On Friday, May 8, 2026, Rashmi Khazanchi successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “Artificial Intelligence in Education: Impact of AI-Based Systems on Mathematics Achievement,” at the Open Universiteit in Heerlen. The defense was supervised by Prof. Dr. Hendrik Drachsler, who holds a guest professorship at the Open Universiteit, alongside co-promotor Prof. Dr. Daniele Di Mitri (German University of Digital Sciences).

The Research Question

Khazanchi’s work addresses a pressing challenge in education: whether AI-based learning systems can help close the mathematics achievement gap for students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Her research focused on students in a rural school district in South Georgia, USA — a setting often characterized by limited resources and a shortage of qualified teachers.

What Was Studied

The school implemented two AI-based systems to support struggling learners: ALEKS, an intelligent tutoring system, and Edmentum Exact Path, an adaptive learning platform. Using a quasi-experimental design, Khazanchi compared outcomes between students receiving traditional teacher-led instruction and those using Edmentum as a supplementary tool.

Key Findings

The results paint a nuanced picture of AI’s role in education:

  • AI systems showed real potential for improving mathematics performance among underperforming students in rural settings.
  • However, students in teacher-led classrooms demonstrated greater gains in both mathematics achievement and cognitive engagement.
  • AI tools positively influenced cognitive engagement but fell short on affective (emotional) engagement — a domain where the human teacher remains indispensable.
  • AI systems work best when deployed as a supplement to, not a replacement for, teacher-led instruction.

Why This Matters

In schools with limited resources — particularly in rural areas with teacher shortages — AI-based systems have genuine potential to bridge equity gaps by providing adaptive, personalized instruction tailored to individual student needs. At the same time, this research is a timely reminder that technology cannot replicate the emotional connection and relational support that teachers provide.
The full thesis can be found here -> PhD thesis

About Rashmi Khazanchi

Rashmi Khazanchi brings 25 years of K-12 teaching experience to her research. She holds a Master’s in Organic Chemistry (Maharshi Dayanand University, India, 1995), a postgraduate diploma in Health Psychology (Amity University, New Delhi, 2003), and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction (Lincoln Memorial University, Tennessee, 2013).

Congratulations to Dr. Khazanchi on this important contribution to the field of educational technology and AI in learning!

→ Read the original announcement on the Open Universiteit website.