Unlocking Student Engagement: Harnessing New Technologies to Enhance Relationships and Learning

Carly Robinson

Engagement drives learning. Yet, a troubling cycle of waning student engagement and widening achievement gaps is taking hold in the U.S. education system—each amplifying the other in a downward spiral. As schools seek solutions, technological innovations like generative AI (genAI) hold immense potential to revolutionize the learning experience by promoting creative, real-world learning opportunities. However, genuine engagement is built on meaningful relationships, and AI is inherently not social. In my research, I explore how we can harness the potential of AI to enhance—rather than replace—the human connections essential to student success. Using virtual tutoring as a test case, I examine how genAI can support educators in building deeper, more personal relationships with students who are at risk of falling behind. Many novice educators—like tutors—lack the experience or tools to cultivate these connections effectively. This project introduces and rigorously tests an AI-powered tool, embedded within a virtual tutoring platform, to investigate how personalized strategies can empower tutors to better engage students and support learning. Through a randomized controlled trial, I explore four key questions: Does the AI-tool (1) boost student engagement, (2) enhance tutor-student relationships, (3) improve tutoring quality as measured by tutor language, and (4) positively affect student learning? By leveraging large-scale tutoring session data, this work seeks actionable, scalable strategies to foster engagement and equity—demonstrating how AI can play a supporting role in creating meaningful, student-centered learning experiences.

About Carly Robinson

Carly Robinson is the Director of Research for the SCALE Initiative at Stanford University. Her research sits at the intersection of education, psychology, and policy, with a central focus on disrupting systemic inequities by ensuring that all students have access to positive relationships with adults who are equipped to support them. Carly designs and evaluates theory-informed interventions using rigorous field experiments to generate actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers. Her research spans several domains, including strengthening educator-student relationships, mobilizing effective family engagement, deploying tutors equitably and effectively, and leveraging generative AI to support educators. As a complement to her applied research, Carly's methodological work emphasizes open science practices, such as preregistering hypothesis-testing studies. Before beginning her research career, Carly worked as a teacher in New York City. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Harvard University and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.