Advantages

For Students:

• The advantages of using generative AI-based assignments lie in their potential to support the development of students’ learning skills. Well-designed tasks encourage students to reflect critically on how AI can be used as a tool in their studies.  Such an approach shifts the focus from merely producing correct answers to engaging with the learning process itself. When students are encouraged to think about how and why they use AI, they also develop their metacognitive skills and become more aware of their own thinking. 
• Critical thinking requires deliberate reflection and an understanding of what kind of thinking is needed in a given task. If critical thinking is not explicitly defined as a learning objective, students may not recognise it as a skill they are expected to develop, even though it is a core aim of higher education.  

For Teachers:

• Ultimately, it is essential to consider how different uses of AI support the specific goals of a course. Each course has its own intended learning outcomes, and these should guide pedagogical choices. Furthermore, the development of critical thinking skills can be included as a learning objective in any course, regardless of the subject area. Defining these two types of goals in parallel helps to consider how generative AI can be used meaningfully to support their achievement.