From deficit to agency: conceptualising AI-supported academic literacies development in African higher education

Abstract

Students in African higher education are often labelled “at-risk” or “underprepared,” framings that obscure structural inequalities and diminish the value of their existing literacies. This conceptual paper reimagines these deficit narratives by examining how artificial intelligence (AI) can foster inclusive and empowering approaches to academic literacies development. Drawing on the academic literacies approach, critical AI literacies, and postcolonial perspectives, it proposes an augmentation model in which AI operates as a co-creative partner rather than a corrective mechanism. The model emphasises the amplification of students’ literacies, the promotion of agency, and the validation of multilingual practices. In contrast to remediation frameworks, it advances principles of inclusivity, contextual responsiveness, and epistemic justice. The paper contributes theoretically by reframing AI as a catalyst for equitable and agentive learning within African higher education. It concludes with a research agenda that encourages qualitative and participatory inquiry into how AI can be designed and implemented to transform academic support practices in universities across Africa and similar contexts.