申論題

VI. Curriculum Design 

 Based on the content and issue in the given passage, design a 4-period micro-course for TNGS Grade 11 high school students to sharpen their language skills and critical thinking abilities. Please specify your teaching objectives, course design, materials, and assessments.         With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), many people believe that education should change dramatically. Since AI can quickly provide information and answer complex questions, some argue that memorizing facts is unnecessary. Instead, students should focus on critical thinking and problem-solving while leaving basic knowledge to AI. However, this perspective overlooks an important fact: human creativity and intelligence rely on knowledge. If we depend too much on AI for memory and thinking, we may become less intelligent and more vulnerable to misinformation.

    AI tools like ChatGPT can be useful for learning. They act as personal tutors and provide quick access to information. However, knowing where to find information is not enough. Studies in cognitive psychology show that knowledge helps us learn and think better. The American educator E. D. Hirsch argued that to use new information effectively, we must already have a strong foundation of knowledge. In other words, knowledge is like mental scaffolding that supports further learning and creativity. An example of this idea can be seen in England’s education reforms. Inspired by Hirsch’s views, the government introduced a “knowledge-rich” curriculum. Students are now required to memorize essential facts, such as multiplication tables. This method has helped improve England’s international education rankings, proving that memorization remains important even in the digital age.

    Some people question which facts should be memorized, but the key idea remains the same: a strong foundation of knowledge is necessary for deeper understanding. British education expert Nick Gibb also emphasized that even though we can “just Google it,” our ability to use information depends on what we already know. If we lack basic knowledge, we struggle to process and evaluate new information effectively. Moreover, AI reliance may weaken our ability to think. In his book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr explained that relying on the Internet as a substitute for memory can harm our ability to learn. Studies of London taxi drivers showed that their brains adapted and expanded as they memorized city maps. However, if we let AI store all our knowledge, our brains might not develop in the same way.       Daisy Christodoulou, author of Seven Myths About Education, also pointed out that human working memory has limits. When we encounter too much new information at once, we become overwhelmed, making it harder to learn. Studies show that people often forget information they find online because they assume they can always look it up again. This overreliance on technology can make us less capable learners. Some AI companies even suggest that people should “embrace forgetfulness” and trust machines to store knowledge. However, this could make us overly dependent on AI, weakening our cognitive abilities. Unlike calculators, which only assist with simple math, AI chatbots can perform a wide range of cognitive tasks. If students rely on AI for thinking, not just for retrieving facts, both memory and creativity may decline. Some studies even suggest that the steady rise in IQ scores, known as the “Flynn effect,” has started to slow down in some countries.

    Governments are still exploring how AI should be used in education. While AI can support learning, we should not abandon traditional knowledge-based education. In an age of misinformation, having a strong foundation of basic facts is more important than ever. Instead of replacing human memory, AI should be used as a tool to enhance learning while preserving our ability to think independently and creatively.