AI in education, blended learning, and Learning Design: how a PhD researcher is reimagining classrooms
We've all heard the buzz around AI in education, but what does it actually look like when it works well? What happens when blended learning is more than just an EdTech checkbox? And how can smart, intentional Learning Design support both students and teachers in the real messiness of the classroom?
In a recent conversation with Jessica Kennedy White, AI EdTech expert and PhD researcher, we explored how AI in education, when paired with thoughtful Learning Design and meaningful blended learning, can do more than deliver content. It can teach thinking.
If you want to watch our full conversation, check out this video below:
"Thinking about thinking": what is metacognition, really?
Jessica's research is centred on metacognition, the foundation of learning how to learn. "It's more than just 'thinking about thinking,'" Jessica said. "It's about knowing your strengths, your strategies, and when to use them."
Her research explores how AI in education, blended learning, and Learning Design are transforming teaching and metacognition with adaptive technology and human-centred pedagogy.
This theory, when embedded into a platform through intentional Learning Design, becomes a powerful way to support both struggling and advanced learners. And AI plays a key role.
When AI in education works with clever Learning Design, Jessica explained, it can "calm the nervous system" by pacing blended learning through adaptive tools. Students are no longer overwhelmed by a firehose of content. Instead, they're nudged to pause, reflect, and ask: Do I understand this? Do I need help?
The gold standard of blended learning
Jessica described one of her most successful case studies: a UK-based research school where students used the Area9 Rhapsode platform (via Harper Collins' Adapt). This setup combined AI-driven adaptive learning with in-class facilitation—a true blended learning environment.
This is the kind of blended learning that excites me. And it's easy to see why. The platform allowed students to explore science content in a multimodal way with audio, visual, and interactive tools. But more importantly, the Learning Design embedded within the platform helped students unlearn rigid test-focused strategies.
A standout example? A question about plant competition. Students had been taught that plants compete for four things: light, water, nutrients, and space. But the Adapt platform didn't include "space" as an option. So students substituted "root systems," assuming they needed four answers.
"They weren't thinking about the actual question," Jessica explained. "They were thinking about how to pass the test."
That's where the blended learning magic happened. The teacher used the data to initiate a classroom discussion. This discussion unpacked assumptions, revealed learning gaps, and shifted students from test-memorising to thinking. This is the Learning Design we need everywhere.
AI in education that promotes human connection
AI in education shines not as a replacement for the teacher, but as a powerful collaborator. "It gave the teacher data she wouldn't have easily seen with pen and paper," Jessica said. "It opened the door for dialogue."
And that dialogue is everything. Jessica believes deeply in the power of conversation, especially in blended learning contexts. "Dialogue is what I'm most excited about," she said. "It's not about replacing the teacher, it's about giving them more time and tools to have those high-impact conversations."
In this model, AI in education acts as a scaffolding tool through blended learning. It handles the routine. It catches misunderstandings. And it creates space (that sacred thing every educator wishes they had more of) for deeper engagement.
Learning Design that evolves with the learner
A core takeaway from Jessica's research? Great Learning Design doesn't end with the platform. In fact, it begins with the learner's journey and adapts accordingly.
From the structured introduction to metacognition, to the reflective tasks, to the in-class conversations and online blended learning, every element of the experience was co-designed with the teacher. "She became part of the process," Jessica said. "It wasn't just the students developing metacognition. She was, too."
This teacher-centered approach to Learning Design is essential. Tools are only as good as the way we use them. And the best Learning Design considers not just content delivery (face to face, online, or blended learning), but emotional safety, learner agency, and teacher insight.
The future of AI in education: dialogue, design, and empowerment
So what's next for AI in education, blended learning, and Learning Design?
Jessica is hopeful, and rightly so. "There's blue sky thinking, yes," she admitted. "But I believe in a future where adaptive platforms provide just enough support for a student to keep going, and just enough insight for a teacher to step in at the right time."
This is the true potential of AI in education: not to replace teachers, but to amplify them. When paired with intentional Learning Design and a human-centered blended learning model, we move beyond content coverage. We create space for inquiry, resilience, and self-awareness.
Takeaways for educators and Learning Design professionals
If you're an educator exploring how to embrace AI in education, here are a few tips drawn from Jessica's work:
- Think partnership, not replacement. Let AI handle the heavy lifting of data and repetition so you can focus on the human work.
- Design for reflection. Build metacognition into your Learning Design not just for students, but for yourself.
- Embrace the blend. Blended learning is most powerful when it combines adaptive tech with purposeful dialogue.
- Use data for good. Platforms like Adapt make misunderstandings visible. Use that data to drive meaningful classroom discussions.
- Stay curious. The tools are evolving rapidly. So should we.
As Jessica so beautifully put it: "Education does involve learning, sometimes. The question is: how do we design for it on purpose?"
With AI in education, blended learning, and strong Learning Design, we're finally starting to find some answers.
Until next time, stay awesome.