Title and Authors: "Generative AI's Impact on Critical Thinking: Revisiting Bloom's Taxonomy" by Chahna Gonsalves

Published On: 2024 Published By: Journal of Marketing Education

Objective: To examine how integrating generative AI in marketing education assessments impacts critical thinking and how Bloom's Taxonomy can be revised to incorporate AI-specific competencies.

Methods:

• Conducted an online survey with 319 knowledge workers who use GenAI tools at least once per week
• Collected 936 real-world examples of GenAI tool use through audio diaries over 4 weeks
• Used mixed methods: quantitative regression models and qualitative analysis of free-text responses
• Measured critical thinking through Bloom's Taxonomy framework across cognitive, affective, and metacognitive domains
• Focused on MSc Marketing students' interactions with AI tools

Key Findings:

• Students demonstrate fluid movement between cognitive stages rather than following Bloom's linear hierarchy
• AI serves multiple roles: collaborator, assistant, and tool for critical thinking development
• Three key shifts in critical thinking effort were identified:
  1. From information gathering to information verification
  2. From problem-solving to AI response integration
  3. From task execution to task stewardship
• Higher confidence in AI correlates with less critical thinking engagement
• Students with higher self-confidence showed more critical thinking despite perceiving it as requiring more effort

Implications:

• Need to revise Bloom's Taxonomy to better reflect AI-enhanced learning environments
• Suggests incorporating new elements like melioration, ethical reasoning, and collaborative learning
• Educators should guide students in critically engaging with AI rather than simply relying on it for answers
• Highlights importance of developing both metacognitive engagement with AI and practical application skills

Limitations:

• Small, non-representative sample size
• Participants were mainly high-achieving students
• Audio diary method may have influenced behavior through self-monitoring
• Study conducted only in English with English-speaking participants
• Potential self-selection bias in voluntary participation

Future Directions:

• Conduct larger-scale studies with more diverse populations
• Explore long-term impacts of AI use on critical thinking development
• Investigate alternative frameworks beyond Bloom's Taxonomy
• Examine cross-cultural and multilingual perspectives
• Study impacts on lower-performing or less-engaged students
• Develop comprehensive frameworks for AI-assisted education that incorporate ethical considerations and metacognitive skills