LEADER AI aimed to address the need for effective Higher Education (HE) digital learning that responds to students’ needs, strengths, and skills, through the proper exploitation of advanced technologies. The specific objectives were to: - raise awareness about the role of Learning Analytics (LA) and AI for personalisation of learning in HE, considering ethical issues -develop hands-on resources for the adoption of AI-based and data visualisation tools for personalised learning in HE -build the digital and pedagogic competences of HE faculty and staff (e.g., leadership teams, instructors, researchers, learning designers) in customising their teaching using AI-based and data visualisation tools -improve the supply of high quality digital learning opportunities in HE By achieving these objectives, the project supported the digital transformation of higher education institutions, offering innovative modes of teaching and learning, while preparing resilient educators with improved digital skills to better serve all students.
Traditional, one-size-fits-all teaching fails to accommodate diverse learner needs, limiting educational effectiveness (Nabizadeh et al., 2020). Recognising this, the European University Association and the European Strategy for Universities (2022) highlight the importance of digital innovation, particularly AI and learning analytics, in enhancing personalisation of learning. Despite AI’s potential, its integration in education remains limited due to a lack of investment, clear guidelines, and educator training (OECD, 2020). Research in AI is often led by technical experts rather than educators, creating a gap in practical application (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019). Insufficient digital skills become an additional obstacle with countries like Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Portugal having a low percentage of digitally literate individuals, below the EU average (Eurostat, 2021). To address the above needs, six organisations from Cyprus, Greece, Estonia, Romania and Portugal have implemented the LEADER AI project, equipping Higher Education (HE) instructors with hands-on resources and strategies to effectively use AI and data-driven tools, for effective digital learning that responds to students’ needs, strengths, and skills.