This post comes from reflecting on my last year as a doctorate student. It has been a year that has taught me more about learning in times of GenAI, and while my context is a doctorate student, I think the lessons are relevant to any older or adult student navigating study and assignments.
My main hope is for students to know this: it is vital to your learning that you read (or watch or do), word for word, without GenAI, the most prominent material around whatever topic you are studying. I have been an eternal student, and there is a process of understanding that unfolds when you (yourself) read the whole story/paper, or complete the learning task or take time to watch/listen to a learning resource. A summary or an AI interpretation will rob you of that learning process, and if you let that happen, it does not just impact the quality and depth of your learning; it can potentially leave you feeling guilty, anxious, uncertain, inferior, or incapable.
And here’s what I have come to understand: that anxiety isn’t really about GenAI. It’s about your identity. It’s about self-worth. It’s about honesty. It’s about original thinking. It’s about asking questions. When you outsource your thinking before you have had a chance to form your own ideas, you undermine confidence in your own mind. Over time, you stop trusting yourself to have something worth saying and or your ability to present your thinking.
Don’t let AI do this to you. Own your learning.
But, how do you do that when you are struggling to keep up? When the jargon doesn’t make any sense? When time is slipping away? This is actually where the important aspects of learning become even more important; it takes self-awareness, resilience, discipline and self-worth. So here are three straightforward steps that may help you to stay in control (stay confident!):
- Identify the must-read, must-watch, or must-complete tasks involved in a topic. These are the ones that give you the building blocks you need to form your own opinion or develop your own creativity. However many (1, 3, 10+), commit to them as if GenAI never existed.
- While reading, watching, or doing these tasks without GenAI, notice and ideally record your reactions. Your opinions. What do you agree or disagree with? What surprised you? What links can you make to things you already knew? What do you not understand?
- Own every idea in the work you create. After steps 1 and 2, whatever aspects you now use GenAI for, make sure your work represents your personal thinking. Make sure you can stand behind and discuss every aspect of your work confidently.
Reality Check
The above may seem idealistic, and it’s not always easy when you know you have a tool at your fingertips to bypass effort. So, if time becomes short, force yourself to ask: what would I do if GenAI didn’t exist? Would you focus on one reading and do your best from that? Would you explain your situation to the educator and ask for more time? Try not to fold into putting yourself in a position where you feel guilty, ashamed, or fearful about what you submit as your work.
Conclusion
Importantly, this post is not saying do not use GenAI. It is saying, don’t start with GenAI and however you use it, be confident in what you present as your work. Safeguard your own ability to think and your ability to be proud of what you present. In short, safeguard your thinking despite (and with) GenAI by:
- Personally reading / watching / doing
- Independently thinking and recording your thoughts / ideas
- Using GenAI only after these two steps
Last point – do a self-check as required: If you were asked to have a conversation about your work with an educator or a peer, be confident that you can speak to every idea in it. This is important. It will ensure you do not feel like a fraud, it will help you avoid feeling like you cheated, and it will give you a sense of having value. You have opinions that are worth sharing. Your original ideas and opinions will always be worth more than anything GenAI generates. Own them. Be proud of them. Share them. If they are not accurate or what your educator was looking for, explore this further. This is learning. This is confidence-building. This is taking ownership. This process is where the value lies – hold on to it as much as possible.