Designing for Agency: How AI Features and Student Choice Shape Engagement in Digital Learning Environments

Digital learning platforms increasingly incorporate AI-based support tools to improve accessibility, personalization, and learning efficiency. At the same time, triggering and maintaining sustained student motivation and engagement in digital learning environments remains a continuous challenge. To address these issues, the University of Zurich and Edisconet have teamed up on a collaborative pilot project exploring the role of learner autonomy in shaping engagement with AI-supported study settings. By combining scientific research with practical EdTech expertise, this partnership allows for informed, evidence-based implementation of AI features that truly meet students’ learning needs.
The collaboration between Educational Technology (UZH; Lehrstuhl für Educational Technology | Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft | UZH) and Edisconet (edisconet) combines academic rigor with practical innovation to better understand how students interact with AI-supported learning tools. The project examines how different levels of choice, especially in selecting the format of learning outputs, influence students’ motivation, emotions, and interaction patterns when using AI-based support tools in digital settings.

Project Team

Project leaders: Prof. Dr. Sascha Schneider and Dirk Zimanky
UZH project team: Agnese Nanni

Funding

Supported by LEARN, University of Zurich, and Edisconet, as part of the Lighthouse EdTech Evidence Oriented Initiative (Lighthouse EdTech: Evidence-oriented initiative - EPFL Learn) funded by the Jacobs Foundation.