Using GenAI in education: The case for critical thinking

Generative AI is gradually becoming ubiquitous in our lives as it is integrated into word processing and office tools with multimodal capabilities. Concerns regarding the lack of human accountability, equity and ownership regarding the use of genAI tools in students’ work have been raised. This opinion piece argues that educators should aim to use the genAI tools to challenge students to think critically and connectedly, and to consider the implications of their decisions to their organizations and society. Two use cases, one representing soft skills taught in small classes and the other on hard skills taught in large classes, are shared. These cases reflect how students are taught to think critically using the Paul-Elder framework and systems thinking habits so that they do not think in silos. Via discussions and questioning activities in class, students learn to be strategic and critical when using genAI and to consciously consider the impact of their work on others.