Beyond the Hype: US Researchers Watch Firsthand How Students Actually Use AI Tools in the Classroom

Discussions about generative artificial intelligence in education have become ubiquitous, yet many of them remain at the level of speculation or aggressive marketing. To separate reality from hype, a nonprofit organization in the United States chose a simple but rarely applied method: actually going into classrooms to see what happens when students use these tools.

According to The 74, Emily Freitag, co-founder and CEO of Instruction Partners — a Nashville-based organization that supports teachers with resources and instructional coaching — became curious about AI after learning about a tool called Coursemojo. Rather than limiting themselves to theoretical reports or speeches about the technology's potential, her team decided to directly observe the interaction between students, teachers, and AI applications during actual lessons.

This method stands in sharp contrast to the general trend in the ed-tech sector, where products are often promoted on the basis of ambitious promises without solid evidence gathered directly from classrooms. Freitag and her colleagues stress the importance of testing these tools under real conditions, with real students, not just in controlled demonstrations.

Implications for teachers and policymakers

The results of such observations could influence how schools choose whether or not to adopt AI technologies. If the tools demonstrate concrete benefits — for example, genuine help with writing, math, or organizing information — they can be gradually integrated into the curriculum. Conversely, if observations show that students are excessively relying on automatically generated answers without developing critical thinking, teachers and administrators may need to reconsider how the tools are implemented.

Instruction Partners' initiative points to an important paradigm shift: evaluating AI in education should not rely solely on technological enthusiasm, but on careful, systematic observation of its real impact on the learning process.