Non-EKU Spark Talk: Unhiding the Brain: Making Thinking Visible in the Age of GenAI

Thomas E. Stevens, J.D., Esq., Assistant Professor, Department of Government 

By design, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications privilege output and conceal process. As students increasingly rely on GenAI tools, higher education faces a growing risk: students may internalize a product-over-process mindset that devalues methodology, rigor, and the messy reality of critical thinking in favor of instant results. 

Drawing on academic research, classroom experience, and student feedback, this presentation examines process-oriented pedagogy as an effective means of “unhiding” the student brain. Participants will discuss how to design assignments, assessments, and group exercises to make student thinking visible. By redirecting our focus from the final product to the student’s analytical journey, we can reclaim the classroom as a space for human thought, not machine output.