Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review

The proliferation of educational technologies has generated unprecedented volumes of diverse, multimodal learner data, offering rich insights into learning processes and outcomes. However, leveraging this complex, multimodal data requires advanced analytical methods. While Multimodal Learning Analyt...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mehrnoush Mohammadi, Elham Tajik, Roberto Martinez-Maldonado, Shazia Sadiq, Wojtek Tomaszewski, Hassan Khosravi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X25000669
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849329738155294720
author Mehrnoush Mohammadi
Elham Tajik
Roberto Martinez-Maldonado
Shazia Sadiq
Wojtek Tomaszewski
Hassan Khosravi
author_facet Mehrnoush Mohammadi
Elham Tajik
Roberto Martinez-Maldonado
Shazia Sadiq
Wojtek Tomaszewski
Hassan Khosravi
author_sort Mehrnoush Mohammadi
collection DOAJ
description The proliferation of educational technologies has generated unprecedented volumes of diverse, multimodal learner data, offering rich insights into learning processes and outcomes. However, leveraging this complex, multimodal data requires advanced analytical methods. While Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA) offers promise for exploring this data, the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance MMLA remains largely unexplored. This paper bridges these two evolving domains by conducting the first systematic literature review at the intersection of AI and MMLA, analyzing 43 peer-reviewed papers from 11 reputable databases published between 2019 and 2024. The findings indicate a growing trend in AI-enhanced MMLA studies published predominantly in high-quality venues, led by education researchers with a predominant focus on tertiary education targeting diverse stakeholders. Guided by a novel conceptual framework, our analysis highlights the transformative role of AI across the MMLA process, particularly in model learning and feature engineering. However, it also uncovers significant gaps, including limited AI implementation in components requiring deep integration with learning theories, insufficient application of advanced AI techniques, and lack of large-scale studies in authentic learning environments. The review identifies key benefits, such as enhanced personalization and real-time feedback, while also addressing challenges related to ethical considerations, data integration, and scalability. Our study contributes by offering comprehensive recommendations for future research, emphasizing international collaboration, multi-level studies, and ethical AI implementation. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of AI's role in education, providing a foundation for developing sophisticated, interpretable, and scalable AI-enhanced MMLA approaches, potentially revolutionizing personalized learning across diverse educational settings.
format Article
id doaj-art-6f9b208d920e4e10b16d547cd6f29ca0
institution Kabale University
issn 2666-920X
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence
spelling doaj-art-6f9b208d920e4e10b16d547cd6f29ca02025-08-20T03:47:10ZengElsevierComputers and Education: Artificial Intelligence2666-920X2025-06-01810042610.1016/j.caeai.2025.100426Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature reviewMehrnoush Mohammadi0Elham Tajik1Roberto Martinez-Maldonado2Shazia Sadiq3Wojtek Tomaszewski4Hassan Khosravi5School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, AustraliaDepartment of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USACentre for Learning Analytics at Monash, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, AustraliaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, AustraliaAustralian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, AustraliaInstitute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Corresponding author.The proliferation of educational technologies has generated unprecedented volumes of diverse, multimodal learner data, offering rich insights into learning processes and outcomes. However, leveraging this complex, multimodal data requires advanced analytical methods. While Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA) offers promise for exploring this data, the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance MMLA remains largely unexplored. This paper bridges these two evolving domains by conducting the first systematic literature review at the intersection of AI and MMLA, analyzing 43 peer-reviewed papers from 11 reputable databases published between 2019 and 2024. The findings indicate a growing trend in AI-enhanced MMLA studies published predominantly in high-quality venues, led by education researchers with a predominant focus on tertiary education targeting diverse stakeholders. Guided by a novel conceptual framework, our analysis highlights the transformative role of AI across the MMLA process, particularly in model learning and feature engineering. However, it also uncovers significant gaps, including limited AI implementation in components requiring deep integration with learning theories, insufficient application of advanced AI techniques, and lack of large-scale studies in authentic learning environments. The review identifies key benefits, such as enhanced personalization and real-time feedback, while also addressing challenges related to ethical considerations, data integration, and scalability. Our study contributes by offering comprehensive recommendations for future research, emphasizing international collaboration, multi-level studies, and ethical AI implementation. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of AI's role in education, providing a foundation for developing sophisticated, interpretable, and scalable AI-enhanced MMLA approaches, potentially revolutionizing personalized learning across diverse educational settings.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X25000669AIMultimodal dataLearning analyticsMultimodal learning analyticsSystematic review
spellingShingle Mehrnoush Mohammadi
Elham Tajik
Roberto Martinez-Maldonado
Shazia Sadiq
Wojtek Tomaszewski
Hassan Khosravi
Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence
AI
Multimodal data
Learning analytics
Multimodal learning analytics
Systematic review
title Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
title_full Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
title_fullStr Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
title_full_unstemmed Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
title_short Artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics: A systematic literature review
title_sort artificial intelligence in multimodal learning analytics a systematic literature review
topic AI
Multimodal data
Learning analytics
Multimodal learning analytics
Systematic review
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X25000669
work_keys_str_mv AT mehrnoushmohammadi artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview
AT elhamtajik artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview
AT robertomartinezmaldonado artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview
AT shaziasadiq artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview
AT wojtektomaszewski artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview
AT hassankhosravi artificialintelligenceinmultimodallearninganalyticsasystematicliteraturereview