A quick summary of an article on the topic; link appears at the end.

VIVA Overview

VIVA is a simple thinking and communication framework—Verify, Illustrate, Validate, Apply—that helps learners explain what they know, show understanding, justify reasoning, and transfer learning to new contexts.

Verify (What is the core claim?):

The article argues that faculty are essential to preventing student overreliance on AI by shaping how AI is framed and used in learning, not just whether it is allowed.

Illustrate (What does this look like?):

The authors describe two types of AI use—AI as a Shortcut (Appropriators), where students offload thinking to AI, and AI as a Learning Partner (Collaborators), where students use AI to question, refine, and deepen their own thinking.

Validate (Why does this matter?):

The distinction matters because faculty-designed assignments, clear expectations, and modeled practices strongly influence whether AI leads to shallow completion or authentic learning.

Apply (What should be done?):

Faculty can

• require students to explain or defend AI-assisted work,
• design assignments that capture thinking processes,
• model responsible AI use during instruction, and
• clearly define acceptable AI practices, as discussed in Inside Higher Ed.

What I found most interesting?

The article cites a study hosted at MDPI:

The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities, mediated by increased cognitive offloading. Younger participants exhibited higher dependence on AI tools and lower critical thinking scores compared to older participants. Furthermore, higher educational attainment was associated with better critical thinking skills, regardless of AI usage. These results highlight the potential cognitive costs of AI tool reliance, emphasising the need for educational strategies that promote critical engagement with AI technologies…The findings underscore the importance of fostering critical thinking in an AI-driven world….