey 2025 said. The survey is based on insight received between May and July 2025 from over 350 chief IT officers or chief technology officers of enterprises having an annual turnover of over Rs 5,000 crore. "100% of enterprises cite better decision-making through insights as their top AI priority, reflecting AI's role as a cognitive enabler rather than just an automation tool," the report to the survey, 98.4% of enterprises prioritise cost reduction and process efficiency and operational agility or business resilience for AI adoption, showing the technology is valued for both immediate returns and long-term adaptability, while 96% see AI's value in customer experience enhancement, as it offers personalisation, service automation, and interaction insights."93% of enterprises will increase AI and analytics investment in 2025, with more than half projecting significant budget hikes," the survey said. The use of AI in IT operations has made it the most mature use for the technology, as 41% of enterprises are using it for functions such as automation, anomaly detection, and ticket triage. AI adoption in finance (31%) and customer service (28%) is being driven by forecasting tools, chatbots, personalisation, and self-service 90% of enterprises see data security and privacy as top barriers to AI adoption, followed closely by data quality 85% of enterprises prefer building AI capabilities internally, with 51 per cent rating it as their "most likely" approach. "The investment intent is crystal clear: Indian enterprises want AI embedded into the fabric of decision-making. The challenge is ensuring that these investments mature into governed, measurable programmes rather than isolated experiments," CIO&Leader, executive editor and research lead Jatinder Singh said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Tariffs, tantrums, and tech: How Trump's trade drama is keeping Indian IT on tenterhooks Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? As big fat Indian wedding slims to budget, Manyavar loses lustre As 50% US tariff looms, 6 key steps that can safeguard Indian economy Stock Radar: JSPL forms Ascending Triangle pattern on weekly charts, could hit fresh 52-week high soon Nifty and business are different species: 5 small-cap stocks from different sectors with upside potential of up to 30% F&O Radar | Deploy Bear Put Spread in Nifty to play index's negative stance amid volatility Wealth creation: Look beyond the obvious in some things; 10 fertilizer sector companies worth watching
