When new technology enters education, the first selling point is often efficiency. Faster grading. Automated feedback. Streamlined workflows.
And efficiency matters; no one disputes that. But education’s mission has never been just about saving time. It’s about transformation. About helping learners grow in ways that go far beyond speed and convenience.
AI is bringing this tension into sharp focus. Yes, it can summarize readings, generate practice quizzes, or even draft assignments. But if we stop there, we risk reducing education to a checklist of tasks completed rather than a journey of growth.
When generative AI first became widely available, I had a flood of requests: “Put more AI in this.” Or the opposite: “Make my course AI-proof.” What struck me was that these requests rarely had clear direction, or even a shared definition of what “AI in education” should mean. The conversation was focused on efficiency and defense, not on purpose and pedagogy.
Meaningful learning requires more than efficiency, it requires purposeful design.
In my work with instructors, I’ve seen how this plays out. A teacher might ask: Should I use AI to grade essays more quickly? That’s one way to save time. But the better question is: How can I use that saved time to engage with my students more deeply? Efficiency should never be the end goal—it should be the means to richer, more human interactions.
Designing for meaningful learning with AI means:
- Framing learning goals first. Start with what learners need to become, not just what tasks they need to complete.
- Using AI as scaffolding, not shortcuts. Tools should support curiosity and exploration, not replace them.
- Creating space for reflection. If AI speeds up some processes, we must reinvest that time in dialogue, critical thinking, and connection.
Efficiency makes classrooms smoother. Meaningful learning makes them unforgettable.
The real promise of AI in education is not automation, it’s amplification. Amplifying human creativity, curiosity, and connection. That only happens when we put pedagogy before productivity, purpose before speed.
The question for all of us isn’t how fast can we make education? It’s how deep, how transformative, and how meaningful can we make it with the tools now available?
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