Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the landscape of education, design pedagogy stands at a unique crossroads, where the human dimensions of creativity, intuition, and emotion intersect with the algorithmic logic of data and automation. This study investigates how AI-augmented feedback systems can support self-efficacy, emotional engagement, and creative agency among students in online design studios. Building on Bandura’s social-cognitive theory and emerging frameworks in feedback literacy, the research explores how AI-driven feedback and learning analytics can be redefined from evaluative mechanisms into empathic, growth-oriented companions that nurture motivation and reflective awareness. Conducted within a senior-level design course at the American University of Sharjah, the study implemented a prototype AI feedback system that combined automated qualitative commentary, sentiment-aware prompts, and progress dashboards to capture learning behavior and iteration depth. Mixed-methods data collection, comprising self-efficacy surveys, learning analytics, and reflective interviews, revealed that students exposed to AI-enhanced feedback reported increased creative confidence, deeper iteration practices, and heightened perception of psychological safety within the digital studio. The results suggest that when human-centered values inform the design of AI feedback systems, technology can serve as a co-creator of the learning experience. This paper proposes a framework for AI-Empathic Feedback Design, integrating analytics, emotion recognition, and pedagogical empathy to empower creativity in learning environments. By reframing AI as a relational partner rather than an evaluator, the study advances the discourse on how educational technologies can amplify, and not replace, the human essence of teaching and learning.
Presenters
Zinka BejticHead of Department, Professor, Art and Design, American University of Sharjah, Ash Shariqah [Sharjah], United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Human-Centered AI Transformations
KEYWORDS
AI in Education, Creative Pedagogy, Feedback Literacy, Learning Analytics, Self-Efficacy
