What the Age of AI Is Teaching Us About Student Reading

AI is everywhere in higher education right now. From writing assistants to automated feedback, the tools are evolving quickly—and instructors are understandably asking what this shift means for how students read, learn, and engage with course materials.

In conversations with faculty across disciplines, one pattern keeps coming up: while AI has changed the tools, it hasn’t changed the fundamentals of learning. Students still need to read closely, think critically, and engage meaningfully with ideas and with each other. And that’s where many instructors are focusing their energy.

AI Changed the Tools, Not the Challenge

AI can make reading faster. It can summarize, explain, and generate responses in seconds. But speed doesn’t equal understanding—and efficiency doesn’t automatically lead to learning.

What we’re seeing instead is a familiar challenge in a new context: students skimming instead of engaging, interacting with content individually rather than collaboratively, and moving quickly past ideas instead of grappling with them.

These aren’t just academic concerns. The ability to read carefully, interpret information, evaluate perspectives, and communicate ideas clearly are foundational skills students need beyond the classroom—especially in the workplace.

What We’re Seeing in Classrooms Right Now

Across campuses, instructors are emphasizing a few consistent priorities:

• Students want interaction, not just more content
• Faculty want visibility into student thinking, not surveillance
• Engagement matters more than enforcement

One idea keeps resonating in these conversations:

You don’t need AI detectors if students are actually engaging with the text.

When students are asked to show their thinking—ask questions, respond to peers, and ground their ideas in shared readings—learning becomes visible. The focus shifts from policing behavior to supporting understanding.

Why Social Reading Makes a Difference

Reading becomes more meaningful when it’s social.

When students annotate texts together, reading turns into an active process. Ideas are explored in context. Questions are surfaced in the margins. Discussion is tied directly to evidence in the text.

This kind of engagement supports skills that matter well beyond a single course:

• Critical thinking and close reading
• Written communication
• Collaborative discussion
• Responding thoughtfully to others’ ideas

These are the same skills students are expected to bring into professional environments—making sense of complex information, contributing to shared understanding, and communicating clearly with others.

Engagement Is Still the Throughline

AI isn’t going away, and it doesn’t need to be treated as the enemy. But technology alone doesn’t create learning—engagement does.

When reading is active, visible, and social, students are more likely to understand what they’re reading, participate authentically, and develop skills that carry forward into their academic and professional lives.

In the age of AI, the most effective strategies aren’t about control. They’re about connection.

Want to explore what engaged, social reading can look like in practice?

Learn how instructors are using social annotation to support active reading, critical thinking, and collaboration—even in AI-driven learning environments.