Atkinson, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2179-1652 (2026) AI, Learning and Judgement: Preserving Cognitive Development in an AI-Mediated Education System. Other. House of Commons Education Committee Inquiry: The use of Artificial Intelligence and EdTech in Education, London.

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Abstract

This Written Evidence Submission to the House of Commons Education Committee Inquiry: The use of Artificial Intelligence and EdTech in Education, examines how artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, is reshaping learning processes, teaching practice, and educational responsibility. Drawing on a structured classroom intervention in higher education, in which AI use was mandated within an assessment, it argues that the primary educational risk is not misuse of AI, but premature cognitive closure—learners arriving at answers without engaging in the reasoning required to understand them.
AI enables rapid generation of outputs, but this can compress the process through which learners explore alternatives, evaluate evidence, and exercise judgement. As a result, students may produce high-quality work with limited underlying understanding. Observed student behaviour shows significant variation: some use AI as an exploratory partner, while others rely on it in ways that reduce engagement with uncertainty and decision-making.
The central challenge for education policy is therefore to ensure that AI supports cognitive formation, not just cognitive offloading. This requires a shift from evaluating outputs to evaluating reasoning, from access to technology to pedagogical access, and from tool use to responsible judgement.
The submission recommends: redesigning assessments to prioritise explanation and ownership; supporting teachers in AI-informed pedagogy; strengthening digital literacy as critical engagement; and aligning policy and funding with the preservation of decision-making under uncertainty.
The effectiveness of AI in education will depend on whether it enhances, rather than displaces, the development of independent judgement.

Item Type:	Monograph (Other)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) L Education > L Education (General) T Technology > T Technology (General)
School/Department:	York Business School
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15568

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