What is Agency-Based Learning?

Agency-Based Learning (ABL) is a revolutionary educational approach tailored for the AI era. Rather than simply delivering standards-aligned content, ABL puts students in the driver’s seat—empowering them to shape, personalize, and co-create their learning journey.

At its heart, ABL is about building student agency with the support of modern AI tools for education, under the guidance of visionary educators.

AI-Empowered Student Co-Creation Transforms Early Learning & K-12 Classrooms

In a live webinar from ISTELive 2025, former ISTE President Bill Bass and Learning Genie CEO Dr. Gene Shi joined innovative educators Robert Mayfield (Ripon USD), Christina Miramontes (Palm Springs USD), Allison White (Los Altos SD), and Candice Hinton (Riverside USD) to explore the ABL movement.

AI-Powered Co-Creation Fuels Student Agency

AI tools are revolutionizing how students and teachers collaborate on lessons, significantly boosting student ownership and engagement across all grade levels, from TK to high school.

A Paradigm Shift Towards Student-Centered Learning

The webinar highlights a profound move from traditional teacher-led instruction to an Agency-Based Learning model, encouraging teachers to "unlearn" control and embrace student input for more joyful and effective learning.

Practical Implementation and Trusting the Process

Educators shared actionable advice on integrating co-creation and AI, emphasizing starting small, trusting students' natural curiosity, and leveraging AI for efficient planning and powerful differentiation to meet diverse student needs. Ready to see how Agency-Based Learning can transform your classroom?

Why Now? The Urgent Need for ABL

AI-Native Generation

Students naturally interact with AI. ABL channels this fluency for deep learning, not passive consumption.

Portrait of a Graduate Alignment

Schools across the U.S. are adopting frameworks promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability—skills central to ABL.

Redefining Teaching

Educators become coaches, designers, and ethicists, not just content deliverers.

Equity + Engagement

ABL fosters culturally and linguistically responsive learning paths that honor students’ identities and interests.

ABL in Action: The Triad of Transformation

The Teacher Standards Shepherd & Skills Modeler

Curates and aligns content with state standards.

Models durable skills and ethical AI use.

Designs personalized, interest-based learning pathways.

Guides students in self-reflection and growth.

The Student Empowered Learning Agent

Sets goals and designs personalized projects with AI support.

Co-creates learning experiences with voice and choice.

Uses AI to reflect, revise, and iterate.

Tracks and owns progress with formative assessment insights.

The AI Learning Co-Designer

Tailors assessments to individual strengths (visual, narrative, project-based).

Offers feedback, enrichment, and scaffolding based on performance.

Generates multimodal learning resources—videos, problems, simulations—instantly.

Key Features of the ABL Framework

Student-Centered Design

Learners build autonomy while mastering rigorous academic and personal growth outcomes.

Ethical AI Integration

Students learn how to responsibly use AI to augment creativity, critical thinking, and self-assessment.

Dynamic Personalization

Real-time content creation ensures every student is challenged, supported, and engaged.

Who is ABL For?

Innovative school districts looking to modernize teaching

Teachers eager to transform their role into mentor-coach

Curriculum leaders embracing AI and personalization

Edtech partners seeking alignment with Portrait of a Graduate and DEI

"Agency is not a trait. It’s a skill we can grow. ABL shows us how."

Dr. Gene Shi

Founder, Learning Genie

Ready to Bring ABL to Your School?

Join the movement transforming classrooms for the AI generation.