Exploring the Conceptual Model and Instructional Design Principles of Intelligent Problem-Solving Learning

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has fundamentally transformed how knowledge is created, disseminated, and applied in problem-solving, presenting new challenges for educational models. This study introduces Intelligent Problem-Solving Learning (IPSL)—a capability-based instructional design framework aimed at cultivating learners’ adaptability, creativity, and meta-learning in AI-enhanced environments. Grounded in connectivism, extended mind theory, and the concept of augmented intelligence, IPSL places human–AI collaboration at the core of instructional design. Using a design and development research (DDR) methodology, the study constructs a conceptual model comprising three main categories and eight subcategories, supported by eighteen instructional design principles. The model’s clarity, theoretical coherence, and educational relevance were validated through two rounds of expert review using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Inter-Rater Agreement (IRA). IPSL emphasizes differentiated task roles—those exclusive to humans, suitable for human–AI collaboration, or fully delegable to AI—alongside meta-learning strategies that empower learners to navigate complex and unpredictable problems. This framework offers both theoretical and practical guidance for building future-oriented education systems, positioning AI as a learning partner while upholding essential human qualities such as ethical judgment, creativity, and agency. It equips educators with actionable principles to harmonize technological integration with human-centered learning in an age of rapid transformation.