Welcome to 2025 and a new newsletter, where we once again dive into the latest trends in artificial intelligence and education. During the holidays, a number of news items have emerged from both domestically and internationally, which we have gathered at the bottom of the newsletter.
- Yesterday, Politiken published an interview with Estonia's Minister of Education, who has a completely different view on generative AI and education than the Danish Ministry of Education.
At Viden.AI, we were busy leading up to the Christmas holidays, where Per guest starred on Go' Morgen Danmark to talk with Lars Gudbrandsson, who is "running an MBA". At the same time, we published two new articles.
- AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Search are being actively used by Danish students, but they challenge students' ability to critically evaluate sources and understand scientific principles.
- A new guide from RettighedsAlliancen advises the education sector on proper and legal use of chatbots, including guidelines on copyright and uploading materials.
Additionally, you can read more about these news items in the newsletter:
- Should document history be used as a tool against AI cheating? The method promises transparency but simultaneously raises questions about privacy and trust.
- The new project “The ABC of AI” aims to teach Danish school students to understand and critically engage with AI as part of their digital education.
- AI in education requires collaboration: Teachers and schools need to share experiences to ensure AI becomes a tool for learning rather than a challenge.
- Arizona is introducing a new AI school model with only two hours of daily instruction – a radical proposal for future schooling.
- + Other news of the week
Happy reading!
We Might as Well Embrace ChatGPT: Estonia's Minister of Education Calls for Rethinking Teaching Approaches
In an interview with Politiken, Kristina Kallas, Estonia's Minister of Education, argues that written assignments like essays and book analyses have become problematic in light of AI technologies like ChatGPT. She advocates for a rethinking of teaching methods to focus on higher cognitive skills such as critical analysis, information processing, and metacognition. Instead of rejecting the technology, she suggests that it should be integrated into education. For example, students can analyze a ChatGPT summary of a book, but they must still read the book themselves to assess the quality of the summary and form their own understanding.
Estonia, already at the top of PISA rankings, has initiated extensive retraining for teachers in the use of AI. Kallas emphasizes that teachers should remain central in the teaching process while AI should assist in the learning process. She considers the debate about exam cheating using AI to be irrelevant since it is impossible to distinguish between a student's work and AI-generated output. Kallas points out that traditional teaching focused on rote learning risks making human competencies redundant in an AI-driven world. Instead, she argues for an educational approach that enhances students' ability to navigate and assess AI-generated information.
As part of Estonia's digital strategy, she also rejects a ban on mobile phones in school, as the country prioritizes educating digitally competent citizens.
This perspective contrasts with the Danish approach, where Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye has expressed skepticism about the dominance of screens in education. The Estonian model illustrates an alternative path where digital integration is seen as a necessary part of the future education system. Central to this is the recognition that technology cannot be kept out of the classroom, leading the education system to adapt in order to prepare students for a digitized future.
The article is behind a paywall
AI Search Engines Revolutionize Information Seeking – Challenges and Opportunities for Educators
Before Christmas, Claus published an article on how AI search engines like ChatGPT Search and Google AI Search are fundamentally changing the way we seek information. With 85% of Danish students already using AI as a search engine, we must also consider the advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, AI offers quick access to synthesized information with source references, but on the other hand, the tools risk undermining students’ critical evaluation of sources and understanding of scientific processes.
The central theme of the article is that educators must help students understand the difference between information and knowledge, as well as assess the quality and reliability of sources. Additionally, the article raises essential questions about how AI affects epistemological principles such as transparency and nuance. He points out that developing critical 'AI literacy' and strong information competencies will be crucial for future students.
Read the article here:
Claus Scheuer-Larsen
Chatbots and Copyright: New Guidelines for the Education Sector
RettighedsAlliancen released a guidance just before Christmas that focuses on the legal aspects of using chatbots in the education sector. The background is that copyright-protected materials, such as textbooks, are unlawfully uploaded to AI tools like ChatGPT without the consent of the rights holders. This practice is illegal, as it involves the digital processing of copyright-protected works, allowing chatbots to reproduce or create texts that resemble the original material.
Read more, and register for their webinar where they will go over the rules.
Per Størup Lauridsen
Should Educators Require Students to Show Document Histories to Prevent AI Cheating?
Jeffrey R. Young describes in his article Should Instructors Ask Students to Show Document Histories to Guard Against AI Cheating? how educators are seeking new ways to ensure the authenticity of student work in an era where AI plays an increasing role. One of the proposed approaches, called “process tracking”, involves accessing document history through tools like Google Docs or Grammarly's "Authorship." These tools can reveal details about the writing process, such as time spent and insertions. Many educators see them as a more reliable alternative to AI detectors, which often falsely accuse students of cheating.
