From Clickologists to Critical Thinkers Reimagining learning in an introductory business statistics course

Abstract

As artificial intelligence and courseware platforms infiltrated higher education, they promised efficiency, adaptability, and seamless integration. However, this reflection on an undergraduate business statistics course reveals a troubling transformation: students once trained in logic and analysis became “clickologists,” mechanically navigating automated systems rather than engaging in genuine intellectual exploration. The shift from textbooks to digital courseware, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, conditioned students to follow prescribed digital pathways rather than critically engage with learning materials. In response, a bold course correction emerged, abandoning courseware, reclaiming textbooks, and reintroducing fundamental study skills. Through structural and instructional shifts, educators began re-centering learning on student inquiry, textual engagement, and cognitive ownership. This narrative is not about rejecting technology but rather about striking a balance: acknowledging AI’s presence while ensuring that education remains a space for thinking, exploring, and reclaiming the soul of learning.