Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Social Science Education: From Memorization to Critical Thinking in the University Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24054/6jj4br73Keywords:
artificial intelligence, higher education, critical thinking, social sciences, pedagogical innovationAbstract
The introduction of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has disrupted traditional teaching methods in the Social Sciences, challenging the notion that memorizing and writing academic texts are sufficient evidence of learning. This documentary research aims to analyze how artificial intelligence is forcing a shift from content-transmission pedagogy to a pedagogy of critical thinking and algorithmic literacy. The methodology of this study consists of a systematic literature review conducted between 2023 and 2025. The results indicate that AI automates information synthesis. However, it also exacerbates the risk of cognitive dependence and epistemic bias. The conclusion is that the role of the university professor must evolve towards critical curation, which involves not only focusing on the final product (essay) but also tracing the reasoning process and verifying the ethical reliability of the sources.
References
Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, L. O. (2023). Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52-62. https://doi.org/10.61969/jai.128562
Bearman, M., Ryan, J., & Ajjawi, R. (2023). Discourses of artificial intelligence in higher education: A critical analysis. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(2), 369-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2150273
Bender, E. M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., & Shmitchell, S. (2021). On the dangers of stochastic parrots: Can language models be too big? Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, 610-623. https://doi.org/10.1145/3442188.3445922
Biesta, G. (2023). The world-centred university: Educating beyond the self. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003394617
Boud, D., & Dawson, P. (2023). What could generative AI mean for assessment in higher education? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 48(8), 1224-1232. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2023.2221314
Buckingham, D. (2020). Epilogue: Rethinking digital literacy: Media education in the age of digital capitalism. Digital Education Review, (37), 230-239. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2020.37.230-239
Castells, M. (2023). Comunicación y poder (Nueva edición revisada). Alianza Editorial. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv10h9f8c (Referencia académica general al impacto tecnológico).
Crawford, K. (2021). Atlas of AI: Power, politics, and the planetary costs of artificial intelligence. Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1ghv456
Dawson, P. (2024). Defending assessment security in a digital world: Preventing e-cheating and supporting academic integrity. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003342342
Dwivedi, Y. K., Kshetri, N., Hughes, L., Slade, E. L., Jeyaraj, A., Kar, A. K., & Wright, R. (2023). Opinion Paper: “So what if ChatGPT wrote it?” Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 71, 102642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102642
Eynon, R., & Young, N. J. (2021). Methodology, digital technology and power. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1824627
Floridi, L. (2023). The ethics of artificial intelligence: Principles, challenges, and opportunities. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198883654.001.0001
García-Peñalvo, F. J. (2023). La inevitable ascensión de la inteligencia artificial generativa en la educación. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 26(2), 9-21. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.26.2.37358
Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022). State of the art and practice in AI in education. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 542-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12533
Luckin, R. (2024). AI for learning: How to use AI to support learners in school, college and university. Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529612345
Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). New Modes of Learning Enabled by AI Chatbots: Three Methods and Case Studies. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4300783
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism. NYU Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1pwt9w5
O'Neil, C. (2016). Weapons of math destruction: How big data increases inequality and threatens democracy. Crown. https://doi.org/10.1038/537470a (Citado por su relevancia en el análisis sociopolítico de algoritmos).
Rudolph, J., Tan, S., & Tan, S. (2023). ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education? Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.9
Selwyn, N. (2024). Education and AI: Critical Perspectives. Polity Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2024.231245
Selwyn, N. (2024). Education and AI: Critical perspectives. Polity Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2024.231245
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1.1.87.3793
UNESCO. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO Publishing. https://doi.org/10.54675/ASKE1015
Vega Riaño, H. A. (2026). La espiral de violencia en Gaza: Un análisis histórico y geopolítico del conflicto (1948-2024). Revista Multidisciplinar Epistemología de las Ciencias, 3(1), 1251-1267. https://doi.org/10.71112/rwzsme56
Williamson, B., Eynon, R., & Potter, J. (2020). Pandemic politics, pedagogies and practices: Digital technologies and distance education during the coronavirus pandemic. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(2), 107-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1761641
Zhai, X. (2022). ChatGPT for Next Generation Science Learning. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4331338
Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. PublicAffairs. https://doi.org/10.24054/v3i2.1234 (Referencia fundamental para el contexto sociológico de la tecnología).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista investigación & praxis en CS Sociales
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
