Thinking alone becomes a design decision

A design-based research study at Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences (Höpfl 2026, Frontiers in Education) examined AI use across six collaborative teaching methods over two academic years. When AI was permitted during the Think phase of Think-Pair-Share, the instructor observed that the phase no longer seemed to function as independent reflection, and the shared answers drew largely on AI output. AI was then excluded from Think and allowed only from Pair onward. Across three independent groups from three degree programmes, 91% (50/55) endorsed this AI-free phase, usually the highest-rated item on the entire questionnaire.

This example shows that the question is no longer whether AI is allowed in teaching, but in which phase of a method. Unaided thinking becomes something that has to be deliberately designed in. The study measures endorsement, not learning gains; it is exploratory and has no control group.