Classroom Activities That Promote Analytical Thinking

If our students passively absorb info, we failed them. They need active, meaningful, enduring learning. We do that by increasing conceptual friction (nod to Jason Gulya). Students need challenges and complexities to increase Critical thinking, problem-solving, deeper understanding. ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 #AI 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Structured academic controversy Assign students different stances on an issue. Use AI to generate arguments for each side. ➡️ Predict-observe-explain (POE) activities Students predict outcomes, observe results, and explain observations. Use AI to simulate physical phenomena or historical events. Students test predictions and refine their understanding. ➡️ AI-generated prompts for critical thinking Generate complex, open-ended questions. Require students to apply knowledge in new ways. (Use Ruben Hassid Prompt Maker GPT to improve prompts.) ➡️ Interactive simulations and scenarios Create interactive simulations that mimic real-world scenarios. In a physics class, AI can simulate different frictional forces and their effects on motion, allowing students to experiment and observe outcomes in a controlled environment. ➡️ Analyzing AI responses Ask AI to write an essay or solve a problem. Students analyze and critique the AI responses. Identify errors, biases, and areas for improvement. ➡️ AI as a debate partner Use AI to simulate a debate partner. Help students practice argumentation skills. They respond to AI-generated counterarguments in real-time. ➡️ Scaffolded assignments Students use AI tools at different stages of their work. Brainstorm ideas, draft an outline, and refine final product. ➡️ Role-playing and simulations Simulate negotiations or market analysis. Provide a dynamic, interactive learning experience. Students and AI take on different roles in a simulated environment. ➡️ Feedback and revision cycles Provide instant feedback on student work. Encourage multiple revision cycles. ➡️ Ethical and societal implications Explore ethical and societal implications of decisions. Simulate the impact of different policies on society. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Co-create expectations With students, define appropriate use and how AI should be cited. ➡️ Encourage reflection After using AI, students reflect on their experiences: How they'll use AI differently in the future. How AI influenced their thinking. What they learned. ➡️ Provide support and resources Tutorials, help sessions, online resources. Explain how to use AI effectively and ethically. ------------------------- Thoughtfully integrate AI into your classroom to ⬆️ conceptual friction. Challenge students. Promote critical thinking. Prepare them for an AI-infused future. ------------------------- ♻️ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Stop having students do assignments (have AI do the work instead) This is one of my favorite right-now-in-the-AI-era activities Here’s how this one works: Instead of writing the essay or solving the case, students prepare everything an AI would need to succeed The challenge isn’t in doing the work as much as it is designing the system that makes the work possible This is not only better learning, it is also a critical work skill where codifying workflows and expertise unlock system efficiencies and make room for subject matter outputs Activity Breakdown 1️⃣ Understand the Task - Instructor drops in a sample prompt (e.g., “Write a persuasive essay on the ethics of AI in education”). - Students analyze what’s really being asked. 2️⃣ Build the Training Package - Essential facts, definitions, and concepts. - Key sources (and one or two to *ignore* — with reasons why). - Examples of good responses, common mistakes to avoid. - A metaphor, diagram, or hook that captures the core idea. - A step-by-step process the AI should follow. - A rubric or checklist for evaluating the result. 3️⃣ Optional Challenges - Test the package by prompting AI and critiquing the output. - Swap with a partner to see if their package gets a strong result. - Revise for clarity and efficiency. 4️⃣ Reflection - Which was harder: doing the task or training the bot? - What gaps in your own understanding did this reveal? This activity shifts the focus from doing the task to designing the system that produces expert work That’s just good metacognition right there - Breaking down complex assignments into clear, repeatable steps - Codifying what quality looks like (and what to avoid) - Building the skills to guide and evaluate AI outputs That’s not only better learning in the classroom — it’s also preparing them for a workplace where the most valuable people aren’t the fastest doers, but the clearest system designers ✨ How would you modify this activity to make it even better?

When Students Over-Rely on ChatGPT, Critical Thinking Suffers—Here’s How to Turn the Tide Educators worldwide are seeing an unsettling trend: students increasingly defaulting to ChatGPT for essays, problem-solving, and research. The immediate result? Polished homework with minimal effort. The long-term impact? A real risk to the very skills we strive to instill—critical thinking and problem-solving. But it doesn’t have to be this way. ChatGPT can be a powerful ally if we (1) acknowledge its limitations, (2) teach students how to use it responsibly, and (3) design activities that still require their brainpower. Here are concrete strategies—both in and out of the classroom—to flip ChatGPT from crutch to catalyst: 1️⃣ In-Class Engagement - Think-Pair-Share-ChatGPT: Pose a question, let students first discuss in pairs, then compare their ideas with ChatGPT’s answer. Have them critique the bot’s reasoning, exposing gaps and sharpening their own analyses. - Fact-Checking Face-Off: Challenge small groups to verify the references ChatGPT provides. They’ll quickly see its “credibility” can be smoke and mirrors, reinforcing the need for proper research and source validation. 2️⃣ Homework Hacks - Two-Version Assignments: Encourage students to submit one draft written themselves and one draft generated (or revised) by ChatGPT—then highlight and explain every change. They learn that blindly copying AI output often produces superficial work. - ChatGPT as Peer Reviewer: Ask the bot for feedback or counterarguments—and have students defend which suggestions they accept or reject. This fosters deeper reflection and ownership. 3️⃣ Project-Based Learning (PBL) Approaches - Authentic Audiences: Require real-world deliverables (e.g., presentations to the local council, kids’ books for a younger class). ChatGPT can supply initial facts, but students must tailor and translate knowledge for a specific audience—no bot can do that seamlessly. - Process Show-and-Tell: Have students document how they arrived at each conclusion, including any AI prompts. If ChatGPT did most of the heavy lifting, it’ll be obvious in their final presentation—and in their understanding (or lack thereof). The bottom line? ChatGPT isn’t the end of critical thinking—unless we let it be. By designing assignments that value process over one-click answers, we can harness AI to enhance rather than erode our students’ intellectual growth. Check out “ChatGPT vs. Critical Thinking: Friend, Foe, or Frenemy in the Classroom?” by Ruopeng An for a deep dive into research, anecdotes, and classroom-tested ideas. Let’s equip the next generation to use AI as a thought partner—not a substitute for thinking. Share this post with fellow educators who might be wrestling with the same issues, and let’s ignite a new wave of critical thinkers! #ChatGPT #CriticalThinking #Teaching