AI in Malta

AI models can voluntarily submitted to the government for review 30 days before release under Trump's new executive order.

A scale that catches AI offloading before it hardens!

Tina Austin shared this study and I'm glad she did. It lines up with a lot of what I've been posting here, but it adds something the conversation has been missing.

We already know the problem. Fan et al. named it back in 2025: metacognitive laziness, the habit of handing your thinking off to AI when you should be doing the goal-setting, the self-checking, the reflection yourself.

Dizon et al. (2026) take the next step. They built an actual scale teachers can use to spot the early signs in students, then step in before the AI-dependent pattern gets entrenched.

That second part is what makes this useful. Plenty of studies name a problem. Far fewer hand teachers a tool to detect it early enough to do something about it.

Dizon et al.'s scale correlated strongly with student disaffection, both the behavioral and the emotional kind, but had basically no relationship with engagement.

In other words, a student offloading their thinking to AI isn't just engaging a little less. They're actually withdrawing. They go quiet and check out.

Accordingly, AI offloading doesn't simply lower enthusiasm.; It pushes students toward genuine withdrawal. Old-school work avoidance was about doing less. This looks like something more corrosive.

It's an early validation study, small and single-site, so I'd hold the causal claims loosely. We don't yet know if AI use weakens metacognition or if students who already struggle are just more drawn to offloading.

Still, this is a real contribution. A detector is only step one though. What we do with the signal is pedagogy, and that part is on us.

Link in the first comment!



References
Dizon, J. I. W. T., Mendoza, N. B., Gasevic, D., & Ganotice, F. A., Jr. (2026). Assessing AI-driven metacognitive offloading: Initial development and validation of the Metacognitive Laziness Scale. ECNU Review of Education, 9(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311261450994

Fan, Y., Tang, L., Le, H., Shen, K., Tan, S., Zhao, Y., Shen, Y., Li, X., & Gašević, D. (2025). Beware of metacognitive laziness: Effects of generative artificial intelligence on learning motivation, processes, and performance. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56 (2), 489–530.

Here is a serious paper that reframes what literacy is for in the time of AI.

I've been a fan of Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope's literacy work for years, especially their conceptualization of multiliteracies and the idea of meaning-making as design. So I read their new paper in Reading Research Quarterly with real interest. This time they look at literacy through the AI lens.

Their starting point is that Generative AI is, before anything else, a writing machine. Gutenberg's press mechanized the copying of text. This is the first machine to produce original text, and through text it makes images and speech too.

They make a subtle difference between human and machine cognition. The human mind, they argue, works grammatically, sorting the world into things and actions. Generative AI works statistically, predicting the next word with no understanding beneath it.

Their answer isn't to ban the machine or hand writing over to it. They propose 'cyber-social literacy' learning, a feedback relationship where human and machine work together because they're so different.

The point of writing stays the same, a way to think, not a task to outsource. That speaks straight to the cognitive surrender worries Shaw and Nave have raised.

Link in the first comment!



References

Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2025). Literacy in the time of artificial intelligence. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(1), e591.

Shaw, S. D., & Nave, G. (2026). Thinking fast, slow, and artificial: How AI is reshaping human reasoning and the rise of cognitive surrender. Working paper, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

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'Endless scrolling': Sweden mulls under-15s social media ban The ban could affect popular platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook and TikTok

Last week, a group of 13 teachers from Sacred Heart College, Malta successfully completed our Award in Foundations of Artificial Intelligence: Fundamentals and Applications for Educators 🎓

This MQF Level 7 programme (2 ECTS), delivered in collaboration with Rev. Dr Jean Govè — Diocesan Coordinator for AI-related activity within the Archdiocese of Malta — equipped educators with valuable knowledge and skills in this rapidly evolving field.

Participants now have a clearer understanding of how AI works and its real-world applications 🤖 They have also developed practical skills to use AI tools creatively and effectively, and are better prepared to guide learners in engaging with AI safely, ethically, and responsibly ✅

We sincerely thank Sacred Heart College, Malta for this opportunity to support the formation of educators in emerging technologies and their faith-based application🙏

🌍🤝 AI in Malta Recognized as a FEDI Innovation & Technology Partner

We are pleased to announce that AI in Malta has been officially recognized as a FEDI Innovation & Technology Partner by the International Federation for Education, Development & Innovation — FEDI.

FEDI describes itself as an international federation connecting institutions, professionals, experts, accreditation bodies, and innovation leaders into a global ecosystem dedicated to quality education, professional development, and future-ready transformation. It promotes education, development, innovation, professional recognition, digital transformation, and AI-ready learning.

This recognition reflects the mission of AI in Malta to support:

✅ Responsible AI awareness
✅ Practical digital skills
✅ Ethical use of technology
✅ Innovation in education
✅ Professional development
✅ Global collaboration

📌 Certificate ID: FEDI3497-AIM
🌍 Country: Malta
📅 Date of Recognition: 02/06/2026
⏳ Valid Until: 05/06/2027

🔗 Verification Link:
https://fedi.education/verify.php

🌐 FEDI Directory Profile:
https://fedi.education/member-profile.php?id=FEDI3497-AIM

FEDI’s stated values include global openness, collaboration, ethics, quality education, and innovation, which align closely with the vision of AI in Malta: making AI education more accessible, practical, responsible, and useful for educators, students, professionals, and the wider community.

AI in Malta — Education, Innovation & Responsible Technology. 🇲🇹✨