Smart Learning: How GenAI Is
Powering Better Online Education
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is changing how people learn and build skills, especially in online
education. As entire industries and job roles evolve, educators and academic systems must adapt quickly to
stay relevant.
GenAI continues to emerge as the ultimate personalised
experiential learning companion across varied fields. An
AI pedagogical system addresses critical gaps in
traditional education systems. It dynamically moderates
content to individual learning styles, providing
immediate, tailored feedback accelerating
comprehension and skills development, accommodating
individualsʼ learning curves. For example:
Successful integration of GenAI necessitates dynamic
evolution in roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder
in the learning ecosystem.
Online learners are no longer just absorbing content, they
are actively shaping their own learning experiences.
GenAI encourages students to ask better questions, refine
their ideas, and take ownership of their work. However,
students must also learn to fact-check AI-generated
information and think critically about what theyʼre given.
For example,
1. Students as Active Creators of Learning
Educators, in turn, can focus more on specialised matters
and instructional direction such as personalised
mentorship, fostering higher-order thinking, addressing
individual learner needs.
Instead of rote memorisation, GenAI fosters deep
engagement by enabling learners to ʻco-createʼ –
from sophisticated code to compelling narratives –
thereby nurturing creativity and critical thinking;
essential components of applied learning.
These tools further help refine communication,
simulate complex scenarios for problem-solving, and
even facilitate immersive language acquisition,
allowing for grasping concepts and correcting errors
with unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness.
The Transformative Power for
Learners and Educators
An Evolving Ecosystem: Making the best
of AI-Enabled Learning Environment
Business students in a marketing unit can be prompted
to generate sample social media campaigns using
GenAI, then revise them based on dynamic
expectations of target audience analysis and
ethical/cultural considerations.
Engineering students use GenAI to explore design
solutions for an energy-efficient product and then
critically evaluate which ones can be realistically
implemented within different local contexts.
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By Shyam Nair
Data Scientist, Educator
& Entrepreneur
Transforming from information disseminators to facilitators
and mentors with subject expertise, educatorsʼ guidance of
students in harnessing GenAI's power is invaluable. With
simultaneous emphasis on development of unique human
skills – creativity, nuanced critical thinking, complex
problem-solving, empathy, and resilience, educators can
design projects with personalised performance
measurements and feedback. For example,
As GenAI becomes embedded in online education,
ethical awareness is essential. Students, educators, and
curriculum developers must engage critically with AI's
impact on privacy, fairness, responsibility, and long-term
societal outcomes.
2. Deep Personalisation in Online Teaching
Ethical Usage of GenAI in Online
Education: Imperatives to Remember
In a program on designing adaptive learning modules,
educators could use AI models to prototype diverse
instructional approaches, providing personalised
feedback on creativity and novelty of pedagogical
ideas.
In an online entrepreneurship class, students can use
GenAI to quickly generate business plan drafts based
on different market scenarios. Online educators can
help refine their strategic thinking by critiquing and
discussing these drafts in the online class or personal
consultations, focusing on having students outline why
a plan works or does not work.
The very fabric of curricula must be rewoven to embed AI
literacy as a core competency across all disciplines.
Designing learning objectives that emphasise the critical
evaluation of AI outputs, ethical considerations in
application, improves practical utility of tools in various
professional fields. For example
3. AI-Aware Learning Outcomes for Curriculum
Designers
In a journalism programme, a learning objective might
be - "Students will be able to critically evaluate
AI-generated news reports for factual accuracy, subtle
biases, and ethical sourcing, comparing them against
human-written articles." This ensures students
understand AI's limitations and biases.
In a professional ethics module in a nursing program, a
learning outcome might state - “Students will analyse
AI-generated clinical documentation to identify
breaches in patient confidentiality, inappropriate
language, or lack of cultural sensitivity.” This outcome
trains students to critically evaluate AI outputs and
reinforces ethical decision-making in digital health
contexts.
Stakeholder
Educators
Transparency
&
Accountability
Develop awareness of how AI
makes decisions, especially in
grading or personalised learning,
& maintain transparency with
students.
Unintended
Consequences
Recognise and plan for potential
side effects like increased
dependence on AI or unequal
access to tools.
Data Security
& Consent
Uphold data protection standards
of the institution and ensure
informed consent when student
data is used within AI platforms.
Responsible
Pedagogical
Choices
Make thoughtful,
evidence-informed decisions about
how and when to use GenAI tools
in the online classroom.
Societal
Impacts of AI
Include themes such evolving
professions and the future of
human-AI collaboration in course
content.
Focus Area Ethical Concern
Curriculum
Developers
Equity &
Accessibility
Assess whether GenAI tools are
inclusive and avoid creating new
digital divides for disadvantaged
learners.
AI
Governance
&
Accountability
Prepare students to understand
and shape AI regulation, policy,
and ethical frameworks at local
and global levels.
Holistic
Ethical
Framework
Integrate social, economic, and
moral perspectives into multiple
subject areas to promote critical
engagement with AIʼs role in
society.
Algorithmic
Bias
Learn to identify and question
stereotypes, cultural insensitivities,
or other biases in
GenAI-generated content.
Students
Data Privacy
Understand how personal data is
collected, stored, and used by AI
tools, develop habits to protect
oneʼs digital identity.
Ethical
Consumption
& Creation
Cultivate responsible practices in
using and creating AI-assisted
work including attribution,
originality, and contextual
accuracy.
Final Thoughts
As institutions adopt GenAI, strategies to enhance online learning must align with institutional data privacy rules,
ethical AI use, and internal guidelines for teaching and assessment. With GenAI personalised academic support
must go beyond basic customisation as it enables adaptive learning through targeted resources, varied
explanations, and tailored exercises, ensuring mastery, boosting engagement, and reducing learner fatigue.
GenAIʼs role in peer learning and creative partnering can be exploited to support iterative learning, independent
thinking, and critical reflection. This allows educators to deliver more engaging, standards-aligned materials
efficiently. These capabilities will be central to the success of online educators in a GenAI-driven future, where
personalisation, innovation, and ethical design define meaningful learning.
Disclaimer: In relation to the topic and to highlight the use of Generative AI, the Author has used resources such as Google Gemini for the purposes of research, analysis support, article
outlines etc. However, the editing and work undertaken for the final article is by the Author in order to ensure accuracy, integrity and topic expertise.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of LINC Education, its affiliates or its employees.
linclab@linceducation.com
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