A quote from Chinua Achebe’s 1890s-set novel Things Fall Apart has become a guiding principle for educators working through the rise of artificial intelligence in schools.
“Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching,” Achebe wrote. The line was quoted by Nana Amakah Otu, a teacher from Country International School in Ghana, when discussing AI and the future of education at the Cambridge Schools Conference.
AI’s impact on education
“Like Eneke, education has to adapt,” Nana explained. “AI can generate essays, summarise texts and translate languages, so we need to refocus the key things students need to learn for their futures.”
The conference highlighted a growing concern: the disconnect between performance and understanding in the age of AI. While tools can produce polished work, they may hinder the development of essential skills.
Professor Rose Luckin, CEO of Educate Research Ventures, presented evidence suggesting excessive AI reliance can reduce brain activity and weaken student recall. “The risk is not AI itself,” she said. “The risk is unmanaged AI.”
The importance of metacognition
A key solution lies in supporting metacognition—the ability to understand one’s own learning process. This, along with meta-knowing and self-efficacy, are human skills AI cannot replicate.
Teachers are already adapting. Some use AI to emphasise process, discussion, and reflection. One strategy, “AI reflection mapping,” involves students generating AI responses, then critically evaluating them against reliable sources.
The role of metacognition in AI-assisted learning
Metacognition, or understanding one’s own learning process, emerged as a critical skill for students in the age of AI. Sarah Hughes, Head of Research at Cambridge, and Silvia Pirola, Senior Insights Manager, presented research showing that both teachers and learners view metacognition as essential for success in education and beyond.
However, the same research revealed that metacognition is among the hardest skills to teach and learn. Andrew Field, Senior Product Ideation Manager at Cambridge, led a session where teachers discussed the importance of students understanding their learning processes before effectively using AI. One teacher suggested a formal assessment specifically for metacognition.
Practical strategies for integrating AI in education
Some educators are already implementing strategies to emphasize process, discussion, and reflection in AI-assisted learning. One such method is “AI reflection mapping,” where students generate AI responses, then critically evaluate them against reliable sources. This approach helps learners become critical users of AI rather than passive consumers.
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