Advancing project leadership education through AI-enhanced game-based learning

This paper offers a design-led investigation of AI-enhanced game-based learning (AI-GBL) as a transformative pedagogical approach for project leadership education. Addressing the persistent theory–practice gap in project management training, the study incorporates generative AI into ethically complex, emotionally engaging simulation environments that mimic real-world stakeholder challenges. The intervention allows learners to participate in adaptive decision-making, critical reflection, and ethical reasoning in face-to-face and blended formats, based on principles from experiential learning, productive failure, and relational pedagogy. Implemented in 2024 across undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts at an Irish university, the intervention was examined through six interconnected design themes: relevance, agility, identity, ethics, motivation, and adaptability. These themes were instructional principles and analytical lenses, revealing significant conceptual learning gains, enhanced ethical deliberation, and evidence of evolving leadership identity. Qualitative data from reflective journals and digital dialogues demonstrated students' growing capacity for situated judgement, collaborative reasoning, and morAIal awareness. This paper offers a conceptual roadmap for integrating AI-GBL into leadership education, viewing generative as a pedagogical co-ordinator that supports ambiguity, highlights values, and fosters human-centred learning. It advocates for ethically designed AI to develop project leaders who are skilled, self-aware, ethically grounded, and capable of leading with integrity in an era of complex technology. As AI reshapes work and learning, AI-GBL provides a way to align human abilities with technological potential. I am pleased to submit the manuscript "Advancing Project Leadership Education through AI-Enhanced Game-Based Learning: A Pedagogical Roadmap for Ethical, Adaptive, and Experiential Development" for consideration in Project Leadership and Society. This study addresses an urgent need to reimagine project leadership education in light of generative AI's expanding capabilities. The manuscript offers the following key contributions: • Conceptual Innovation: The paper introduces AI-enhanced game-based learning (AI–GBL) as a novel educational paradigm. It leverages generative AI to create immersive, scenario-driven environments that support ethical reasoning, narrative identity, and adaptive judgement—areas increasingly critical for future project leaders. • Thematic Framework: Six interconnected pedagogical themes—relevance, agility, identity, ethics, motivation, and adaptability—structure the intervention. These themes are grounded in theory and translated into practical design principles, forming a flexible roadmap for educators and institutions. • Empirical Contribution: Drawing on data from a quasi-experimental study of 160 undergraduate and postgraduate students, the paper demonstrates significant learning gains, deeper ethical engagement, and evidence of identity formation through narrative reflection and ambiguity navigation. • Bridging the Theory–Practice Gap: The intervention directly addresses the limitations of procedural instruction by simulating complex, high-stakes dilemmas. Learners are invited to lead through uncertainty rather than resolve it prematurely—rehearsing professional judgement in a psychologically safe but morally charged space. • Timely Relevance: For the first time, generative AI enables scalable, responsive, and emotionally resonant simulations. The manuscript argues that AI–GBL environments are not merely technological tools, but philosophical interventions capable of advancing both educational innovation and human-centred leadership development. This manuscript aims to support the academic and professional community in designing AI-integrated educational systems that centre human capabilities. It provides a practical, theoretically grounded, and ethically attuned framework for preparing leaders equipped to navigate complexity in the age of AI. Thank you for considering this submission. I hope this work will resonate with readers interested in leadership, education, ethics, and technology.