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Why Schools Are Moving Away From Traditional Paper Exams

Why Schools Are Moving Away From Traditional Paper Exams

The landscape of educational assessment is undergoing a profound transformation driven by information technology, commonly referred to as e-assessm...

MIT Report Highlights 'Cognitive Surrender' to AI Among College Students, Proposes Solutions

MIT Report Highlights 'Cognitive Surrender' to AI Among College Students, Proposes Solutions

A recent report from MIT's Ad Hoc Committee on AI Use in Teaching, Learning, and Research Training has identified a growing trend among college students: 'cognitive surrender' to artificial intelligence. The report indicates that AI technologies can now produce credible and reasonable responses to nearly any undergraduate assignment, including essays, proofs, math problems, and coding tasks. This capability has led students, even at top institutions, to rely on AI at the first sign of academic difficulty. The committee also observed increased student isolation, with fewer students attending office hours or participating in study groups. This phenomenon, described as a significant challenge to higher education, necessitates a comprehensive response, particularly from institutions like MIT.

How Online Exams Use Cameras and AI to Detect Possible Cheating

How Online Exams Use Cameras and AI to Detect Possible Cheating

Online proctoring, also known as e-proctoring or remote proctoring, has become an essential tool for maintaining the integrity of assessments taken...

University of Chicago Appoints First Banned Books Postdoctoral Scholar, Dulcey Hunter

University of Chicago Appoints First Banned Books Postdoctoral Scholar, Dulcey Hunter

The University of Chicago Library has appointed Dulcey Hunter as its first banned books postdoctoral scholar. This initiative follows Illinois becoming the first state in 2023 to enact a law allowing the secretary of state's office to withhold grant funding from libraries that do not adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which opposes the proscription or removal of materials due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Concurrently, the University of Chicago Library launched its Banned Books Initiative, collecting banned and challenged books in the U.S. and making them accessible digitally and through interlibrary loan. Hunter, an English language arts educator with over two decades of experience teaching middle and high school students in Florida, will dedicate the upcoming academic year to developing a pedagogical framework. This framework aims to help teachers understand the reasons behind the censorship of narratives depicting difficult life experiences and painful truths. Her r...

Why Getting Good Grades Doesn't Always Mean You're Learning More

Why Getting Good Grades Doesn't Always Mean You're Learning More

Academic achievement, often referred to as academic performance, represents the degree to which a student, teacher, or institution has met their ed...

How Computers Changed the Way Students Take Tests

How Computers Changed the Way Students Take Tests

Computer-based assessment, also known by several other names such as digital assessment, e-assessment, online assessment, or electronic assessment,...

Pearson Seeks Customer Success Specialist for K-12 Assessment Portfolio in Central US

Pearson Seeks Customer Success Specialist for K-12 Assessment Portfolio in Central US

Pearson Seeks Customer Success Specialist for K-12 Assessment Portfolio in Central US

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Seeks Lead Product Designer for K-12 Learning Experiences

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Seeks Lead Product Designer for K-12 Learning Experiences

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Seeks Lead Product Designer for K-12 Learning Experiences

Anthropic's IPO Prospectus Underestimates AI's Impact on Education, Says Expert

Anthropic's IPO Prospectus Underestimates AI's Impact on Education, Says Expert

Anthropic's S-1 initial public offering prospectus, which outlines the company's vision for AI in education, is being criticized for understating the technology's transformative potential and challenges. According to Reda Sadki, the prospectus primarily frames AI's role as a tutoring tool for students and an administrative assistant for teachers. However, Sadki argues that this perspective overlooks deeper implications, such as how AI affects learning outcomes, the value of academic degrees, the training of future professionals, and the ownership of AI systems used in educational settings. The critique highlights that while AI can improve immediate performance, studies show it may not foster durable learning. For instance, a study with high school mathematics students in Turkey found that unrestricted GPT-4 access boosted practice scores but led to lower performance on subsequent closed-book exams, suggesting students learned less when the AI did the work. This raises fundamental questions about the effica...

Schools Re-evaluate Screen Time Policies Amidst Concerns Over Educational Outcomes

Schools Re-evaluate Screen Time Policies Amidst Concerns Over Educational Outcomes

Schools are actively re-evaluating their screen time policies, driven by concerns over excessive device use and its impact on educational outcomes. The NSW Government, for instance, plans to implement new screen time guidelines for public schools starting in Term 1, 2027, with mandatory limits from 2028. These guidelines recommend keeping device use to a quarter of lesson time per subject for Years 7-10 and up to half for Years 11-12. The American Psychological Association (APA) 2026 expert report emphasizes that the effectiveness of educational technology depends on the activity it facilitates, how adults integrate it, and what it replaces, rather than just the total time spent. Experts like Professor Michael Dezuanni from Queensland University of Technology suggest cutting passive screen time, anything that replaces the teacher, or screen time used merely as a reward or filler.

New York State's Distractions-Free School Law Shows Positive Outcomes in Student Engagement

New York State's Distractions-Free School Law Shows Positive Outcomes in Student Engagement

New York State's Distractions-Free School Law, also known as the Phone-Free Schools Law, has been in effect for over a year, starting in September 2025. This law, a major initiative of Governor Kathy Hochul, bans students from using smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, or any internet-connected device during the school day. This includes instructional time, homeroom, lunch, recess, and study halls, within school property boundaries. Exceptions are made for specific educational purposes with teacher or principal permission, emergencies, and translation services. The law followed similar bans in several Suffolk County school districts, with Shelter Island being a pioneer. Initial reactions from students on Shelter Island were split, with 37.2% supporting the law and 62.8% opposing it, according to a survey by The Inlet, the Shelter Island School newspaper. However, broader reports from educators and a statewide survey indicate positive outcomes.

Sweden Implements Nationwide Classroom Screen Time Reduction and Phone Ban

Sweden Implements Nationwide Classroom Screen Time Reduction and Phone Ban

Sweden has initiated a significant educational reform aimed at reducing classroom screen time and increasing the use of printed textbooks. As of August 1, students in compulsory schools are required to surrender their mobile phones for the entire school day, with principals also having the authority to collect similar devices like smartwatches. Exceptions are made for special accommodations. This policy extends beyond individual lessons, covering the entire school day. Concurrently, the Swedish government is investing heavily in physical learning materials, allocating approximately $57 million annually from 2026 onward for textbooks, with an additional temporary increase of $51 million planned for 2028. This move is driven by the belief that traditional learning methods are more beneficial for children, particularly in establishing basic skills like reading, writing, and numeracy. The reform comes amidst debates about declining academic performance, though the exact contribution of digitization to this dec...