How AI Will Enable Project-Based Learning in Higher Education by 2025

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is becoming an important cornerstone of contemporary pedagogy, and AI is also a rapidly emerging very powerful ally in the use of PBL.

As universities around the world implement PBL (Project-Based Learning or Problem-Based Learning) at an ever-growing rate and offer graduates with the skills to thrive in the workforce of the future, the perception of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an important enabler of PBL will increasingly arise in connection to the management of complex learning experiences in 2025 - for students, educators and institutions of higher education overall. While the potential use of AI as an important enabler of PBL is undoubtedly significant, it is important to highlight that the impact of integrating AI will be much more significant than a convenience to adopt PBL - AI will support and enhance the entire nature of the PBL process.

AI has the potential to proactively respond to the accountability of PBL to graduate students who think more critically and collaboratively and are more proficient in problem-solving skills. This is because PBL inherently involves conquering complex exigencies of researching and addressing real problems or real situations - and so AI has potential to help us plan, create, implement, and manage those complex learning plans in a fully engaged learner-centered environment even more effectively, so let's examine a few ways AI will use to enable PBL, or other types of PBL experiences.

Customizing the Consumption of a Project

AI algorithms in the background are analyzing each student’s project progress and engagement in real time to identify when a student is struggling, or succeeding, on a central concept or skill that the student is seeking to master, at that time the PBL platform will offer needed content, readings, or tutorials that are personalized to scaffold the learning journey of that student. AI will also vary the complexity or focus of the tasks to ensure students remain challenged and supported. This sort of real-time, data-driven, personalized approach improves learning and engagement.

Improving Feedback and Assessment

AI can offer and give immediate feedback on aspects of the project such as code segments, a draft of a design, or written content, thus allowing for rapid learning cycles. In addition, the grading of the objective aspects of project work can, as some examples, be issued to AI and educators can focus on the creativity and higher order thinking. AI can analyze trends related to student performance and identify common areas of difficulty and, when needed, help educators redevelop their instruction. AI-assisted plagiarism detection is yet another use of AI tools to support academic integrity.

Providing Just in Time Support and Resources

AI tutors, and increasingly AI chatbots, offer an avenue for 24-7 support. AI chatbots can prepare answers to questions, clarify concepts, or locate resources—and this all is available when the faculty member is not on hand. AI also can help facilitate the brainstorming process by, for example, suggesting research topics or project directions based on interest and/or the learning history of the student.

Streamlining the Administrative and Project Facilitation for Educators

Educators can use AI to perform some of the time-consuming tasks of project work, such as tracking progress, assisting in drafting project outlines, and interpreting student submissions. This provides faculty members with more time to mentor students, or to assist the work of the project, and/or provide meaningful feedback.

Assisting in Project Creation (with boundaries)

AI tools can assist students in the PBL process, whether that is drafting the content of their project, interpreting data visualizations, designing prototypes, or suggesting code snippets, while welcoming this use students are encouraged to develop institutional boundaries around ethical use, so as to support and build critical thinking skills and maintain the sanctity of academic integrity.

Intended Use of AI, and Ethical Use of AI

While AI is adding significantly to the enactment of PBL, the authors believe it needs to be applied in an intentional manner. Educators have stated, on example "technology, like AI, should support specific learning goals that meet the needs of students," and not be just another blanket approach. When combined with additional approaches (like gamification or focusing on the well-being of students), AI also can create a learning environment that is more engaging to students.

As the integration of AI and PBL becomes stronger in 2025, a new learning environment emerges that is more user-responsive, more personalized, and altogether a more impactful learning environment that prepares graduates for the unpredictability of the workforce of the future.