Young points out that educators often find themselves in a bind, where a lack of time and resources makes it challenging to implement fundamental changes in teaching. This makes pragmatic solutions like process tracking a temporary fix, although not necessarily ideal. Proponents of process tracking highlight that the method can not only reveal sudden AI-generated insertions but also enable students to document their working process if they are falsely accused of cheating. Many students even support the method, viewing it as a way to protect their work from devaluation. However, critics warn that monitoring the entire writing process can compromise privacy, stifle creativity, and create a culture of distrust between educators and students.
Leonardo Flores of Appalachian State University argues that the solution is not more control tools, but rather an adaptation of teaching so that AI is integrated as a natural tool. He warns of an “arms race,” where new detection tools are constantly challenged by methods to circumvent them, such as tools that simulate human writing processes. Experts point to the need to redesign assignments and evaluations to reflect a future where AI tools are a natural part of both teaching and learning. However, this requires institutional support and time, which many educators currently lack.
Jeffrey R. Young
Free Teaching Project Equips Danish School Students to Understand and Navigate AI
ENIGMA – Museum for Post, Tele, and Communication, is launching with support from TrygFonden the project “The ABC of AI”, which over the next 2.5 years will offer free teaching programs to secondary school students across Denmark. The goal is to make students conscious and critical users of AI through teaching, practical exercises, and technical insight. The project also includes mobile exhibitions and debates on AI and digital literacy, which aim to empower both students and local communities to navigate a world shaped by AI.
The project is based on ENIGMA's 20 years of experience in teaching digital literacy and source criticism. The teaching, aimed at students and teachers in secondary education, will be rolled out in collaboration with local libraries and the museum in Copenhagen. The programs are expected to reach up to 4,000 students annually, while exhibitions and debates are projected to attract an additional 10,000 visitors each year.
ENIGMA
Collaboration is Crucial for Managing AI in Education
The Norwegian lecturer Kenneth Bareksten points out that collaboration across schools, municipalities, and borders is essential to keep up with the rapid technological development, particularly in AI. He stresses that AI is now an integral part of many young people's daily lives, but that teachers often lack both experience and knowledge to effectively guide students. A study shows that only a few teachers can distinguish between AI-generated and human-written texts, highlighting the need for competency development.
He notes that students without proper guidance risk using AI as a shortcut, which can hinder their learning and development. At the same time, he emphasizes the difference between using AI as a passive tool and as an active learning partner. To prevent students from falling behind, it is crucial to develop both technological and subject matter understanding in schools.
The solution lies in knowledge sharing between schools, municipalities, and nations. He shares examples from collaborations between Norway and Denmark, where sharing experiences has equipped teachers with better methods and tools to handle AI in education. According to Kenneth Bareksten, teachers and community actors should dare to admit their lack of knowledge about AI and be willing to learn and experiment together to ensure that AI promotes learning, democracy, and community.
Kenneth Bareksten
Virtual School in Arizona Uses AI for Only Two Hours of Daily Instruction
Unbound Academy is opening a new virtual school in Arizona in 2025, introducing a new teaching concept. Students from grades 4 to 8 will receive two hours of daily academic instruction via AI-driven learning platforms. The model focuses on short and concentrated learning sessions, where AI tutors tailor the instruction to the individual needs of each student. The rest of the day, students will explore personal interests and participate in workshops on life skills like financial literacy, public speaking, and teamwork.
The school’s “guides” replace traditional teachers and serve as motivational and emotional supports rather than academic instructors. AI tutors ensure that students master each topic before moving forward and monitor their progress using advanced algorithms and webcam feedback. The concept has been tested in private schools in Texas and Florida and has shown promising results regarding academic progress.
However, there are concerns among experts and authorities about the model's effectiveness, especially due to the lack of a detailed curriculum and limited human oversight. EdTech experts stress the importance of human interaction in the learning process, and it is unclear how the model will affect students' learning and well-being in the long term.
The Arizona Republic
This Week's Other News
Text_ Malene Romme-Mølby Photo_ Malene Romme-Mølby
Aske Krogsgaard
Author links open overlay panelRuiqi Deng a b, Maoli Jiang a, Xinlu Yu a, Yuyan Lu a, Shasha Liu c
Authors Info & Claims
Dan Milmo
Guardian Staff
Nick Evershed
This article has been machine-translated into English. Therefore, there may be nuances or errors in the content. The Danish version is always up-to-date and accurate.
