The Impact of AI-Assisted Course Design on Student Engagement in English for Specific Purposes: A Comparative Study at Abu-Isa Faculty of Education

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative study on the impact of AI-assisted course design versus traditional methods on student engagement in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at Abu-Isa  Faculty of Education, Zawia University, Libya. The study involved eighth-semester students from the Faculty of Education who were tasked with designing ESP courses for various university departments. Initially, students designed courses using traditional PDF-based methods. In a subsequent semester, the same task was undertaken with the integration of AI tools. Preliminary observations indicate a significant increase in student engagement, motivation, and the overall quality of the design process with AI assistance. This research highlights the potential of AI to transform pedagogical approaches in higher education, particularly in specialized language instruction.