What Happens to Students When the Tool Is Gone

In this episode we explore what happens when students learn with AI or other cognitive supports, and then suddenly have to work without them.We look at a recent learning science study highlighted by Carl Hendrick in The Learning Dispatch, where students who had been using a simple planning tool saw their performance drop when that tool was removed. Topics covered:Why introducing an AI tool also means planning for its removalThe difference between scaffolds, accommodations, and persistent AI toolsWhat learning science suggests about tool dependenceWhy “taking the tool away” can reveal whether students have actually built skillWhy teachers need control over when AI feedback is on, limited, or turned offWhy AI implementation should be judged not only by access and efficiency, but by whether students can still think and perform when the support is goneSources:https://carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-monthly-dispatch-whats-new-in-a9ahttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41235-026-00722-0