Rethinking Engineering Education with AI and Active Learning

January 20th, 2026

By Scott Mahler, Senior Director

What happens when AI and active learning converge in the engineering classroom? At ASU, where access and innovation are core values, this intersection presents an exciting opportunity: to design personalized, engaging, and relevant learning experiences that equip students not just to survive—but to thrive—in an AI-enabled future.

I recently read Active Learning and Why It Matters in the AI Era from Engageli, which explores how student engagement and learning outcomes improve when learners are actively involved in the learning process. One point that struck me: AI, when used intentionally, can actually support and amplify active learning. While AI tools can generate products—summaries, code, designs—it’s in the process of creation that learning really happens. This resonated deeply with me as someone working to support active learning across the Fulton Schools of Engineering.

This idea also surfaced in the video, Active Learning: Pedagogy in the Age of AI, produced by the Challenge Innovate Grow: Teacher & Learner Centre, where experts explored how AI can shift the focus of classroom time from content delivery to critical engagement. Instructors are beginning to ask new kinds of questions: How can students work with AI rather than against it? What does it mean to demonstrate learning in an AI-supported environment? These are the kinds of questions we believe are vital for shaping the future of engineering education.

In engineering education, this process-oriented learning is essential. Our students will graduate into an industry still figuring out how best to use AI—and many of them will be expected to lead that charge. It’s not enough to teach current AI tools; we need to help students develop an AI mindset—one that encourages ethical use, critical evaluation, and creative application. Whether they’re using AI to brainstorm, design, or automate routine tasks, students must learn to engage with it responsibly and effectively across disciplines.

At the LTH, we’re actively collaborating with FSE schools and faculty to explore how AI and active learning align through major initiatives like SCALED and the “Engineer of 2030” vision. The SCALED effort aims to create consistent and engaging learning experiences across all modalities. Meanwhile, programs across FSE are considering how AI changes not only the learning experience, but also the learning objectives that prepare students to be skilled and thoughtful AI users. AI has the potential to fuel active learning—but only if we remain committed to helping students build strong foundational knowledge and the reflective habits that make learning stick.

_{Author’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of a generative AI tool to support wording and formatting; content generated by AI has been reviewed and approved by the author.}

References

Hilner E. (2025, October 28). Active learning and why it matters in the AI Era. Engageli. https://www.engageli.com/blog/active-learning-and-why-it-matters

Challenge Innovate Grow: Teacher & Learner Centre. (2025, December 8). Active learning: Pedagogy in the Age of AI [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xR_lry4bBY