Pedagogical Mediation and Image Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Role of Audiovisual Media and Augmented Reality in Contemporary Learning Environments

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has profoundly transformed educational practices, placing image education at the core of contemporary learning challenges. In this evolving context, pedagogical mediation emerges as a critical process for supporting learners’ understanding, interpretation, and critical engagement with increasingly complex audiovisual environments. This article explores how artificial intelligence (AI), audiovisual media, and augmented reality (AR) collectively reshape mediation practices within image education. Drawing on a critical and integrative review of recent international literature, the study examines the ways AI-driven audiovisual systems and AR-based learning environments enhance interactivity, personalization, and learner engagement while simultaneously redefining the role of educators as mediators between technology, knowledge, and learners. The findings highlight that augmented and intelligent audiovisual tools can significantly support the development of visual literacy, critical thinking, and reflective skills when embedded within well-structured pedagogical frameworks. However, the study also identifies key pedagogical and ethical challenges, including algorithmic bias, over-automation of learning processes, and the need for advanced media and AI literacy among educators and learners. The article argues that effective integration of AI and AR in image education requires a balanced mediation approach that prioritizes human agency, critical awareness, and ethical responsibility. It concludes by proposing future research directions focused on sustainable, inclusive, and critically grounded uses of intelligent audiovisual technologies in education.