AI summary of Linkedin Post by Matthew Wemyss
Estonia, the famously tech-savvy country, has given us one of Europe’s largest baseline studies on student AI use. Surveying over learners (ages
) before formal AI literacy was introduced, the results confirm what many teachers already suspected: our students are way ahead of the system.
This isn’t a future trend. It’s the current reality in your classroom.
Key Findings: The Student-Teacher “Implementation Gap”
Students are adopting AI at a lightning-fast pace, primarily using ChatGPT ( of all learners) as an all-purpose “study buddy.”
| Age Group | Usage Rate | Primary AI Tasks | Critical Finding |
| Middle Years ( | Fact-checking, Translation | Still value foundational knowledge; less exposure to critical guidance. | |
| Senior Years ( | Summarising, Idea Generation, Creative work (visuals) | More teacher encouragement and guidance on AI risks; more savvy and sceptical. |
The gap is clear: Students are using AI daily to complete assignments, but the pedagogical framework to guide them is lagging. Without guidance, the risk is high: learners may shift from active knowledge constructors to passive recipients of algorithmic output.
5 Actionable Steps to Bridge the Gap
This study is a clear call to action. The focus is not on banning AI, but on teacher readiness and critical literacy.
1. Start with an Honest Audit, Not a Ban
Action: Have open, non-judgmental conversations with your students about which AI tools they use (ChatGPT, Gemini, DALL·E, etc.) and for what specific tasks.
- Why it matters: This informal data is your best tool for informing your teaching approach, allowing you to meet students where they actually are. Don’t assume; ask.
2. Differentiate Your AI Literacy by Age
The data suggests a staged approach is necessary:
- Middle Years: Focus on foundational concepts. What is AI? How does it work? What are its limitations? Their inherent value for foundational knowledge is a window of opportunity before uncritical habits set in.
- Senior Years: Shift the focus to critical evaluation, ethical considerations, and responsible collaboration. They need to scrutinise AI’s answers, not just accept them.
3. Build Teacher Confidence First
Finding: Teacher readiness and perceived usefulness are the strongest predictors of successful AI integration.
Action: Offer low-stakes professional development. A 30-minute session where staff use an enterprise tool (like Copilot or Gemini) to generate lesson ideas or discussion questions is often more impactful than a lengthy theoretical training. You can’t teach what you aren’t confident using.
4. Integrate, Don’t Just Add On
Stop trying to ‘tack on’ AI lessons. Instead, find where AI literacy naturally connects to the existing curriculum.
- Action: Conduct a quick curriculum mapping exercise. Look for seams where AI fits perfectly with existing outcomes in digital literacy, critical thinking, and media literacy. You’re not adding workload; you’re updating the context.
5. Go Beyond the Prompt: Teach “How it Works” and “What it Means”
True AI literacy is not just the mechanics of prompting (competency); it’s understanding the ethics and risks.
Action: When discussing AI, dedicate time to how it works. Simple discussions about training data, privacy settings, and algorithmic bias are crucial. A learner who understands that their prompt could be feeding the model is an informed user, not a passive consumer.
The Estonian study (original version here) reminds us that we are raising Generation AI. The challenge isn’t the technology, but the speed at which it’s outpacing our pedagogical structures. By focusing on teacher confidence and critical literacy across age groups, we can ensure our students learn not just to use AI, but to understand it.
Find the author’s newsletter post here.