The Thinking Thermometer

The Thinking Thermometer (Version 1.0) is an open educational resource developed as part of Project Roundabout, an initiative of the Imaginative Curriculum Centre, School of Education, University of Leeds.

The Thinking Thermometer is a reflective instrument designed to support learners and educators in considering how they engage with their own thinking when using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Drawing on the Work Avoidance Goals subscale of the Goal Orientation and Learning Strategies Survey (GOALS-S) (Dowson & McInerney, 2004) and informed by emerging research on AI-driven metacognitive offloading (Dizon et al., 2026), the instrument reframes these ideas through a strengths-based lens focused on awareness, agency, and reflection.

The resource invites users to consider how they balance their own thinking with AI-supported processes. Rather than assessing performance or ability, it provides a snapshot of thoughtful engagement at a particular moment in time and encourages dialogue about learning, judgement, decision-making, and intellectual challenge in AI-enabled environments.

This resource includes:

• A mini guide for educators
• A mini guide for learners
• The six-item Thinking Thermometer instrument
• Suggested response formats
• Reflection activities
• A card-based version for dialogue and discussion
• Instructions for creating a Thinking Thermometer AI chatbot or chat
• An invitation to contribute case studies and adaptations

The Thinking Thermometer is intended for use across educational contexts, including schools, further education, higher education, and professional learning settings. It has been designed as an open and adaptable resource and may be modified to suit local needs and contexts.

Project Roundabout > https://leeds.pressbooks.pub/project-roundabout/

We are grateful to our reviewers  Dr Georgia Konstantia Karagianni and Dr Nicolas Simon for their valuable comments and suggestions. 

Reference: Nerantzi, C., Palfreyman, J., Lickiss, M., Hammersley, J., & Chatzidamianos, G. 2026. The Thinking Thermometer. Version 1.0. Imaginative Curriculum Centre, School of Education, University of Leeds. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22801101