Is AI Helping or Hindering?

AI and Study, is it Helping or Hindering the Learning Process?

At John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School, our Senior School journey supports students to Explore, Commit and Thrive as confident, capable and ethical learners. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly accessible, particularly during home study for tests and exams, it is essential that students use these tools in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, their learning and integrity.

AI offers powerful support. It can help generate ideas, clarify complex concepts and refine written work. When used thoughtfully, it can extend students’ thinking and deepen engagement. However, emerging research and observations of our teachers suggest a risk: AI can create an illusion of mastery. Students may produce sophisticated responses with AI assistance and feel confident in their understanding, even when their own knowledge is still developing.

This happens because AI can provide structure, vocabulary and reasoning that reduce the need for students to think deeply and struggle productively. Yet genuine learning requires effort—retrieving knowledge, making connections and working through challenges. If students rely on AI too early in their study routine, they bypass these crucial steps and may become overly confident about their progress.

Another concern is students using AI to generate practice questions without ensuring these align with syllabus requirements or assessment expectations. AI-generated material can vary widely, depending on how prompts are written and may not match the depth or focus required. Students are better served by using trusted resources: course outlines, textbooks, teacher-provided materials, and past examinations available through SCSA. Teachers carefully select these resources to align with syllabus standards, ensuring students are practising the right skills at the right level.

In the Senior School, we prioritise lifelong learning skills such as organisation, critical thinking and persistence—qualities essential for success beyond school. A key message for students choosing to use AI is the importance of sequencing: “Think first, AI second.” Students should begin by attempting tasks independently; brainstorming, drafting responses and grappling with problems. This initial effort forces the brain to process and engage deeply with the content. AI can then be used to extend, check or refine their thinking. When used after cognitive effort, AI enhances learning; however, when used before, it can replace it.

I typed a prompt into AI for a suggested study routine for Western Australian Year 11 and 12 students, one in which AI would not create the illusion of mastery but instead promote genuine understanding for test or examination readiness. While I do not doubt that this prompt could be further refined, a 6-step study routine and some suggested high-impact study prompts for students are available at the link below. A student guide to using AI effectively for study.

Families play an important role in reinforcing study habits. Encourage students to use their class notes and textbooks, create their own study notes (separate to their class notes), and complete practice questions supplied by their teacher before using AI. This approach promotes reflection, builds resilience and ensures a genuine sense of achievement. Students can then feel confident that their learning is authentic and meaningful.

At JSR, academic growth is guided by our virtues of Faith, Hope and Love, alongside our AngliSchools ‘FIRE’ values of Faith, Inclusion, Respect and Excellence. These principles encourage students to act with honesty, take responsibility, respect themselves and their learning, and strive for personal excellence.

By working together, we can help students use AI wisely; supporting them to learn and understand, develop their capabilities and thrive in their learning and future pathways.

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