Episode

15 Apr 2025 · 41 min

0:00

In this Class Disrupted episode, hosts Michael Horn and Diane Tavenner interview Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and co‑author of The Disengaged Teen. Winthrop explains her “pre‑mortem” methodology—anticipating negative outcomes of generative AI in education before the technology is widely adopted. She outlines three primary risks: (1) offloading core cognitive tasks that are essential for developing critical thinking, (2) manipulation of learners, and (3) erosion of interpersonal socialization. The conversation distinguishes adult‑mediated AI use (teachers leveraging AI as a tool) from student‑mediated use (students directly using AI), warning that the latter could bypass essential knowledge acquisition. Drawing on systems‑change theory (Donella Meadows), Winthrop argues that AI could serve as a lever to shift education’s purpose from an “age of achievement”—focused on content mastery and compliance—to an “age of agency,” where learners have autonomy, agency, and engagement (explorer mode). She discusses how AI might amplify teacher expertise, support problem‑solving curricula, and enable new forms of civic learning, while also emphasizing the need for careful design, cultural shifts, and power‑dynamic considerations. The hosts also touch on the Brookings Global Task Force on AI and Education, the role of the Disengaged Teen research, and personal media recommendations that shape their thinking.

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