AI and the Evolution of Educational Design: Curriculum Innovation and Pedagogical Transformation

Dear Colleagues,

Background and Importance of the Research Area

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping educational systems worldwide. Artificial intelligence technologies—ranging from learning analytics and intelligent tutoring systems to generative artificial intelligence and adaptive learning platforms—are no longer experimental add-ons but increasingly embedded in everyday teaching, learning and assessment practices. As a result, education is undergoing a paradigm shift that challenges traditional curriculum structures, pedagogical models and the roles of teachers and learners.

The integration of artificial intelligence into education raises critical questions about what knowledge, skills and competencies should be taught in the AI era and how learning processes should be organized to remain meaningful, equitable and human-centred. Curriculum frameworks must evolve to incorporate data literacy, computational and algorithmic thinking, ethical reasoning and human–artificial intelligence collaboration, while pedagogical approaches must move beyond transmission-based instruction toward active, adaptive and experiential learning. At the same time, concerns related to transparency, bias, data privacy, inclusion and teacher agency underscore the need for evidence-based and ethically grounded research in this rapidly evolving field.

Given these developments, systematic research on the impact of artificial intelligence on curriculum and pedagogy innovation is both timely and necessary. Understanding how artificial intelligence reshapes educational design, practice and policy is essential for ensuring that technological progress supports sustainable, inclusive and high-quality education.

Aim and Scope of the Special Issue

The aim of this Special Issue, “AI and the Evolution of Educational Design: Curriculum Innovation and Pedagogical Transformation,” is to advance theoretical, empirical and practical understanding of how artificial intelligence influences curriculum development and pedagogical transformation across educational contexts. The Special Issue seeks to explore how artificial intelligence-driven technologies and data-informed approaches can support curriculum redesign, innovative teaching strategies, assessment reform and teacher professional development.

The scope of the Special Issue encompasses all levels of education—from primary and secondary schooling to higher education and lifelong learning—and welcomes interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge educational research, learning sciences, computer science and educational policy. Contributions may adopt qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, design-based, or conceptual approaches and should critically reflect on both the opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence-enhanced education.

Special Issue Highlights

• The Impact of artificial intelligence on Curriculum and Pedagogy Innovation
• Explores how artificial intelligence reshapes curriculum design, learning objectives and assessment across educational levels.
• Examines artificial intelligence-driven pedagogical innovations that support personalized, adaptive and inclusive learning environments.
• Analyses the changing roles of teachers and learners in artificial intelligence-enhanced educational ecosystems.
• Integrates ethical, human-centred and policy perspectives on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education.
• Showcases empirical research, theoretical frameworks and best practices for sustainable artificial intelligence-supported educational innovation.

Suggested Themes

This Special Issue invites original research articles, systematic reviews and conceptual papers addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Artificial intelligence-driven curriculum design and curriculum transformation
• Pedagogical innovation supported by generative artificial intelligence and learning analytics
• Personalized, adaptive and inclusive learning environments enabled by artificial intelligence
• Assessment and feedback innovations in artificial intelligence-enhanced education
• Teacher roles, professional development and artificial intelligence literacy
• Student competencies for the artificial intelligence era (e.g., critical thinking, creativity, data literacy)
• Ethical, legal and social implications of artificial intelligence in curriculum and pedagogy
• Human–artificial intelligence interaction and human-centred educational design
• Artificial intelligence in STEAM education and interdisciplinary learning
• Policy frameworks and institutional strategies for artificial intelligence integration in education

Dr. Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska
Dr. Piet Kommers
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.