Student Perceptions of Personalised GenAI Agents on Student Learning, Success, Engagement, and Wellbeing: A Pilot Study of Cogniti AI

In the competitive higher education landscape, Generative AI (GenAI) tools are rapidly emerging as a potential tool for enhancing student learning, engagement, success, and wellbeing. This pilot study investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions of personalised GenAI academic agents as on-demand academic support during assessment preparation across four university courses (education, psychology, social work, and sport). In total, 139 students (18–55 years) completed surveys before and after the deployment of an academic agent. The survey assessed students’ perceptions of the influence of GenAI agents on their learning, engagement, success, and wellbeing with regard to a singular assessment, with quantitative data analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests and qualitative responses analysed using a content analysis method. Results indicated significant improvements in students’ perceptions of their learning and success (p = 0.04 for both), with no significant changes observed for engagement or wellbeing. Qualitative insights suggest that students perceive value and benefit in having access to 24/7 academic support, increased confidence in assignment preparation, and reduced stress, although some students also emphasised the importance of maintaining human interactions between academics and students. The findings indicate that Cogniti AI academic agents have the potential to enhance targeted aspects of students’ experiences, particularly with respect to student learning and success, when carefully integrated into higher education settings. Conceptual, pedagogical, and institutional implications are discussed to ensure these GenAI agents complement, rather than replace, human-centred learning.