From Cognitive Substitution to Cognitive Amplification: Artificial Intelligence, Higher-Order Learning and Real-World Readiness in Online Postgraduate Public Health Education—A Scoping Review

Background

Online postgraduate (PG) public health education must develop higher-order competence and readiness for practice. Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) may enhance feedback, simulation and scaffolding, but may also substitute for learner reasoning. This review examined pedagogical conditions supporting higher-order learning and how AI interacts with them to influence competence and real-world readiness in online PG public health education.