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Generative AI, Cognitive Offloading, and Learner Agency in Higher Education: A Scoping Review
Guanhua Wang1, Wenna Wang2, Daozhou Yang3
1School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education can support or erode learner agency. Pedagogical embedding, focusing on augmentation and scaffolding, is key to maximizing GenAI
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Higher Education Studies
Background:
- Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly adopted in higher education for various academic tasks.
- This integration raises concerns regarding cognitive offloading and potential learner dependence on AI tools.
- Understanding the interplay between GenAI, cognitive offloading, and learner agency is crucial for effective educational practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the existing literature on the relationships among GenAI, cognitive offloading, and learner agency in higher education.
- To synthesize findings on how GenAI use impacts learner agency, considering both supportive and detrimental patterns.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- Searches conducted across six major academic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, Education Source, PsycInfo, ProQuest Education).
- Inclusion of English-language, peer-reviewed journal literature published between 2022 and June 24, 2026; 123 studies synthesized.
Main Results:
- Learner agency is a multidimensional construct encompassing self-regulation, reflective judgment, intentionality, and responsible action.
- GenAI use exhibits dual patterns: agency-supportive (linked to self-regulated learning, feedback literacy) and agency-eroding (linked to cognitive offloading, overreliance).
- The educational impact of GenAI is contingent on pedagogical integration, with augmentation and scaffolding proving more beneficial than replacement.
Conclusions:
- The educational value of GenAI hinges on its pedagogical implementation rather than the technology itself.
- Augmentation-oriented and scaffolded uses of GenAI foster learner agency, while replacement-oriented uses may undermine it.
- Future research should consider these patterns when designing and evaluating GenAI integration in higher education.
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