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Designing Better AI Prompts for Student-Centered Learning
Posted on 02/12/2026
Is AI pushing pedagogy backward? A 2025 study from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, published in the Social Innovations Journal, analyzed 90 AI-generated lesson plans and found a recurring bias toward "teacher-centered" instruction.
The Findings:
- Bias: AI tools often default to rote memorization and limited student dialogue.
- The Risk: Without intervention, AI may reinforce outdated teaching models.
- Solution: Use intentional prompting to steer the AI toward learner agency.
How to Improve Your AI Output: Instead of general requests, provide prompts that specifically require elements of student goal-setting and meaningful communication. With a critical eye and better prompting, AI remains a powerful tool for advancing, not hindering, good pedagogical practices.
Image from Hacienda-La Puente Adult Education
