THE ROLE OF ADAPTIVE AI AGENTS IN SHAPING INDIVIDUAL LEARNING TRAJECTORIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EMPIRICAL EVALUATION
Keywords:
Adaptive AI agents, personalized learning, higher education, learning analytics, individualized learning trajectories, intelligent tutoring systems.Abstract
The transformation of higher education toward competency-based and student-centered paradigms necessitates scalable mechanisms for personalized learning. Adaptive Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents provide dynamic, data-driven solutions for constructing individualized learning trajectories based on continuous learner modeling and predictive analytics. This study designs and experimentally validates an adaptive AI agent architecture implemented within an undergraduate academic environment. Using a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups (N = 124), the impact of the adaptive system on academic achievement, engagement, and self-regulated learning was measured. Statistical analysis demonstrates significant improvements in performance outcomes (p < 0.001) and engagement metrics among students supported by adaptive AI agents. The results confirm that trajectory-level personalization through intelligent agents enhances learning efficiency and institutional adaptability.