The School of Education has released a new practical guide to help secondary teachers use generative AI (GenAI) in the classroom in ways that strengthen learning, rather than shortcut it, as schools navigate one of the fastest-moving changes in contemporary education.
Developed by Professor Miriam Tanti, La Trobe AI Institute Co-Director, Dr Alexia Maddox and Dr Emma Phillips, The Science of Learning and Generative AI: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers brings established science of learning research to a question many teachers are now facing in classrooms: how can GenAI support students’ thinking without doing the thinking for them.
Professor Tanti said the guide was designed to give teachers practical support as they navigate a new pedagogical challenge.
"Using AI for genuine learning is a new skill, and new skills need to be taught explicitly. We want to support this endeavour with practical, evidence-informed guidance," Professor Tanti said.
Grounded in research from cognitive science, educational psychology and neuroscience, the guide focuses on four areas where GenAI and learning intersect most directly: attention and cognitive load, memory and knowledge, transfer and problem-solving, and metacognition and self-regulation.
Classroom examples across Science, PDHPE, English and History show GenAI being used to prompt explanation, support memory practice, encourage deeper thinking, support reflection and challenge assumptions or fill gaps in students' developing understanding. This distinction runs throughout the guide: the difference between AI that extends students' thinking and AI that replaces it.
Students also need explicit support to evaluate of AI-generated content critically, including checking claims and questioning sources. The guide frames this as an essential part of classroom practice, not a separate digital literacy add-on.
The authors describe it as a living resource. While the science of learning is well established, its application to GenAI remains a developing area, and the guide is designed to evolve as classroom practice and the evidence base grow.
Download The Science of Learning and Generative AI: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers here.
It is free to use and adapt in your own context.
