<![CDATA[Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly used by university students not only to locate information, but also to explain concepts, organize ideas, and complete academic tasks. This article examines the psychological processes that may explain why such use can support learning in some situations while reducing students' intellectual involvement in others. A conceptual literature review was conducted by bringing together foundational work on Distributed Cognition, Extended Mind, Cognitive Load, Student Engagement, and the ICAP Framework with recent studies on GenAI in education. Sources were selected for their relevance to cognitive offloading, cognitive engagement, and academic integrity. The review suggests that the educational consequences of GenAI depend less on its mere use than on how cognitive work is divided between students and the system. Offloading routine demands may free resources for evaluation and reflection, whereas delegating core reasoning may weaken engagement and make academic products less representative of students' own understanding. On this basis, the Educational Cognitive Transformation Model (ECTM) is proposed to connect learning transformation, cognitive offloading, redistribution of cognitive activities, cognitive engagement, learning quality, and academic integrity. ECTM is offered as a conceptual proposition that still requires empirical testing.]]>
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