By: Audry Pallas

There’s nothing quite as rewarding for teachers as witnessing the “a-ha!” moments when understanding finally takes hold after sustained effort. Warshauer (2015) describes productive struggle as a learning process where students work through challenging tasks that stretch their current abilities. When teachers resist giving immediate solutions and instead support students through difficulties, learners develop stronger problem-solving skills and resilience. In the classroom, productive struggle is an essential catalyst for learning. Students wrestle with challenging problems, guided by teachers who support their problem-solving without simply providing answers. This process leads to those “a-ha” moments that create enduring understandings.

AI offers unique advantages in promoting productive struggle, especially as teachers balance helping multiple students at once. AI tools, when chosen carefully, can support teachers with this guiding of learning. Similar to teachers, AI tools can provide students with the support and feedback to continue with the productive struggle. The best tools mirror a teacher’s guidance in supporting, rather than replacing, the struggle. There are countless AI tools on the market, but not all of them have features that support the productive struggle effectively. The right AI tools aren’t just about automating what we do; they’re about enhancing the learning journey in a meaningful way. The question remains: how can we ensure that student-facing tools support, rather than bypass, the productive struggle? I like to consider the following questions before selecting a student-facing AI tool.

1.Does this tool encourage students to actively engage and think critically about their work?

The most effective student-facing AI tools prompt students to think critically about their work, encouraging engagement with content rather than quick completion. For meaningful learning, tools should guide students to work through challenges, pushing them to problem-solve rather than provide easy answers.

2. Does the tool provide, or allow for, tailored feedback or guiding prompts?

Tools that support productive struggle offer assistance, like hints, reflective questions or constructive feedback, without giving away solutions immediately. This tailored feedback promotes inquiry and supports students’ thought processes, supporting their learning journey.

3. Does this tool prompt students to reflect and iterate on their ideas?

Teachers are always guiding students to reflect and revise in order to solidify deep learning. AI tools that encourage students to refine and iterate their work support the productive struggle by prompting students to improve their understanding.

AI has huge potential to support productive struggle across the subject areas. Let’s take a look at different use cases and tools that support productive struggle.

ChatBots: There are many ways that teachers can customize chatbots to become a helping hand in the productive struggle. A language teacher might program a Mizou chatbot to engage students in the target language with conversation starters and vocabulary hints. A social studies teacher could customize a chatbot so that students can upload an essay draft, and the bot provides feedback on voice, creativity, and clarity rather than grammar alone. A STEM teacher could create a chatbot to support students during the ideate step of the design process by acting as a thought partner, asking probing questions about their interests, goals, and ideas as they brainstorm project topics.

Math Specific Tools: There are many tools that support the productive struggle central to math. AI tools like Khanmigo guide students through each step of a complex math problem, offering hints on operations and problem-solving strategies without revealing the answer. By providing support only when needed, these tools keep students actively engaged in problem-solving and encourage persistence.

Conceptual Understanding Tools: There are a few tools that aim to foster productive struggle by encouraging students to share their thought processes and engage deeply with the material, supported by AI-driven feedback. Snorkl is an educational platform that uniquely allows students to record and share their spoken thoughts, powered by AI transcription and analysis tools. A student is prompted to share their understanding of a concept, receives feedback on any misconceptions, and is prompted to re-articulate their response; thus supporting the productive struggle.

Concept Visualization: Students can bring their sketches to life by using a tool like Animated Drawings by OpenAI. They can bring characters or scenes from their stories or reading assignments to life by drawing and animating them, which can help them visualize scenes and character actions. They might even animate scientific concepts like the phases of the moon. This process is a key part of the productive struggle, as students learn to translate their understandings into animations and iterate on their work; making their learning more meaningful and lasting.

Just as students need guidance and support when working with new AI tools, teachers need the freedom to explore AI tools in ways that align with their instructional goals. They need both access and time to learn and understand these tools, ensuring they support enduring understanding in their classrooms. In the end, AI should be a partner in the learning process, helping students achieve those enduring, hard-won understandings that come from the productive struggle.