AI is changing the way students learn—but is it also changing the way they think? In this episode, we take a closer look at whether we are letting machines take over too much of the thinking process and what that means for skills like critical thinking, reflection and self-questioning. We talk about how educators can design learning that keeps students actively engaged, how to spot the difference between surface-level AI use and deeper learning, and simple ways to weave metacognitive prompts into AI tasks so students stay thoughtful, curious, and in control of their own learning.

Dr. Anjali Singh is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, conducting research at the intersection of Learning Sciences and Human-AI Interaction. Her research focuses on the design and study of interactive learning technologies that support reflection, critical thinking and metacognition in learners in the age of AI. She holds a PhD in Information from the University of Michigan. Her work has been published at venues such as L@S, LAK, AIED, SIGCSE, and AAAI, and has been recognized with multiple best paper awards.

Links to resources mentioned in the episode: 

the chapter on metacognitive prompts - the International Handbook of Metacognition and Learning Technologies. 

Anjali's research paper presented at a workshop at AIED: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.24014