CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital education as universities across the world rapidly adopted virtual classrooms for remote learning. Ensuring continuous student engagement in virtual environments remains one of the key challenges. This paper discusses how AI and data analytics a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bilal Hassan, Muhammad Omer Raza, Yusra Siddiqi, Muhammad Farooq Wasiq, Rabiya Ayesha Siddiqui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Computers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/3/77
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849341853031202816
author Bilal Hassan
Muhammad Omer Raza
Yusra Siddiqi
Muhammad Farooq Wasiq
Rabiya Ayesha Siddiqui
author_facet Bilal Hassan
Muhammad Omer Raza
Yusra Siddiqi
Muhammad Farooq Wasiq
Rabiya Ayesha Siddiqui
author_sort Bilal Hassan
collection DOAJ
description The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital education as universities across the world rapidly adopted virtual classrooms for remote learning. Ensuring continuous student engagement in virtual environments remains one of the key challenges. This paper discusses how AI and data analytics are being applied to education, particularly the ways in which technologies such as biometrics and facial recognition can be used to improve student engagement in online and hybrid learning environments. This paper tries to revisit the dynamics of engagement across virtual platforms by comparing traditional learning models and digital learning models and showing the gaps that exist. This study reviewed six widely used video conferencing tools and their effectiveness in fostering engagement in virtual classrooms. The research goes on to investigate cross-cultural tech adoption in education—how regions and educational systems respond to these emerging technologies. Against this background of the challenges identified, a new application, “CONNECT”, is proposed in this paper that can integrate AI-driven features on face recognition and speech-to-text and attendance monitoring to enable real-time authentication and tracking of engagement. This study also provides an overview of the theoretical models of digital, hybrid, and blended learning and provides actionable recommendations for future research and innovation in cross-cultural online education.
format Article
id doaj-art-c09e7b3784a8418f8c2e12e6b7707be9
institution Kabale University
issn 2073-431X
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Computers
spelling doaj-art-c09e7b3784a8418f8c2e12e6b7707be92025-08-20T03:43:33ZengMDPI AGComputers2073-431X2025-02-011437710.3390/computers14030077CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning EnvironmentsBilal Hassan0Muhammad Omer Raza1Yusra Siddiqi2Muhammad Farooq Wasiq3Rabiya Ayesha Siddiqui4Faculty of Engineering & Environment, Northumbria University, London Campus, London E1 7HT, UKFaculty of Engineering & Environment, Northumbria University, London Campus, London E1 7HT, UKMETICS Solutions Ltd., Ilford IG3 9JA, UKMETICS Solutions Ltd., Ilford IG3 9JA, UKMETICS Solutions Ltd., Ilford IG3 9JA, UKThe COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital education as universities across the world rapidly adopted virtual classrooms for remote learning. Ensuring continuous student engagement in virtual environments remains one of the key challenges. This paper discusses how AI and data analytics are being applied to education, particularly the ways in which technologies such as biometrics and facial recognition can be used to improve student engagement in online and hybrid learning environments. This paper tries to revisit the dynamics of engagement across virtual platforms by comparing traditional learning models and digital learning models and showing the gaps that exist. This study reviewed six widely used video conferencing tools and their effectiveness in fostering engagement in virtual classrooms. The research goes on to investigate cross-cultural tech adoption in education—how regions and educational systems respond to these emerging technologies. Against this background of the challenges identified, a new application, “CONNECT”, is proposed in this paper that can integrate AI-driven features on face recognition and speech-to-text and attendance monitoring to enable real-time authentication and tracking of engagement. This study also provides an overview of the theoretical models of digital, hybrid, and blended learning and provides actionable recommendations for future research and innovation in cross-cultural online education.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/3/77student engagementonline learningvideo conferencingbehavior monitoringcross-cultural technology adoption
spellingShingle Bilal Hassan
Muhammad Omer Raza
Yusra Siddiqi
Muhammad Farooq Wasiq
Rabiya Ayesha Siddiqui
CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
Computers
student engagement
online learning
video conferencing
behavior monitoring
cross-cultural technology adoption
title CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
title_full CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
title_fullStr CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
title_full_unstemmed CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
title_short CONNECT: An AI-Powered Solution for Student Authentication and Engagement in Cross-Cultural Digital Learning Environments
title_sort connect an ai powered solution for student authentication and engagement in cross cultural digital learning environments
topic student engagement
online learning
video conferencing
behavior monitoring
cross-cultural technology adoption
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/3/77
work_keys_str_mv AT bilalhassan connectanaipoweredsolutionforstudentauthenticationandengagementincrossculturaldigitallearningenvironments
AT muhammadomerraza connectanaipoweredsolutionforstudentauthenticationandengagementincrossculturaldigitallearningenvironments
AT yusrasiddiqi connectanaipoweredsolutionforstudentauthenticationandengagementincrossculturaldigitallearningenvironments
AT muhammadfarooqwasiq connectanaipoweredsolutionforstudentauthenticationandengagementincrossculturaldigitallearningenvironments
AT rabiyaayeshasiddiqui connectanaipoweredsolutionforstudentauthenticationandengagementincrossculturaldigitallearningenvironments