The Cognitive Death or Deeper Thinking? The AI Tug-of-War

The Cognitive Death or Deeper Thinking? The AI Tug-of-War

From Deep Learning Dialogues by Katrina Gouett and Whitney McKinley

May 22, 2026 · 53 min · Season 3 · Episode 25

About this episode

The episode discusses the tension between cognitive offloading and replacement in education, focusing on the impact of generative AI on traditional academic standards.

In this episode of Deep Learning Dialogues , hosts Whitney McKinley and Katrina Gouett engage in a captivating conversation with educational scholars Dr. Julie Mueller, Dr. Avis Beek, and Dr. Keri Ewart from Wilfrid Laurier University to tackle the critical tension between cognitive offloading and cognitive replacement in the classroom. Grounded in recent literature on academic integrity, technological disruption, and equitable pedagogy, the panel discusses how generative AI is challenging traditional, colonial structures of higher education and redefining historical standards of "originality." From exploring the generational gap in digital fluency to questioning whether AI will stunt critical thinking or liberate educators to focus on foundational human skills, this discussion serves as an urgent call to prioritize transferable skills, problem-solving, and authentic, experiential learning over reactive, "whack-a-mole" tech policing. Read the episode summary here. Articles discussed in the episode: “ ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education ” This Changes Everything: Originality, Academic Integrity, and Education in the Age of…

People in this episode

Hosts: Whitney McKinley, Katrina Gouett

Guests: Dr. Julie Mueller, Dr. Avis Beek, Dr. Keri Ewart

Topics covered

  • cognitive offloading
  • cognitive replacement
  • generative AI
  • academic integrity
  • equitable pedagogy
  • digital fluency
  • critical thinking

Keywords

  • AI in education
  • cognitive skills
  • technology in classrooms
  • academic integrity
  • experiential learning
  • digital fluency
  • critical thinking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wilfrid Laurier University

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