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This systematic research paper reviews literature on AI-driven tools and evaluates their influence on engagement, personalised learning experiences, and academic performance. It highlights adaptive learning systems, AI-powered feedback, and intelligent tutoring as mechanisms for more personalised and autonomous learning. Results point to AI’s ability to empower learners through tailored pathways and 21st-century skills, supporting improved student outcomes and optimism for future education.","Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE January 2026 ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 27 Number: 1 Article: 15  \nARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: SUPPORTING  \nSELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND  \nSTUDENT AUTONOMY  \nDr. Dumsani Wilfred MNCUBE  \nORCID: 0000-0001-5566-2288  \nDepartment of Curriculum & Instructional Studies University of South Africa Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA  \nDr. Mncedisi Christian MAPHALALA  \nORCID: 0000-0002-1078-1985  \nDepartment of Curriculum & Instructional Studies University of South Africa Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA  \nDr. Rachel Gugu MKHASIBE  \nORCID: 0000-0001-6229-0849 Department of Educational Foundations University of Zululand  \nEmpangeni, SOUTH AFRICA  \nReceived: 01/04/2025 Accepted: 14/05/2025  \nABSTRACT  \nIntegrating artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education can revolutionise traditional learning paradigms by enhancing self-directed learning and fostering student autonomy. This systematic research paper examines the role ofAI in supporting these educational shifts, analysing its impact on student engagement, personalised learning experiences and academic performance. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study explores various AI-driven tools and applications that enable students to take greater control of their learning processes. The promise of AI in fostering student autonomy is significant, with key focus areas that include adaptive learning systems, AI-powered feedback mechanisms, and intelligent tutoring systems, all of which contribute to a more personalised and autonomous learning environment. The findings underscore AI’s transformative potential to reshape higher education, highlighting its ability to empower students through personalised learning pathways and cultivate essential 21st-century skills. This potential of AI to enhance students’ performance should instil a sense of optimism about the future of education.  \nKeywords: Artificial intelligence, self-directed learning, higher education, student autonomy, adaptive learning technologies, student engagement.  \nINTRODUCTION  \nArtificial intelligence (AI) in higher education empowers students to take control of their educational journeys, fostering autonomy and self-directed learning (SDL) abilities by providing tailored guidance, insightful analysis and readily accessible information. Its significant role in education has led to its integration into the curriculum in various ways to support students’ learning autonomy and the development of SDL skills. AI is critical in adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring systems and personalised learning (Lin et al., 2023; Vimbwandu et al., 2023) . Van der Vorst and Jelicic (2019) note that AI in personalised learning reduces teachers’ workloads by allowing them to focus on individual student needs without needing one-on-one instruction. AI allows students to navigate the curriculum independently, progressing at their own pace and  \nlevel. In other words, Van der Vorst and Jelicic (2019) suggest that AI systems are sophisticated because they can analyse student data to tailor educational content to individual learning styles, speeds and preferences. Consequently, students can focus on areas where they need to improve and explore topics of interest in more detail (Vimbwandu et al., 2023). Additionally, AI in personalised learning equips students with all the required input sources and output devices to communicate and operate optimally while taking advantage of the wirelessly connected technologies (Kashive et al., 2020; Lin et al., 2023) .  \nIntelligent tutoring systems represent a key area of AI that allows instructional activities and strategies tobe customised based on the students’ characteristics and needs (Graesser et al., 2012; Vimbwandu et al., 2023) . Kashive et al. (2020) support this view, stating that AI enables intelligent tutoring systems to deliver adaptive guidance and instruction, evaluate students, define and update student models, and classify or clu","cbCaicJxpCHIkVaG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicJxpCHIkVaG","pdf",317363,16,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n## The Role of AI in Complementing SDL","[{\"question\":\"How does AI support self-directed learning and student autonomy in higher education?\",\"answer\":\"AI supports self-directed learning by providing tailored guidance, analysis, and readily accessible information that helps students progress independently and take control of their learning journeys.\"},{\"question\":\"What AI tools and applications are emphasized in the paper?\",\"answer\":\"The paper focuses on adaptive learning systems, AI-powered feedback mechanisms, and intelligent tutoring systems, which are used to create a more personalised and autonomous learning environment.\"},{\"question\":\"What impact does AI have on learning outcomes according to the paper’s review?\",\"answer\":\"The review links AI to improved student engagement, personalised learning experiences, and academic performance, mainly through personalised pathways and feedback that address individual needs.\"}]","ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION - Supporting Self-Directed Learning and Student Autonomy | PDF",1792042897,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"ok",{"site_id":75,"language":74,"slug":83,"title":65,"keywords":84,"description":66,"schema_data":85,"social_meta":139,"head_meta":141,"extra_data":143,"updated_unix":144},"artificial-intelligence-in-higher-education-supporting-self-directed-learning-and-student-autonomy","",{"@graph":86,"@context":138},[87,101,121],{"@type":88,"itemListElement":89},"BreadcrumbList",[90,94,96,99],{"item":91,"name":92,"@type":93,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":95,"name":9,"@type":93,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":97,"name":40,"@type":93,"position":98},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":100,"name":65,"@type":93,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/artificial-intelligence-in-higher-education-supporting-self-directed-learning-and-student-autonomy/582251/",{"url":100,"name":65,"@type":102,"image":103,"author":108,"headline":65,"publisher":110,"fileFormat":113,"inLanguage":74,"description":66,"dateModified":114,"datePublished":115,"encodingFormat":113,"isAccessibleForFree":116,"interactionStatistic":117},"DigitalDocument",{"url":104,"@type":105,"width":106,"height":107},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/artificial-intelligence-in-higher-education-supporting-self-directed-learning-and-student-autonomy/582251.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":63,"@type":109},"Person",{"url":91,"name":111,"@type":112},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-15","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":118,"interactionType":119,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":120},"ViewAction",{"@type":122,"mainEntity":123},"FAQPage",[124,130,134],{"name":125,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":127},"How does AI support self-directed learning and student autonomy in higher education?","Question",{"text":128,"@type":129},"AI supports self-directed learning by providing tailored guidance, analysis, and readily accessible information that helps students progress independently and take control of their learning journeys.","Answer",{"name":131,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":132},"What AI tools and applications are emphasized in the paper?",{"text":133,"@type":129},"The paper focuses on adaptive learning systems, AI-powered feedback mechanisms, and intelligent tutoring systems, which are used to create a more personalised and autonomous learning environment.",{"name":135,"@type":126,"acceptedAnswer":136},"What impact does AI have on learning outcomes according to the paper’s review?",{"text":137,"@type":129},"The review links AI to improved student engagement, personalised learning experiences, and academic performance, mainly through personalised pathways and feedback that address individual needs.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":100,"og:type":140,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":111,"og:description":66},"article",{"robots":142,"canonical":100},"index,follow",{"doc_id":61,"site_id":75},1792167678]