This is, sadly, an idealized notion of education that just doesn't match the reality of a general ed classroom. Students don't study to gain understanding in a majority of their classes; they study to pass. True, not all students all the time, but in the world you just described no amount of extrinsic motivation can force a student to deeper understanding, so why are we even talking about AI checkers?
Unless you're telling me you never did that in any of your classes growing up, but I'm going to be highly dubious of such a claim.
> Unless you're telling me you never did that in any of your classes growing up
I did extremely poorly in school, actually. It wasn't an environment that I could function in at all. But I got a great education outside of school.
I'm really talking about what's needed in order to get a good education rather than anything school-specific. Technically, school itself isn't needed in order to get a great education. But you do want to get educated, whether school is a tool you employ to that end or not.
"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library." -- Frank Zappa
But, outside if reading, writing, and arithmetic, the thing I did learn in school that was the most valuable was how to learn. So, that's my bias. The most important thing you learn in school is how to learn, and much of what teachers are doing in the classroom is trying to teach that.
My fundamental point is that what we need in order to learn is not just getting answers to questions. That approach alone doesn't get you very far.
I don't think we're too far at odds. I think the difference is that I'm talking about the classroom...especially general education, where AI essays are the problem. To your point, not every student chooses to spend time at the library, and you can't make them.
When I was younger, I was a bit of an idealist about education reform. As I grew old, I began seeing this the failings of education as a reflection on human nature. Now, I just don't think we should be wasting student's time trying to make them do something that, for whatever reason, they cannot or will not do the way we want them to.
Unless you're telling me you never did that in any of your classes growing up, but I'm going to be highly dubious of such a claim.