Stories
Is AI Homework Helping Your Child or Hurting Their Exam Scores?
- •A World Bank report warns that while AI helps students score higher on homework, it does not mean they truly understand the subject matter, leading to lower exam scores.
- •A study from China revealed that six months after using AI, students homework scores increased by 18 percent, but their monthly class test scores dropped by up to 20 percent.
- •Over-reliance on AI can weaken students independent thinking, reasoning skills, and the habit of learning from mistakes.
- •The report does not suggest a complete ban on AI in education, noting that AI-assisted tutoring can be very beneficial when used correctly to support teachers and learners.
- •Students and parents should use AI to understand difficult concepts and find solutions rather than merely copying answers, ensuring children practice without technology.
Key Questions Answered
According to a World Bank report citing a study from China, while students' homework scores increased by 18 percent after using AI, their monthly class test scores dropped by up to 20 percent. Furthermore, average scores in senior high school and college entrance exams for students who used AI were found to be 5 to 7 percent lower.
The report highlights that relying completely on AI can weaken students' habits of studying and thinking independently, reducing opportunities to learn from mistakes. Gaurav Nayyar, who led the World Bank team, expressed concern that outsourcing the entire learning process to AI creates a problem since true education involves understanding and formulating answers personally.
Students should use AI to understand subjects, learn methods to solve difficult questions, and identify mistakes rather than just copying direct answers. Parents and teachers should ensure children try solving questions independently first, ask them to explain answers in their own words, and periodically practice without technological assistance.
