Dr. Stephen Lewarne argues universities must move beyond delivering information and focus on forming students capable of judgment, reasoning, and defending their ideas.
Franciscan University Professor of Economics and Finance Dr. Stephen Lewarne argues in a new Wall Street Journal op-ed that artificial intelligence is forcing universities to reconsider what higher education does best.
In “Socrates Would Thrive in the Age of AI,” Lewarne writes that while students now have unprecedented access to information, the greater challenge is teaching them how to evaluate evidence, recognize weak reasoning, synthesize competing ideas, and defend their conclusions.
“The scarce resource now isn’t information but judgment,” Lewarne wrote.
Lewarne has incorporated that philosophy into his own classroom, where students may use AI for research and developing arguments, but must also demonstrate their understanding through individual oral exams.
“Socrates didn’t grade essays,” he wrote. “He questioned his students until it became clear whether they could explain what they claimed to know.”
Read Dr. Lewarne’s full op-ed, “Socrates Would Thrive in the Age of AI,” in The Wall Street Journal.
