(KPL/VNA) Amid concerns about an over-reliance on artificial intelligence (AI), the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore is studying the impact of such tools on students’ learning, said Education Minister Desmond Lee on February 25.

Responding to a Singaporean parliamentarian’s question, Lee said the ministry does not have Singapore data on this correlation, but is studying the impact of AI on learning.

International research has shown that inappropriate or ill-structured use of AI by students can result in over-reliance, negatively impacting students’ basic recall and understanding of simple concepts, he said, adding that this would, in turn, hamper the development of higher-order thinking.

He added that the MOE provides guidance to schools to ensure that the use of AI enhances, rather than undermines, teaching and learning, while guarding against cognitive atrophy.

Teachers therefore hold off the use of AI when our students are in the early stages of acquiring knowledge and skills, so that they develop strong foundations before they are introduced to AI to augment their learning, said Lee.

For example, at lower primary levels, he said pupils learn best by using multiple senses to engage with real-world objects. As such, technology is used lightly in the classroom, to prioritise hands-on inquiry, real-life explorations and outdoor experience.

AI is gradually introduced from Primary 4 with teachers’ supervision, said Lee. At the secondary level, students are equipped with personal learning devices and progressively use AI independently for learning.

Lee said the ministry continues to assess students’ mastery of foundational concepts to ensure they can apply them without using AI, through proctored – or supervised – examinations that disallow AI use.

The official added that interactions with students provide teachers with knowledge of each student’s learning progress, in order to provide support when they observe learning gaps.

KPL