Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Students’ Development of Critical Thinking Skills
The use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT in educational settings has generated responses ranging from approval to skepticism. In academic circles, the incorporation of this technology has led to differing perspectives. Some schools have chosen to ban its usage, citing concerns of academic dishonesty, while others have given instructors the autonomy to decide on its appropriateness. Consequently, in higher education institutions, attitudes toward ChatGPT range from acceptance to encouragement, with occasional instances of outright prohibition (Wu, 2024).
Educators must consider the facts before introducing AI in their classrooms. A summary of current research (Dong et al., 2025) suggests that AI has the potential to transform and facilitate education and can positively contribute to student learning outcomes and academic performance (Almelweth, 2022). For example, research indicates that AI can assist students in analyzing large datasets and help students explore alternative solutions to problems (Szmyd & Mitera, 2024).
Conversely, educators worry that students’ reliance on AI potentially limits the development of critical thinking and deep understanding (Wu, 2024; Yan et al., 2024), reduces students' learning motivation and engagement, and may lead to a passive attitude toward learning (e.g., students expect ready-made solutions rather than engaging in independent thought; Szmyd & Mitera, 2024).
Regardless of educators’ initial response to the introduction of AI in education, most scholarly discussions point to the fact that AI technology is here to stay. Further, since this technological advancement will be increasingly prominent in many sectors of work and life, it is important that we encourage frank conversations about this technology, consider our responsibilities as educators, and refine our education strategies in this era of technological advancement (Lee et al., 2024).
In sum, a primary concern regarding the use of AI in higher education is the potentially negative impact of AI on students’ development of critical thinking skills (i.e., the concern that students may become overly reliant on AI to solve challenging intellectual problems, thus inhibiting the development of their problem-solving abilities). Accordingly, instructors are motivated to devise learning opportunities facilitating students’ higher-level thinking skills.
The textbook, Language Disorders in Children: Fundamental Concepts of Assessment and Intervention, has explicitly included many different pedagogical strategies and materials to enhance students’ critical-thinking skills. The essence of critical thinking lies in a specific cognitive process aimed at consciously interpreting information to facilitate the best possible outcomes. Critical thinking is an essential skill that empowers individuals to effectively solve problems, make informed decisions, and form accurate judgments. In the field of communication science disorders (CSD), cultivating critical thinking is vital for preparing students to thrive in a world that is constantly evolving.
To promote higher-level thinking skills, instructors must support students’ abilities to move beyond mere memorization and recollection. These skills are particularly important for students in CSD programs. Our students must understand the “why” and “how” associated with various assessment and intervention approaches. Well-developed critical thinking skills allow the CSD professional to select one approach over another, set specific and targeted goals supported by research evidence, and analyze and problem solve throughout the intervention process. With the strategies provided in the Language Disorders in Children textbook, the classroom goal is to promote deeper levels of thought so that students approach problem solving creatively and are able to formulate independent and well-grounded conclusions. To enhance critical thinking skills, students should have a reservoir of background knowledge, confidence to posit hypotheses and support their ideas, and practice clinical decision making.
Experts have analyzed how educational practices should be modified to make sure that students have opportunities to develop critical thinking skills. Research underscores the important of in-class work that focuses on collaboration and communication. Small group work and in-class discussion not only are opportunities for students to propose solutions or offer an initial analysis and/or hypothesis to a posed question, consider alternative viewpoints, compare and contrast ideas, synthesize information and modify beliefs as appropriate, but also do not lend themselves to the use of AI. We propose that higher-level thinking can be developed (both at the undergraduate and graduate level) via presentation of case studies and real-life scenarios in combination with vigorous group discussion and thought-provoking group activities.
The textbook, Language Disorders in Children, provides multiple ways that instructors can enhance students’ critical thinking skills and simultaneously limit students’ potential overreliance on AI. In our instructor’s manual, we describe how this work can be accomplished within face-to-face classrooms or within an online course. To prompt deeper thinking, we provide models of discussion question prompts (along with a list of instructor practices to avoid) and describe effective prompts and pedagogical practices that scaffold students’ thinking so that they have opportunities to practice critical-thinking skills. For example, suggested discussion strategies include (a) giving students more “wait time” after asking an open-ended question (e.g., When might a student on the autism spectrum experience the most communication challenges?) or (b) when responding to a student’s response with a statement such as “Thanks for that example, does anyone in the class want to add on to that idea or have a different example?” A statement like the preceding example is preferred (in contrast to an instructor evaluative statement [e.g., “right” or “good”]), because the first example promotes sharing contrasting ideas and fosters collaborative discussion.
The Language Disorders in Children textbook also provides detailed information on classroom activities that promote critical-thinking skills. For example, in one assignment, students examine a preschool curriculum and are assigned a specific lesson plan within the curriculum (links are provided in the textbook so that students can access the curriculum and lesson plans). Subsequently, after the instructor facilitates a discussion of the materials, students work in small groups to brainstorm scaffolding strategies (a list of possible scaffolding strategies is provided in the textbook) that could be introduced to support preschoolers who require communication support. This activity requires students to demonstrate deep understanding of scaffolding practices and to adapt their knowledge of scaffolding strategies in response to a specific communicative context. This type of work supports critical thinking in a way that cannot be accomplished with the use of AI. Each chapter in the textbook includes detailed descriptions of similar high-level activities and the instructor’s manual provides additional details to assist the instructor. Promoting students’ critical thinking can breathe new life into CSD classrooms and foster active and engaging student learning.
References
Almelweth, H. (2022). The effectiveness of a proposed strategy for teaching geography through artificial intelligence applications in developing secondary school students’ higher-order thinking skills and achievement. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(3), 169–176.
Dong, L., Tang, X., & Wang, X. (2025). Examining the effect of artificial intelligence in relation to students’ academic achievement in classroom: A meta-analysis. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 100400.
Lee, V. R., Pope, D., Miles, S., & Zárate, R. C. (2024). Cheating in the age of generative AI: A high school survey study of cheating behaviors before and after the release of ChatGPT. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100253.
Szmyd, K., & Mitera, E. (2024). The impact of artificial intelligence on the development of critical thinking skills in students. European Research Studies Journal, 27(2), 1022–1039.
Yan, T., Zhang, G., Chen, J., Jin, G., & Shen, X. (2024, November). Analysis and prospect of applied research in higher education based on artificial intelligence perspectives. In Proceedings of the 2024 3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education (pp. 751–756).
Wu, Y. (2024). Critical thinking pedagogics design in an era of ChatGPT and other AI tools—shifting from teaching “what” to teaching “why” and “how”. Journal of Education and Development, 8(1), 1.