Reimagining Higher Education in the Age of AI: Learning Design, Agentic Systems and Student Success
Scope of the Special Issue
Artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education at an unprecedented pace, extending far beyond the use of generative AI as a productivity tool. From intelligent tutoring systems and AI agents to personalised learning, adaptive assessment and curriculum redesign, AI is transforming how universities teach, learn, support students and prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-enabled world.
This Special Issue explores how higher education institutions can harness artificial intelligence to enhance learning, improve student success and strengthen institutional resilience while maintaining academic integrity, ethical practice and human-centred education. We welcome original research that examines the pedagogical, technological, organisational and societal implications of AI across the student lifecycle, from recruitment and learning design to assessment, employability and lifelong learning.
Submissions may be empirical, theoretical, methodological or practice-based and are encouraged from interdisciplinary perspectives spanning education, learning sciences, instructional design, computer science, psychology, educational technology, policy and leadership. We particularly welcome studies that move beyond technology adoption to explore how AI is reshaping the future of higher education through evidence-informed innovation.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence; Higher Education; Generative AI; Agentic AI; Learning Design; Instructional Design; Student Success; AI Literacy; Assessment; Academic Integrity; Learning Analytics; Personalised Learning; Educational Technology; Curriculum Innovation; AI Governance
Themes and Potential Topics of Interest
- Learning design for AI-enhanced education
- Agentic AI and intelligent learning environments
- AI-supported teaching, tutoring and feedback
- Student engagement, belonging and success
- Assessment innovation and academic integrity
- Curriculum transformation and AI literacy
- Faculty capability, professional learning and change management
- AI for student support, wellbeing and advising
- Learning analytics and personalised learning
- Ethical, responsible and trustworthy AI in higher education
- Institutional AI strategy, governance and policy
- Graduate employability and preparing learners for an AI-enabled workforce
- Human-AI collaboration in teaching and learning
- Emerging pedagogies for AI-enhanced higher education
Guest Editor
Fatiha Bazouche, PhD
Doctor of Philosophy, Instructor at Ohio University
Dr. Fatiha Bazouche, Ph.D., is an educator, researcher, instructional designer, and
scholar specializing in artificial intelligence in education, critical thinking, hybrid and
technology-enhanced learning, instructional design, teacher education, faculty
development, and educational technology leadership. Her research examines how
AI-supported and evidence-based learning environments can foster critical thinking,
higher-order cognitive skills, meaningful learning, and student success.
She completed her doctoral research in Instructional Technology at Ohio University’s
Patton College of Education and is a 2026–2027 Fulbright Finland grantee affiliated
with the University of Helsinki. She has published peer-reviewed journal articles,
book chapters, and conference proceedings on AI-enhanced learning, critical
thinking, assessment, instructional design, and innovative pedagogy.
Dr. Bazouche is President-Elect of the Distance Learning Division of the Association
for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Co-Chair of the
Technology Leadership SIG at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher
Education (SITE), a Research Affiliate with the SMART Lab, and an Editorial Fellow
for the AI and Education Book Series at STAR Scholars Press. She also contributes
to the scholarly community as a reviewer for academic journals, international
conferences, and major educational research and technology organizations.
Closing Date: 30 September 2026
Submission Guidelines
Authors are invited to submit , unpublished manuscripts through the Artificial Intelligence Advances in Education online submission system. All submissions will undergo rigorous double-anonymised peer review and should adhere to the journal’s author guidelines. Contributions from researchers, educators, policymakers, practitioners, accessibility specialists, international organisations and interdisciplinary teams are particularly encouraged.
