OTAN News

Designing Better AI Prompts for Student-Centered Learning

Is AI pushing pedagogy backward? A 2025 study from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, published in the Social Innovations Journal, analyzed 90 AI-generated lesson plans and found a recurring bias toward "teacher-centered" instruction. 

The Findings: 

• Bias: AI tools often default to rote memorization and limited student dialogue. 

• The Risk: Without intervention, AI may reinforce outdated teaching models. 

• Solution: Use intentional prompting to steer the AI toward learner agency. 

How to Improve Your AI Output: Instead of general requests, provide prompts that specifically require elements of student goal-setting and meaningful communication. With a critical eye and better prompting, AI remains a powerful tool for advancing, not hindering, good pedagogical practices. 

Read the full study here.