According to researcher Kim Schildkamp, professor at the teacher education programme at the University of Twente, this presents a key challenge for education. “AI can take over many tasks, but that does not mean students need to learn less. Understanding what AI does is becoming more important than ever.”
From tool to dependency?
The rapid rise of AI brings new opportunities, but also uncertainty. Students work more efficiently and gain quicker access to information. At the same time, there is a risk that they adopt answers without truly understanding them.
“You see that AI is increasingly used to generate answers and solutions, rather than as a support tool,” says Kim. “That becomes problematic if students stop thinking critically about the outcome.” This reflects a broader shift in education: from acquiring knowledge to developing critical thinking.
What does learning still mean?
As AI becomes better at generating texts and solutions, the meaning of learning itself is changing. It is less about reproducing knowledge and more about interpreting, evaluating and applying it.
This requires a different set of skills. Students need to know not only what the right answer is, but also how that answer was produced and when it can be trusted. Without that foundation, AI becomes a risk rather than a tool. A certain level of prior knowledge remains essential because without it, students cannot assess whether an answer from a chatbot is actually correct.
AI as a personal assistant
At the same time, AI also offers new learning opportunities. In the future, AI will increasingly function as a personal assistant, continuously supporting students throughout their studies. Think of tools that provide feedback, help with planning or ask questions that stimulate deeper thinking.
“If used well, AI can genuinely support students in their learning,” says Kim. “But you need to know when to use it and when not to.” This requires a different approach to technology. Not everything should be automated; instead, it is about making conscious choices about where AI adds value.
The role of the teacher is evolving
It is not only students who need to learn how to work with AI. The role of teachers is also changing. AI can support lesson preparation, assignment design and feedback processes. At the same time, the role of the teacher remains essential and may even become more important than ever.
Teachers guide students in their learning process, help them develop critical thinking skills and provide context. These are precisely the aspects that AI cannot replace. “AI can support, but it does not replace the role of the teacher,” says Kim. “The relationship between teacher and student remains crucial for meaningful education.”
AI literacy as a new foundation
There is growing attention for AI literacy: the ability to use AI critically and responsibly. Just as digital skills and media literacy have become part of education, AI literacy is now being embedded in new curriculum frameworks for primary and secondary education and is emerging as a core skill.
This means students need to understand how AI systems work, which assumptions and biases they contain, and when to use them and when not to. It is not only about technology, but also about insight and responsibility. “It is not about preventing students from using AI,” says Kim. “It is about making sure they understand what they are doing.”
From ideas to practice
What this new way of learning could look like is already becoming visible during the AI hackathon at the University of Twente. During this event, students, teachers and educational institutions work together on applications that use AI responsibly in education.
This year marks the fifth edition, with twelve teams developing AI applications to improve education. Notably, many ideas do not stop after the hackathon, but continue to grow into real-world solutions.
For example, Auris, one of the winning teams, developed a tool that helps teachers better tailor learning materials to their target group. This idea is currently being further developed towards a NOLAI grant. Saxion created a personal study coach for students, while InHolland developed a reflection chatbot that encourages students to think more deeply instead of simply accepting answers. A team from the University of Twente and the University of Bremen also won an earlier edition and further developed their concept into a tool that automatically provides feedback on the quality of instructional videos created by trainee teachers.
The hackathon thus serves as a place where new ideas emerge, are tested in practice and increasingly evolve into concrete applications in education.
Education in transition
The rise of AI forces educational institutions to rethink their role. Is it still about transferring knowledge, or about developing the skills needed to work with technology?
Probably both. But one thing is clear: AI is not only changing how students learn, but also what learning actually means.
Perhaps that is the most important question right now. Not how we use AI, but how we ensure that students continue to truly learn.
