Human-Centeredness and Augmented Intelligence

Week 14: AI in Education

Today's Journey

  • Opening: AI Mirror Exercise
  • Exploring: Human-Centered AI Design
  • Applying: TechForward Academy Case Study
  • Creating: Human-Centered Assessment Tools
  • Reflecting: Integration & Next Steps

Essential Question

How can we design educational environments that harness AI capabilities while maintaining human-centeredness and avoiding cognitive offloading?

AI Mirror Exercise

Reflect on your experience with AI tools:

  1. When has AI helped you see a problem in a new way?
  2. When did AI replace rather than augment your thinking?
  3. How might AI change your students' relationship with learning?
  4. What human aspects of education seem most resistant to AI?

5 minutes individual writing → 5 minutes pair discussion → 10 minutes group share

Learning Objectives

By the end of today's session, you will be able to:

  • Define principles of human-centered AI design
  • Analyze how AI can augment rather than replace human capabilities
  • Develop intervention strategies for over-automated educational environments
  • Create criteria for evaluating human-centeredness in educational technology

Think-Pair-Share: Human-Centered Principles

  • Think: Identify the 2 principles you believe are most essential for educational AI (2 min)
  • Pair: Discuss with a partner why you chose these principles (3 min)
  • Share: We'll collect key insights from pairs (5 min)

Human-Centered Design: Core Principles

  • Human agency over algorithmic control
  • Transparency in AI functioning
  • Complementary capabilities not replacement
  • Value alignment with educational goals
  • Inclusive design for diverse learners

The Risks of Cognitive Offloading

"When students habitually offload assignments to AI, they bypass the essential mental work that links new knowledge to existing knowledge networks, preventing the deep integration necessary for expertise development."

— Underwood (2025)

Self-Determination Theory & AI

SDT Element Enhanced by AI when... Undermined by AI when...
Autonomy Offering choices and customization Dictating learning paths
Competence Providing scaffolding and feedback Doing the thinking for students
Relatedness Supporting human connection Replacing human interaction

Warning Signs of AI Dependency

  1. Students struggle with independent thinking
  2. Declining intrinsic motivation
  3. "Outsourcing reflex" - immediate turn to AI for help
  4. Reduced collaborative engagement
  5. Difficulty with open-ended problems

Augmented Intelligence: The Better Path

Hemmer, P., Schemmer, M., Kühl, N., Vössing, M., & Satzger, G. (2024)

Value Alignment Framework

"AI value alignment requires that the entire process - from translating values into norms, implementing these norms and verifying their adherence - is explicit and auditable."

— World Economic Forum (2024)

Spectrum Activity: Human-AI Complementarity

Instructions: Position yourself along the spectrum based on your agreement with each statement.

"AI should handle routine teaching tasks so teachers can focus on higher-order work."

"Students should learn core concepts without AI assistance before using AI tools."

"The primary role of AI in education should be to personalize learning experiences."

"Human connection is the most important element to preserve in AI-enhanced education."

Human-Centered Design Principles (AI in Education)

Canonical HCD Principles (ISO 9241-210)

  1. Understand users, tasks, and contexts

  2. Start with real educators, learners, and environments.

  3. Involve users throughout design

  4. Early, frequent, ongoing participation.

  5. Evaluate with users continuously

  6. Test → observe → refine.

  7. Iterative design

  8. Multiple cycles, not a linear process.

  9. Address the whole user experience

  10. Cognitive, emotional, physical, cultural.

  11. Use multidisciplinary teams

  12. Educators, designers, engineers, accessibility experts.

AI-Specific Extensions

  1. Transparency & explainability

  2. Users should understand how AI arrives at outputs.

  3. Human agency & meaningful control

  4. AI augments—not replaces—human judgment.

Education-Specific Extensions

  1. Value alignment

  2. AI must support educational values (equity, mastery, productive struggle).

  3. Inclusivity & accessibility

  4. Designed for diverse learners, cultures, languages, and abilities.

CASE STUDY

TechForward Academy

A School That Went "All In" on AI-Based Instruction

TechForward Academy: Current Implementation

  • Personalized AI tutors deliver most direct instruction
  • Automated assessment provides real-time feedback
  • AI-driven curriculum determines learning pathways
  • Virtual teaching assistants answer questions 24/7
  • Automated reporting tracks and predicts achievement

Emerging Concerns

  • Parents: Children seem disengaged, dependent on AI
  • Teachers: Feel relegated to "system monitors"
  • Students: Decreasing initiative, difficulty with independent thinking
  • Assessment: Strong factual recall, weak creative thinking
  • Board: Questioning balance of innovation vs. effectiveness

Your Challenge: Consulting Team

Develop a strategic intervention plan to rebalance human and AI elements while preserving technological benefits.

Stakeholder Analysis

Group Current Experience Needs Values
Students
Teachers
Leadership
Parents

Problem Diagnosis Framework

Analyze through Self-Determination Theory lens:

  • Autonomy: Where is choice limited?
  • Competence: Where is development hindered?
  • Relatedness: Where are connections missing?
  • Cognitive Development: Where is offloading occurring?

Intervention Planning Matrix

Element Current State Recommended Change Benefits Challenges
Instruction
Assessment
Pathways
Connection
Cognitive Dev

Research-Based Interventions

"The intrinsic motivation and competence to learn with the chatbot depended on both teacher support and student expertise... the teacher support better satisfied the need for relatedness."

— Chiu et al. (2023)

Team Presentations

Creating a Human-Centered Evaluation Tool

Individually create a checklist of 5-7 yes/no questions:

  • Does the environment preserve student agency?
  • Is productive struggle encouraged?
  • Are human connections prioritized?
  • Is cognitive development supported?
  • Are educational values aligned?

Reflection

  • How has your thinking about AI in education evolved?
  • What principles will guide your decisions about implementing AI?
  • What unresolved tensions remain about balancing AI with human-centeredness?

Key Takeaways

  • Human-centered education uses AI to augment rather than replace human capabilities
  • Educational values should drive technology implementation decisions
  • Preserving autonomy, competence, and human connection is essential
  • The right balance creates better learning than either extreme