Is AI like hyperprocessed foods for learning?

[Fred Dixon]

Hi everyone,

Seventeen years ago, I co-founded BigBlueButton, our open source virtual classroom that is freely available to anyone world-wide.  

Over the years, I've watched a lot of edtech technology come and go.  

I think the proliferation of generative AI tools in education might be acting like hyperprocessed food for students' brains.

Quick dopamine hits. Immediate satisfaction. Long-term learning deficits.

I keep reading about a concerning pattern: students using AI to bypass the necessary "frustration" that leads to genuine learning.  As I read, I kept thinking "how do we get out of this downward cycle?"

To answer this question, I've written an in-depth analysis exploring:
- How our brains actually build knowledge (and why shortcuts fail)

- Why feeling frustrated is essential for authentic learning (and how that feeling is a good thing)
- A framework for using AI effectively as a student without undermining learning
- Why I believe human-to-human classroom interaction (physical or virtual) matters more than ever in the age of AI in education

You can read the full analysis here

  https://blindsidenetworks.com/ai-is-like-hyperprocessed-food-for-learning/

If you read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Does this resonate with your experience?

Regards,.. Fred

--

Co-founder BigBlueButton

https://bigbluebutton.org/

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