Generative AI—software that can answer questions and generate text—poses a challenge for outdoor geoscience learning. While it can help students ask better questions, it may also nudge them toward certain answers, making them rely less on their own observations and thinking.
Researchers have developed a six-stage framework to help teachers use AI in a way that supports rather than replaces student learning. The key idea: students should first observe the landscape directly and form their own interpretations, then use AI to explore alternative explanations, and finally check those AI suggestions against what they actually see.
Why it matters
- Students learn best when they observe first and use AI after forming their own ideas, not before.
- Teachers remain responsible for guiding how AI is used and ensuring field evidence stays central to learning.
- Without careful planning, AI can shift learning away from real observation toward accepting computer-generated answers.
What to do
- Have students observe and record field evidence before introducing AI tools into lessons.
- Use AI to generate questions and candidate explanations students can test against observed data.
- Teach students to treat AI outputs as provisional ideas, not final answers, requiring human judgment.