Artificial Intelligence Applications in Open and Distance Education - A Systematic Review of the Articles (2007-2021)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

The study systematically reviews 171 articles on artificial intelligence applications in open and distance education published between 2007 and 2021, prompted by the global shift to distance learning during the Covid-19 period. Articles are analyzed by year and place of publication, first-author affiliation, methods used, and publishing journals, then coded into AI application research areas. Results show a sharp publication increase after 2018 and during Covid-19, with six major application areas and 28 subcategories supporting adaptive learning, assessment, analytics, affect recognition, and virtual learning environments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Highlights

What is already known about this topic

What this paper contributes

Implications for theory, practice and/or policy

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Open and Distance Education: A Systematic Review of the Articles (2007-2021) Lutfiye GÖÇMEZ, Muhammet Recep OKUR Abstract: With the urgent shift to distance learning due to Covid-19 measures, educational institutions around the world have started to adopt e-learning massively. According to many experts, artificial intelligence (AI) may provide both system-wide and pedagogical solutions to the problems which the administrators, educators, and students encounter during e-learning. The purpose of this study was to systematically review articles on AI applications in open and distance education between the years 2007 and 2021 in order to visualize the potential of intelligent educational systems. Thus, 171 selected articles regarding explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, were analysed in terms of the year/ place of the paper, affiliation of the first author, the method applied, and the journals they published in. Then the research areas of AI applications in distance education were coded iteratively. The results indicated that most of the articles were published after 2018 mainly by Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, American, and Indian authors in computer science and STEM disciplines. Moreover, there is a sharp increase in publishing on this topic, especially during Covid-19 pandemics. Consequently, the analysis resulted in six areas of AI applications in open and distance education: 1. ITSs, 2. Adaptive systems and personalisation, 3. assessment and evaluation, 4. learner analytics, 5. affect recognition, and 6. Virtual learning environments, with 28 subcategories. In summary, our review results that intelligent systems can be effectively used for both system-wide solutions and pedagogical solutions to the problems such as the low level of adaptivity, collaboration, academic achievement, or engagement, and the high level of dropout that we usually experience in distance learning via the use of adaptive expert systems, intelligent tutors or agents, chatbots, data analytics, and recommender systems. Keywords: artificial intelligence, distance education, intelligent agents , systematic review, Covid 19 Highlights What is already known about this topic: • Artificial intelligence is changing every sector including education. • There are a few review studies on the applications of intelligent systems in education although AI constitutes a great potential for distance learning. • The rapid shift to distance education urges the need for finding novel ways of instruction assisted by intelligent systems, especially in disruptive times like Covid 19 pandemics What this paper contributes: • This provides the academic community with a unique systematic review of existing academic research on AI applications in open and distance education • This provides findings of research trends in 15 years on AI applications to visualize the future direction of distance learning • This enables the decision makers in open and distance education institutions recognize the importance of this research niche and see the potential of AI use in e-learning • This provides researchers with a review of the field with identification of gaps and future research opportunities. Implications for theory, practice and/or policy: • The advantages of intelligent systems over existing educational technology should be highlighted and disseminated. • The research gaps highlighted in this paper, such as the lack of studies stating how to ensure the sustainability and adoption of these very expensive laborious intelligent technologies in distance education institutions. This can lead to changes in practice and policy. Introduction According to John McCarthy (2007) artificial intelligence is “ a machine that behaves in a way that could be considered intelligent if it was a human being” or “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines” In other words, artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined

FAQs

What is the purpose of the systematic review?

To systematically review articles on AI applications in open and distance education from 2007 to 2021 and visualize the potential of intelligent educational systems.

How were the selected papers analyzed in the study?

The review analyzed 171 selected articles using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, examining publication year/place, the first author’s affiliation, methods applied, and the journals they appeared in.

Which areas of AI applications are identified for open and distance education?

The study groups AI applications into six areas: ITSs, adaptive systems and personalisation, assessment and evaluation, learner analytics, affect recognition, and virtual learning environments, with 28 subcategories.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran