Actionable companion · Assessment & reasoning

Learning with agency: Experience using artificial intelligence in the digital transformation of education: benefits and challenges

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide, separate from the original research. Proposed actions are not claims or recommendations attributed to the source authors. No independent peer review of this guide is asserted.

Evidence and context

Title and abstract screening; stage labels describe reported settings, not verified numerical ages. Design labels require full-text appraisal. Reported stage(s): Higher education, Adult & professional learning. Verify the participant population and task before transferring the findings.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the linked source license:

Abstract Aim The aim of the research is to analyse teachers and adult educators’ experiences of the application of artificial intelligence in the digital transformation of education. Methods In the study the quantitative data collection method—a questionnaire—“International Survey on Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education, Training and Adult Learning” and data processing methods for secondary data collection—descriptive statistics (Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation), and the Mann–Whitney test to determine the statistical significance of differences between two independent target groups (teachers and adult educators) have been applied. Results The research sample consisted of representatives of educational institutions of Latvia—34 teachers and 83 adult educators. The descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney test results show that both teachers and adult educators similarly assess the impact of AI application on performance and work efficiency and productivity, decision-making, problem-solving, awareness formation and interdisciplinary concept application skills, mental health, learning outcomes and challenges related to AI use (p ≥ 0.05). Teachers, compared to adult educators, have a higher opinion of the application of artificial intelligence for work purposes. Adult educators have a higher opinion of the impact of AI on the development of learners’ awareness formation skills, learners’ employment and their work performance, and physical and social health (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion AI is a new global reality that opens up new paths for knowledge acquisition, whereas the social environment is also facing new challenges. AI tools can be used by a wide range of users who have prior knowledge and skills in constantly changing IT application. Despite the inertia of the education system and the length of bureaucratized decision-making, proactive action is needed that would balance the technological development with the acquisition of new knowledge and skills based on high moral standards at all levels of education, involving high-tech implementers and cooperating with educational staff, scientists and other social partners. A descriptive cross-sectional study design has been chosen for the study and the instrument applied is the survey “International Survey on Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education, Training and Adult Learning” developed by the Singapore Institute of Adult Education within the framework of the 3rd network “Professionalization of Adult Educators in ASEM Countries” of the Asia-Europe Lifelong Learning and Education Research (ASEM LLL Hub). Keywords: adult educators, adult learning, attitude towards the use of artificial intelligence, challenges related to the use of artificial intelligence, the impact of using artificial intelligence

A 90-day district pilot

1. Days 1–15 · Appraise. Have the curriculum lead and a teacher read the methods and limitations. Record the study design, sample, comparator, outcomes and evidence gaps. Define a local question that the study can help inform.
2. Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one disciplinary task. Require a first attempt, a documented AI consultation, a critique of the output and an independent explanation. Align the comparison group and scoring rubric with the same objective. Name an accountable owner and set the baseline, success threshold and budget before implementation.
3. Days 31–60 · Test. Start with a small voluntary cohort, preserve an accessible non-AI route and require teacher review. Use synthetic or de-identified examples; approve data handling and tool terms through district processes.
4. Days 61–90 · Decide. Blind-score reasoning and accuracy on a new task without AI. Distinguish model examination scores, student perceptions and actual learner gains; only the last directly tests educational benefit. Compare with baseline, document uncertainty and stop or revise if learning worsens, access is unequal or critical errors persist.

The board decision brief

Report the learning problem, evidence quality, participating population, total cost including review time, measured benefit, errors, access differences and remaining uncertainties. Make a dated recommendation to stop, revise or expand. A positive perception survey alone does not establish learning improvement.

Attribution and reuse

Arturs Medveckis; Tamara Pigozne; Rita Birzina; Ivita Pelnena. Experience using artificial intelligence in the digital transformation of education: benefits and challenges. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence (2026-04-20). https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2026.1756665

Companion prepared 2026-10-30. Original authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract is an attributed source extract; the implementation plan is new AI-assisted editorial material, offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license. This guide has not undergone independent peer review.