Generative Artificial Intelligence and Students' Cognitive Competencies: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to synthesize the research findings on the relationship between Generative Artificial Intelligence and students' cognitive competencies. The synthesis was based on relevant articles published in impact-factor journals specializing in Generative AI. The study first identified the empirical and non-empirical articles in the review. Total 42 studies were included in the final synthesis. The findings concerning the relevance of the studies were extracted from each article and extracted as themes for synthesis. Synthesis was done manually on the basis of cross-comparison between articles, identifying main themes in the literature. The study synthesized the current literature exploring the relationship between GenAI and students’ cognitive competencies. These cognitive competencies include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, metacognition, information literacy, analytical reasoning, and decision-making.  Considering Cognitive Load Theory, Constructivist Learning Theory, self-regulated Learning Theory, and Distributed Cognitive Theory, the review explores both positive and negative influences of GenAI use on students’ cognitive competencies. The synthesis indicated that GenAI can enhance higher-order cognitive skills through personalized feedback, adaptive learning support, and collaborative knowledge construction. Whereas, excessive use of GenAI can reduce the student’s cognitive engagement, weaken the critical thinking skills, and increase shallow learning. The review suggests a conceptual framework illuminating the ways in which GenAI affects cognitive competencies and identifies research gaps demanding further empirical investigation. The study recommends that educators, policymakers, and researchers make the best use of GenAI and develop strategies to mitigate the associated risks.

Keywords:  Generative AI, Cognitive Competencies, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Personalized Learning, Creativity, Problem Solving Skills.