Underlining what matters in higher ed and ed tech: news, vendor updates, and commentary from across the field, in one place.https://theunderline.netlify.app/source/compedu-ai/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100686https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100686This study examines the development of teachers’ AI-integrated teaching competence, defined as AI-Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (AI-TPACK), aiming to move beyond additive assumptions toward an ethically grounded model. Based on survey data from 454 Chinese university teachers, a suppression pattern…Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMTXueyi CHEN et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100685https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100685Background. Equipping learners with AI-ethical literacy is a priority for higher education, yet item-level self-reports leave two observables unrecorded: the structure of lexical co-use in learners’ written responses and the polarity of their free text. Neither is a measure of learning. A further inferential hazard is…Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMTTengfei Shao et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100687https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100687AI anxiety is increasingly prevalent among university students, yet mainstream AI literacy interventions are often infeasible in resource-constrained settings. This study focuses on a law-dominant university in western China, where AI literacy education is absent. Students’ AI competence and AI ethical awareness are…Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMTYaqiao Mu et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100682https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100682Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly adopted in design education, yet evaluating its educational value through final outcomes provides an incomplete picture. This study compares two ecologically plausible workflows in an architectural conceptual design task: GenAI-assisted image generation and ArchDaily-based…Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTYao Xiao et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100684https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100684Learning theories have historically changed when the conditions of learning evolved. Generative and agentic AI create a new condition by allowing learners to delegate explanation, writing, problem solving, and other cognitive work to systems that can generate, recommend, and sometimes act on the learner’s behalf. This…Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTLixiang Yan and Dragan GaševićResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100683https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100683This study examines how generative AI can support middle school scientific inquiry in a rural agriculture-STEM classroom. Using a mixed-methods design with concurrent data collection and sequential analytic integration, we analyzed 42 eighth-grade students, organized into 12 groups, as they used Aspen, a custom AI…Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTSelçuk Kılınç et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100680https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100680Generative AI, currently most visible in education through large language models (LLMs), is increasingly embedded in students’ everyday learning practices, supporting tasks such as writing, coding, reasoning, and analysis. Yet their educational value remains uncertain because systems designed to improve immediate task…Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTHassan Khosravi et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100681https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100681While studies on using generative AI for education are increasing, research on whether it benefits STEM and non-STEM students, who tend to have different technology acceptance and AI literacy, in the interdisciplinary learning context is rare. To respond to this gap, this exploratory quasi-experiment study engaged 130…Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTGaoxia Zhu et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100678https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100678This paper proposes a hybrid recommendation system that integrates collaborative filtering with a pedagogically structured knowledge graph for personalized multimodal English learning resource recommendation. Resources, concepts, and learner attributes are organized into four instructional dimensions, and…Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTBin Liu et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100676https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100676Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTJiaqi Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100674https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100674Generative AI is becoming part of the infrastructure of higher education research training, yet little is known about how AI-mediated environments shape early-career researchers’ agency. This study examines AI dependence, defined as reliance on intelligent tools as a primary source of cognitive support in…Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTShanshan Han and Pingqing LiuResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100675https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100675Large language models (LLMs) are being integrated into nursing education at a pace that outstrips the field’s capacity to evaluate their consequences. Existing syntheses have mapped what LLMs can do in nursing contexts. Among those identified in this review, none has examined how their integration affects the…Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTYanjie Sun et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100673https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100673Vision-language models (VLMs) hold significant potential for educational applications; however, existing research has predominantly relied on the direct invocation of general-purpose architectures, lacking systematic fine-tuning methodologies tailored to discipline-specific visual corpora. This study situates its…Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTLinze Li et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100663https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100663Developing assessment rubrics is resource-intensive, limiting frequent formative assessment. This study introduces HARMOGEN-R (Hybrid Assessment Rubric Model Generation with Reasoning), a framework that uses reasoning-enhanced Large Language Models (LLMs) for initial rubric generation and standard models for…Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTPedro C. Mendonça et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100669https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100669Mathematical modelling (MM) is widely recognized as a key competency for addressing complex real-world problems, which requires learners to engage in higher-order processes such as abstraction, representation, and iterative reasoning. However, students often experience difficulties in coordinating these processes…Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTWangda Zhu et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100671https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100671The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is widely used to guide and explain learning in online and blended environments. However, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) challenges a key assumption in CoI research and practice: that indicators of presence can be attributed primarily to human learners, instructors,…Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTShen Ba et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100668https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100668The growing use of generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT raises serious concerns about academic integrity, especially in the context of assessments. While detection efforts have focused on open-ended responses, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), which are common in high-stakes testing, remain largely overlooked,…Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTAlona Strugatski and Giora AlexandronResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100665https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100665Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrating into design education, yet its effects on student learning processes remain empirically underexplored. This study reports a sequential mixed-methods investigation across a built-environment faculty at a research-intensive university, drawing on 24 faculty…Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTKristof Crolla et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100670https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100670This study investigates how teachers perceive, manage, and reflect on the cognitive implications of integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into their professional practice with a focus