AI-Assisted Homework Found to Lower Exam Success
Research shows that generative AI speeds up homework and increases scores, but success drops in exams taken without the tools.
A new study has revealed that students using generative AI for their homework increases assignment grades and shortens completion time, but leads to a noticeable decline in exam results where the tools are not used.
Scope and Methodology of the Study
David Stromberg from Stockholm University, along with Victor Lei and Yanhui Wu from the University of Hong Kong, tracked nearly 27,000 students aged 12 to 18 in China for 30 months. The research examined homework, monthly closed-book exams, and high-stakes entrance examinations.
Changes in Homework and Exam Results
After generative AI began to be utilized, students' homework scores increased by 18 percent, while the time spent on each assignment dropped from an average of 64 minutes to 45 minutes. However, when the same students took monthly exams without AI, their scores fell by 20 percent.
International Reports and Expert Opinions
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) highlighted similar results in its Digital Education Outlook report published in January. Research co-authored by Dragan Gasevic characterizes this situation as the erosion of cognitive effort.
Student Trends in Europe and the UK
A survey conducted by Ipsos for the Vodafone Foundation showed that students use AI for the purposes of acquiring knowledge, receiving explanations, and providing complete solutions. Meanwhile, half of university students in the UK believe that AI saves time.