Schools Experiment With AI but Struggle to Measure Its Effect on Students

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s central argument about AI adoption in schools?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. AI should be introduced only after every possible risk has been eliminated.
   2. Schools must evaluate AI’s effects clearly enough to guide future decisions.
   3. Digital tools are already proven to improve educational outcomes.
   4. Teachers should independently decide how AI affects classroom learning.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Schools must evaluate AI’s effects clearly enough to guide future decisions.

   The article argues that meaningful adoption depends on reliable evaluation, not mere implementation.

   For now, the central question is not simply whether schools can introduce AI.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention several factors that shape learning?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that AI has replaced teachers’ decisions in classrooms.
   2. To identify the main reasons students prefer digital assignments.
   3. To explain why AI’s effects cannot easily be isolated.
   4. To demonstrate that classroom design matters more than educational technology.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain why AI’s effects cannot easily be isolated.

   These factors explain why isolating AI’s particular contribution is methodologically difficult.

   Students’ experiences, teachers’ decisions, and the design of the activity may all affect the eventual outcome.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What assumption underlies the article’s discussion of measurement?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Convenience alone is insufficient evidence of improved learning.
   2. Time-saving tools are generally harmful to students’ education.
   3. Accessible tasks inevitably produce stronger academic performance.
   4. Schools already possess universally accepted evaluation standards.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Convenience alone is insufficient evidence of improved learning.

   The discussion assumes that apparent usefulness and educational effectiveness are distinct.

   Those qualities could be valuable, but they do not automatically demonstrate that students are learning more effectively.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “Those qualities” refer to in the third paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The factors that shape learning outcomes
   2. The qualities of saving time, assisting rapidly, and improving accessibility
   3. The disappointing results of experimental approaches
   4. The methods schools use to measure educational success
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The qualities of saving time, assisting rapidly, and improving accessibility

   The phrase refers to the benefits immediately listed in the preceding sentence.

   A tool might save time, offer rapid assistance, or make a task feel more accessible.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the author discuss a disappointing result that may not show the full impact?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To argue that negative findings should always be ignored
   2. To suggest that initial results may provide incomplete evidence
   3. To prove that new approaches usually improve over time
   4. To show that schools cannot learn from unsuccessful experiments
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To suggest that initial results may provide incomplete evidence

   This qualification prevents readers from treating early negative results as conclusive.

   Conversely, a result that seems disappointing at first may not reveal the full impact of a new approach.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which progression best describes the article’s organization?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Historical background, personal testimony, and policy recommendation
   2. Technical explanation, statistical analysis, and classroom narrative
   3. Measurement challenge, practical consequences, broader institutional tension
   4. Benefits of AI, criticisms of teachers, and predictions about technology
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Measurement challenge, practical consequences, broader institutional tension

   The article moves from measurement difficulties to institutional implications and a concluding question.

   This creates a significant problem for schools that are still testing how AI should be used.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the author’s stance toward educational AI experiments?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Entirely dismissive, because AI cannot benefit learners
   2. Uncritically enthusiastic, because experimentation guarantees progress
   3. Cautiously balanced, acknowledging potential while demanding credible assessment
   4. Indifferent, because measurement has little effect on educational decisions
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Cautiously balanced, acknowledging potential while demanding credible assessment

   The author recognizes potential value while insisting that evaluation must accompany adoption.

   That uncertainty is shared by many schools conducting experiments, making evaluation as important as adoption.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.