Gen Coulter & Jenn Fortin
As we consider the impacts of AI on both formal and informal learning, it becomes clear that its influence is both promising and complex. While brainstorming this topic, it became clear that there were positive and negative aspects, therefore, we felt compelled to have that be reflected in our final visual graphic. Because of this, we felt inspired to use the same sort of mapping style as visitor-resident typology.
In formal settings, AI can increase productivity and support diverse learners through personalization and adaptive feedback, but it may also shift students away from deep engagement and independent thinking as they rely more on generated responses (Bozkurt et al., 2023; UNESCO, 2024; Selwyn, 2022). This raises questions about what it means to learn, particularly as memorization becomes less central and access to information becomes more emphasized (Bates, 2015; Veletsianos, 2016). At the same time, educators are being pushed to rethink their roles—not as primary sources of knowledge, but as facilitators who help students critically evaluate and meaningfully engage with information (Cuban, 1993; Manifesto for Teaching Online, 2016).
In informal learning contexts, AI is becoming embedded in everyday life, shaping how people brainstorm, organize ideas, and pursue personal interests, often in ways that feel seamless and immediate (Dron & Anderson, 2014; Stewart et al., 2019). However, this ease of access also introduces concerns around bias, equity, and the need for guidance, particularly as AI-generated content can reflect underlying inequalities and encourage surface-level engagement rather than deeper inquiry (Selwyn, 2022; Varsik & Vosberg, 2024).
Altogether, AI is not just changing how we access information, but how we understand learning itself—making it more important than ever to approach these tools with both curiosity and critical awareness.
- Increasing productivity
- AI can increase efficiency in formal learning by supporting faster content generation, feedback, and organization (Bozkurt et al., 2023; UNESCO, 2024).
- Chosen personal learning
- Informal, interest-driven learning is supported by digital tools and networks that allow individuals to explore personal interests and build knowledge independently (Dron & Anderson, 2014; Stewart et al., 2019).
- Helps support diverse learners
- AI has the potential to support diverse learners through personalization, adaptive feedback, and flexible pacing (UNESCO, 2024; Bozkurt et al., 2023).
- Supporting personal organization
- AI is increasingly embedded in everyday practices such as brainstorming, organizing, and problem-solving, blurring the boundaries between learning and daily life (Veletsianos, 2016; Dron & Anderson, 2014).
- Safeguarding
- The use of AI in informal settings highlights the need for guidance and digital literacy, particularly for younger users navigating unstructured environments (UNESCO, 2024; Garrison et al., 2000).
- Changing roles of teachers
- The role of educators is shifting toward facilitating inquiry, supporting critical thinking, and guiding learners in evaluating AI-generated content (Selwyn, 2022; Cuban, 1993; Manifesto for Teaching Online, 2016).
- Reduced learning retention
- AI tools may reduce the need for deep engagement, as students rely more on generated responses rather than sustained inquiry or reflection (Selwyn, 2022; Bates, 2015).
- Increasing access to knowledge
- While AI creates new opportunities to access knowledge, unequal access to technology may reinforce existing educational inequities (Varsik & Vosberg, 2024; OECD, 2025).
- Less memorization → reduced automatic recall
- The growing reliance on digital tools may shift learning away from memorization toward access and navigation of information (Bates, 2015; Veletsianos, 2016).
- Changing roles of teachers
- The role of educators is shifting toward facilitating inquiry, supporting critical thinking, and guiding learners in evaluating AI-generated content (Selwyn, 2022; Cuban, 1993; Manifesto for Teaching Online, 2016).
- Instant gratification
- Immediate access to AI-generated responses may reduce opportunities for sustained critical inquiry and reflection (TRU Digital Detox; Beetham, 2019).
References
Bates, T. (2015). Chapter 1: Fundamental Change in Education. In Teaching in the digital age. https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/
Beetham, H. (2019, April 10). Trouble with critical: reframing critical digital literacies as real-world interventions. [Video]. YouTube. https://oer19.oerconf.org/sessions/trouble-with-critical-reframing-critical-digital-literacies-as-real-world-interventions-o-161/
Bozkurt, A., Xiao, J., Lambert, S., Pazurek, A., Crompton, H., Koseoglu, S., Farrow, R., Bond, M., Nerantzi, C., Honeychurch, S., Bali, M., Dron, J., Mir, K., Stewart, B., Costello, E., Mason, J., Stracke, C. M., Romero-Hall, E., Koutropoulos, A., Jandrić, P. (2023). Speculative futures on ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI): A collective reflection from the educational landscape. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 18(1), 53–130. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7636568
Centre for Research in Digital Education (n.d.). Manifesto for Teaching Online. Retrieved from https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/manifestoteachingonline/ – specifically the 2016 manifesto
Cuban, L. (1993). Computers meet classroom: Classroom wins. Teachers College Record, 95(2), 185-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146819309500202
Dron, J, & Anderson, T. (2014). Teaching Crowds. Athabasca University Press. http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120235
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6
Khoo, S. (2019, April 11). Openings: bounded (in) equities: entangled lives. [Video]. YouTube https://oer19.oerconf.org/sessions/welcome-from-the-co-chairs-and-keynote-by-su-ming-khoo/
Selwyn, N. (2022). The future of AI and education: Some cautionary notes. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 620–631. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12532
Stewart, B., Phipps, L., & Cormier, D. (2019, April 10). The Participatory open: Can we build a Pro-Social, Pro-Societal web? [Video]. You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D4tg1FnE_s
TRU (n.d.) Digital Detox 5: The Harm was always there. Retrieved from https://digitaldetox.trubox.ca/digital-detox-5-the-harm-was-always-there/
TRU (n.d.) Digital Detox 6: Build Back Better. Retrieved from https://digitaldetox.trubox.ca/digital-detox-6-build-back-better/
UNESCO. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391104?posInSet=1&queryId=b1cbce61-afa6-4012-96d1-f88b1b1b112d
Varsik, S., & Vosberg, L. (2024). The potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on equity and inclusion in education. OECD Artificial Intelligence Papers. https://doi.org/10.1787/15df715b-enVeletsianos, G. (2016). Digital Learning Environments. The Wiley Handbook of Learning Technology, 242–260. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118736494.ch14