on the evolving interplay between human judgment and automation. Using a collective case-study design, we conducted…Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTChun Sing Maxwell Ho and Junjun ChenResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100662https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100662To address the limitations of existing automatic evaluation systems that rely on surface features and fail to provide actionable feedback for improving discourse coherence, we propose a Transformer model based on BERT to classify discourse relations (causal, contrastive, progressive, or incoherent) between adjacent…Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTWei Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100666https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100666Large language models have recently been proposed as tools for automated essay scoring, but their agreement with human grading remains unclear. In this work, we evaluate how LLM-generated scores compare with human grades and analyze the grading behavior of several models from the GPT and Llama families in an…Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTJerin George Mathew et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100657https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100657Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can enhance students’ efficiency and the apparent quality of academic work, yet its fluent outputs may encourage learners to outsource cognitive activities central to learning. This creates the risk of “performance without learning”, whereby successful task completion does…Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTXiangpeng Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100659https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100659Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTZachary RossmillerResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100664https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100664Automated analysis of classroom discourse has traditionally relied on discriminative Transformer architectures like RoBERTa to classify isolated utterances, an approach that inherently struggles with long-horizon dependencies and exhibits significant algorithmic bias against speakers of non-standard dialects of…Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTQianyi Fang and Wenhe LiuResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100660https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100660Student attrition in health professional education (HPE) carries serious implications for institutional performance and healthcare workforce supply, yet cross-institutional prediction is impeded by privacy regulations that prevent raw data sharing. This study presents, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first…Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTDaniel Kwasi Kovor et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100656https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100656Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used in language learning and assessment, yet their English proficiency is seldom reported against interpretable proficiency standards. We introduce the China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) framework to assess the proficiency levels and subskills of LLMs.…Sun, 02 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTShaonan Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100661https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100661Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMTLi-Jen Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100655https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100655Generative AI is becoming part of academic writing, but its educational value depends on how control is shared between learner and system. This study examined an agency gap : performance differences that may arise when AI agent initiative is misaligned with learners’ generative AI literacy. Seventy-nine medical and…Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTYueqiao Jin et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100653https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100653Generative AI-powered agentic systems are increasingly proposed for educational applications. However, the research landscape remains fragmented, and the relationship between technical capabilities and pedagogical design remains poorly understood. To address this gap, this scoping review systematically mapped 474…Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTNingxia Wang et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100651https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100651A persistent challenge in drone-based STEM education is the scarcity of teacher-verified, interactive simulations that support both conceptual learning and competency development. Generative AI can accelerate content creation, but its outputs frequently lack pedagogical validity and contextual alignment. This study…Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTRichard Chung Yiu Yeung et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100652https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100652Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly integrated into students’ academic lives in Ghana, making it crucial to examine their perspectives on ethical dimensions. Against this backdrop, this study assesses the artificial intelligence ethical awareness (AIEA) among 509 Ghanaian university students across the…Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTBernard Yaw Sekyi Acquah et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100644https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100644Generative AI teaching assistants are increasingly adopted in higher education, yet debates persist over whether student–AI conversations engage students in genuine cognitive processes or function primarily as information retrieval. We propose “Chat as Learning,” a measurement paradigm that treats student prompts as…Sat, 25 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTChia-Kai Chang and Kuei-Hao LiResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100647https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100647The focus of this research is on how AI instrumentation affects quality-assurance systems based on the concept of Jidoka within the ecosystem of accounting education in an emerging financial-market environment. The study fills a void regarding technology use beyond traditional financial-center locations by addressing…Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTWael Alrashed and Mosab AlrashedResearchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100645https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100645The ascent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) challenges art and design education to reaffirm the value of human creativity. This study proposes and examines a pedagogical response: a project-based learning (PBL) model with digital storytelling (DS) at its core, designed to cultivate the emotional, cultural,…Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTTian Ya-li et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100648https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100648Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in education requires strategic leadership from education managers, yet little research examines AI readiness among this stakeholder group, particularly in post-Soviet transitional contexts. As decision-makers who control whether and how AI enters educational practice, managers’…Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTВасиль Григорович Кремень et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100646https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100646Educational AI systems increasingly rely on large language models to support student writing and inquiry, yet enforcing safety and instructional constraints during open-ended, multi-turn interaction remains challenging. Existing approaches commonly embed such constraints within conversational prompts or rely on static…Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTHongming Li et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100649https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100649Automating the process of qualitatively coding text data from learners has been a long-standing ambition of learning analytics researchers since it represents an essential step toward delivering timely and scalable feedback. Automating this process is especially challenging in the case of ordered coding schemes…Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTKamila Misiejuk et al.Researchhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100650https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100650In this factor-informed exploratory CFA/SEM study, AI-literacy-related domains were treated as theoretically informed and empirically tested predictors of AI-TPACK readiness rather than as fully validated independent latent variables. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly entering mathematics education, making…Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMTMoeketsi Simon Mosia et al.Research