The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 examines how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has the potential to transform the quality and effectiveness of learning while improving the productivity of education systems.

With NotebookLM (Google AI environment, used April 1, 2026) an abstract was made of the OECD Outlook. resulting in 5 key insights:

1. Student Learning and Tutoring: GenAI can scale personalised learning through intelligent tutoring systems that offer flexible, human-like dialogue. However, the sources warn of “metacognitive laziness” or the “mirage of false mastery,” where students use GenAI as a shortcut to complete tasks without achieving actual learning gains
2. The “Turkey Study”: A significant field experiment in Türkiye demonstrated that while a tutoring version of GenAI improved short-term practice performance by 127%, students performed 17% worse on closed-book exams after the tool was removed, illustrating how AI can undermine skill acquisition if not carefully designed
3. Augmenting Teacher Performance: For educators, GenAI can drastically increase efficiency; for example, a study in England showed a 31% reduction in lesson and resource planning time. The report advocates for an “augmentation” model of teacher-AI teaming, where AI complements human judgment rather than replacing it, allowing teachers to focus on complex social-emotional learning
4. Institutional and System Management: GenAI techniques like vector embeddings can help administrators map course equivalencies across different institutions, facilitating student mobility. It is also being used to automate the generation of standardised assessment items at scale, though human review remains essential to prevent “hallucinations”
5. Effective Implementation: To yield positive results, GenAI tools must be intentionally designed with teachers and used within learning scenarios that emphasize the thinking process rather than just the final output

Within the ICSE STE(A)M project a module will be designed (2026) on genAI in STEM education. This module will be used in teacher training and in-service teacher training in STEM (age group 11-15 years old).
(cooperating countries for this module: Turkey, Portugal and the Netherlands).

Video

Extra colloquium: Duncan Brumby (UCL) — How Generative AI is Reshaping Education

Experimental Psychology and the Human-centered AI focus area, SIG on Social and Cognitive AI are organizing an extra colloquium:vUtrecht University, Science Park. Pantry of experimental psychology (Langeveld building, Heidelberglaan 1, room H0), 12:00

Abstract:
How Generative AI is Reshaping Education

Professor Duncan Brumby studies how digital tools shape human behavior, focusing on two of today’s most pressing challenges: the pervasive impact of smartphone use and the transformative role of generative AI. His research bridges academia and practice, translating insights into real-world impact. Recognized with Best Paper Awards at CHI and CSCW, his contributions span over 100 publications and are highly cited. He holds a senior educational leadership role in the Faculty of Brain Sciences at UCL and is an ACM Distinguished Speaker, delivering keynotes to leading academic and industry groups. As Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS), he oversees research that advances human-centered technology design