The impact of Artificial Intelligence Tools on E-Learning outcomes in higher education

The impact of Artificial Intelligence Tools on E-Learning outcomes in higher education

Sibonangaye Dick Nkalanga & Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 9 2026 Article 4 pp. 1066- 1084
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026794 Published online 27th October 2026.

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ABSTRACT

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has essentially transformed the kind of learning paces found in e-learning environments. Despite this, very little thorough and comprehensive research has been done on the impact of these technologies on students’ educational results. This study questions how student learning can be either helped by or hindered through the use of AI tools, which AI tools are the most efficient in different contexts, and what the challenges and opportunities raised by the introduction of these tools are. Building on a systematic review, literature review, and qualitative analysis, this paper analysed 31 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2026 as well as twelve visits to higher education institutions. Besides semi-structured document analysis, this study combined stakeholder engagement to portray the implementation experiences in diverse environments. The findings reveal that AI, AI-powered adaptive learning platforms, intelligent tutoring systems, and automated assessment tools have induced significant improvements in student performance indicators, with grades rising between 8% and 15% in different disciplines. Nevertheless, the study also reveals that the research community is facing some issues concerning academic integrity, the widening of the digital divide, the danger of over-dependence on AI and the challenges faced in faculty readiness. The article provides scientifically supported information about the use of AI in higher education while emphasising the vital importance of human-AI collaboration. It carries educational ramifications for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers, along with suggestions for the ethical use of AI in e-learning environments.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, E-Learning, Learning Outcomes, Educational Technology, Online Education.

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AUTHOR(S)

Sibonangaye Dick Nkalanga is a Lecturer in Geography Education in the Department of Social Sciences and Economic Management Education at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. His work sits where land, law and learning meet. He is completing a PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies that examines how environmental laws are enforced and how compliance is governed in Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, where statutory regulation and customary authority operate side by side. His wider research spans environmental governance, legal pluralism, climate adaptation and Geography education in the South African context.

Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase holds a PhD (Philosophy) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. As he always believed that sharing his knowledge and perspectives with others brings more pleasure, Mohammed enjoys sharing his views with fellow academics from different fields. He is currently affiliated with the University of Limpopo in the Department of Education Studies, wherein he serves as a senior lecturer of Philosophy & Psychology of Education. His areas of research interest are: African philosophy, philosophy of education, psychology of education, and gender studies. He has attended and presented papers in 14 academic conferences, including national and international ones, and he has more than 85 publications in DHET-accredited journals. Among his ambitions, Mohammed wishes and works towards being a global scholar renowned in different areas/ disciplines with his polymathic approach to research, which has attracted researchers to collaborate with him nationally and abroad. Mohammed believes that the interconnectedness of knowledge and the cry for interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinary in research nowadays cannot be ignored. His scholarly awards include the VC’s 2023 Best Teacher Award and 2024 Best Researcher Award in the SoE (UL).

TO CITE ARTICLE

Nkalanga, Sibonangaye Dick & Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase. “The impact of Artificial Intelligence Tools on E-Learning outcomes in higher education.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.9 (2026): 1067 – 1074. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026794