Research on the Factors Influencing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications on the Learning Process of Students at Selected Universities in Hanoi

In the digital era, when the global student population exceeds 200 million, higher education is facing major challenges arising from expanding enrolment, intensified international competition, and the urgent need to prepare learners with skills for the technological age. According to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report (2021), more than 200 million students worldwide are studying in higher education settings; however, traditional teaching models characterised by large class sizes and a one-size-fits-all pedagogical approach often fail to meet individual learning needs. This may contribute to high dropout rates in some developed countries and to dissatisfaction with educational quality. The objective reason behind this problem is the rapid expansion of digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), which has transformed learning and work practices and requires higher education to adapt in order to train human resources for the Industry 4.0 labour market.

In Vietnam, this issue has become increasingly urgent because of the country's young population and the rapid development of the digital economy. According to the Ministry of Education and Training (2022), Vietnam has approximately 1.8 million university students, while the higher education system still relies mainly on traditional teaching methods, with average class sizes of 50-80 students at major universities. In Hanoi, where leading higher education institutions are concentrated, such as Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Foreign Trade University, the issue is visible in reports on educational quality. Students often experience difficulty accessing learning content that fits their individual interests, which reduces learning effectiveness and contributes to dissatisfaction with educational quality. Relevant contextual factors include shortages of lecturers and facilities, pressure from internationalised curricula, and the growing demand for digital skills in line with Vietnam's national strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In higher education, especially in the application of AI technologies to learning, the core issue is closely associated with the trend toward personalised learning. AI has substantial potential to analyse student data and adjust learning content and instructional methods; nevertheless, its implementation remains limited due to inadequate understanding and technological infrastructure. The choice of this research topic also reflects the authors' direct experience as students who have encountered difficulties in university learning in Hanoi, where large classes and insufficiently flexible teaching methods can reduce motivation. At the same time, given the increasing presence of AI in everyday life, including learning-support chatbots, the authors view AI as an opportunity to improve higher education, provided that the factors affecting its adoption and effectiveness are examined systematically.

The importance of studying the factors through which AI applications influence students' learning process has been affirmed in both international and domestic studies. Holmes et al. (2019) showed that AI can personalise learning pathways according to students' strengths and weaknesses, improving learning outcomes by 25-30% in experimental models. Similarly, the OECD (2018) emphasised that AI-supported personalised learning can enhance motivation and knowledge acquisition while helping reduce educational inequality, particularly in developing countries. Such findings are persuasive because they are based on practical data from large numbers of students and demonstrate that AI can be a key instrument for addressing large-class teaching and insufficient personalisation in higher education.

In Vietnam, Nguyen et al. (2021) indicated that AI-based teaching applications at Vietnam National University could increase course completion rates by approximately 15% while reducing dropout through instant feedback and appropriately tailored content. The Ministry of Information and Communications (2022) also identified AI as an important trend in digital education, with the potential to improve the quality of higher education in Hanoi. These studies show that the topic is not merely theoretical but has practical value for improving learning effectiveness and equipping students with a sound foundation for the digital future.

Despite the growing body of research on AI in education, significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly in the Vietnamese context and in Hanoi specifically. Theoretically, international studies, such as Luckin (2017), often focus on general AI models but do not sufficiently analyse how AI should be integrated into Vietnamese educational culture, which has traditionally emphasised discipline and examinations rather than individual creativity. Tran et al. (2020) also identified a gap in theories explaining the influence of culture on the effectiveness of AI adoption in Vietnamese universities.

From a legal perspective, Vietnam has not yet developed a comprehensive regulatory framework for the use of AI in education, including provisions on student-data protection and intellectual property. OECD (2021) noted that several Asian countries, including Vietnam, lack sufficient research on the legal risks of AI, such as privacy violations. Studies conducted in Hanoi have not yet comprehensively examined the legal factors affecting AI implementation in education.

In practical terms, the most significant gap is the lack of comprehensive studies on the factors affecting AI applications in Hanoi's universities. Previous studies have often focused on one institution or a limited set of variables, such as student attitudes, lecturers' digital competencies, technological infrastructure, and learning outcomes. The UNESCO (2022) review suggests that Asian studies have not sufficiently exploited practical data from Hanoi, resulting in a shortage of evidence to guide effective AI implementation. This gap makes the present research necessary, as it aims to provide both theoretical and practical evidence for higher education innovation.

The urgency of the research is heightened by Vietnam's ongoing digital transformation and international integration. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in global education, Hanoi, as Vietnam's largest higher education centre, needs timely evidence in order to avoid falling behind regional leaders such as Singapore. The topic is important because it may provide practical solutions for reducing dropout, improving the quality of training, and ensuring educational equity for students from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds. As students, the authors also expect the study to contribute to the academic community and to the development of research skills for future professional practice.

Accordingly, the study entitled 'Factors influencing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) applications on the learning process of students at selected universities in Hanoi' is both timely and necessary. The research contributes to filling knowledge gaps, clarifying the role of AI in higher education, and offering practical guidance for the development of Vietnamese higher education in the digital era.