GenAI-assisted education produces significantly higher higher-order thinking abilities than non-GenAI approaches (g = 0.72)¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr2·q3·i2medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i2 Pooled effect sizes show GenAI-assisted education significantly improves higher-order thinking abilities (problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking) relative to non-GenAI approaches, with a moderate-to-large effect. → Ying Dong 2026
Evidence¶
Ying Dong 2026¶
Ying Dong. (2026). Generative AI technologies and educational outcomes: a comprehensive meta-analysis comparing traditional and AI-driven approaches. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06903-y
q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r2
Random-effects meta-analysis of the included comparison studies for higher-order thinking. The pooled estimate was "g = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.30 ~ 1.13, moderate-to-large effect"; the article defines higher-order thinking as problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking.
"higher-order thinking abilities (g = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.30 ~ 1.13, moderate-to-large effect), learning motivation (g = 0.81; 95%CI = 0.20 ~ 1.41, large effect)"
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Critical Thinking — outcome: instruction changes it
Related Claims¶
- Meta-reviews reach contradictory conclusions on whether AI reliance harms or helps critical thinking, with substantial design limitations limiting generalizability — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
- GenAI-assisted education produces significantly higher academic achievement than non-GenAI-assisted approaches (g = 0.40) — related
- GenAI-assisted education produces significantly higher learning motivation than non-GenAI approaches (g = 0.81) — related
- Relative to traditional PBL, the AI-IVE-PBL model improves vocational students' design ability and creative ability — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- In the SEM, GenAI dependence is positively associated with critical thinking (β = 0.492), human–AI collaboration quality (β = 0.538), and research creativity (β = 0.064), with satisfactory model fit — related
- Intervention cohort scored significantly higher on creativity thinking, design skills, and problem solving, but not on presentation or attendance — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Exam environment critically moderates GenAI learning effects: significant large gains when GenAI is permitted during assessment (g = 0.76) versus non-significant slightly negative effects when it is not (g = -0.06). — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Adult learners view AI as a collaborative learning agent for solving complex problems, sharing knowledge, and honing higher-order thinking — related
- AI-PBL students achieve high normalized learning gains (g = 0.73) in computational thinking and academic achievement while control students record low gains (g ≤ 0.20) — related
- Embodied GenAI agents in mixed reality raised engagement and lowered cognitive load for 26 post-secondary learners during collaborative problem-solving — related
- ChatGPT use shows a moderate positive pooled effect on students' higher-order thinking (g = 0.457) — related
- GAI-assisted DST creation produced significantly higher collaborative problem-solving skills than traditional methods among university students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- GCLA use enhances higher-order thinking skills—critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity—compared with traditional ChatGPT use — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- AI applications contributed to STEM students' higher-order thinking, including problem-solving, computational thinking, and self-regulated learning — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Student-agent interaction produced far more help-seeking but a non-uniform cognitive distribution dominated by lower-order engagement (54.52%), unlike the balanced distribution of student-instructor interaction — reports the opposite
- Purposely teaching for higher order thinking skills enhances high school students' critical thinking compared with traditional teaching — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- GAI-assisted DST creation produced significantly better team creativity performance than traditional methods, particularly in novelty and user experience — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Dialogic learning produces a more positive effect on value-loaded critical-thinking competences than non-dialogic learning in pre-vocational secondary Biology — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
genai-higher-order-thinking-g072 |
title |
GenAI-assisted education produces significantly higher higher-order thinking abilities than non-GenAI approaches (g = 0.72) |
description |
GenAI-assisted education produces significantly higher higher-order thinking abilities than non-GenAI approaches (g = 0.72) |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — ying-dong-2026 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.