Education framework

SAGE: Structured AI-Guided Education

I built SAGE so that students use generative AI with judgement and can show that the learning is their own. Professor Ergun Gide and I developed it at CQUniversity, and I have refined it in my classrooms since 2022. It is open. It is grounded in more than 40 peer-reviewed publications on generative AI in education. And it stands on three parts: a pedagogy, an assessment policy and a framework for research supervision.

Visit sage-framework.com (opens in a new tab)How to cite SAGE

  • The SAGE framework page for educators, showing the program summary and the opening of the implementation guide
    Pedagogy

    SAGE Pedagogy (opens in a new tab)

    I designed a six-step cycle (Generate, Evaluate, Refine, AI Critic, Reflect and Defend) that puts judgement at the centre of learning with AI. Students begin with their own thinking and finish by defending it.

  • The SAGE Assessment Policy page, headed SAGE Assessment Policy (SAGE-AP)
    Assessment policy

    SAGE-AP (opens in a new tab)

    SAGE-AP answers the question every educator asks: what AI use is permitted, and what must students show? It sets clear expectations for authorship, verification, disclosure and defensible work.

  • Poster for SAGE-R, headed Use AI. Keep the research yours.
    Research supervision

    SAGE-R (opens in a new tab)

    I extended SAGE to higher degree research. Use, Own and Defend give supervisors and candidates practical guidance for working with AI.

  • Since 2022 classroom development
  • 1,500+ students, 2,210 CQU enrolments
  • 40+ peer-reviewed publications
  • 3 TEQSA Knowledge Hub resources
Selected resources

Where to begin

The SAGE website hosts a much larger set of resources. A selection is linked here, and all are shared under a CC BY 4.0 licence. Explore the other resources on the SAGE website (opens in a new tab).

  • Cover of the SAGE Student Guide, titled Your Guide to Using AI Responsibly
    Students

    SAGE Student Guide (opens in a new tab)

    A six-step guide to responsible AI use, with preparation for Defend. A PDF edition is available for printing and record keeping.

  • The GenAI-101 module page showing the module overview and learning outcomes
    AI literacy

    GenAI-101 (opens in a new tab)

    An eleven-lesson module on learning with AI, critical coaching, source checking and working with AI inside applications. It is listed in the TEQSA Generative AI Knowledge Hub.

  • Decision diagram from the SAGE-R materials showing the Own and Defend stages, ending in a claim that can be relied upon
    Assessment assurance

    Defend Tool (opens in a new tab)

    Supports the design of proportionate checkpoints in which students explain, justify, apply or adapt their work, matched to the capability, the discipline and the cohort.

  • The SAGE Unit Planning Template, one of the downloadable educator resources
    Educators

    Downloads and starter kit (opens in a new tab)

    Guides, the unit planning template, the assessment rubric and other implementation resources, in PDF and Word formats.

Selected publications

Core framework papers

The full record, with study methods, limits and student dashboards, is on the SAGE evidence page (opens in a new tab) and the Publications page.

  1. STEM Education · 2026A pedagogy for AI orchestration and assessment assurance (opens in a new tab)The six-step framework and its distributed Assurance by Design architecture.
  2. Education Sciences · 2026From permission to pedagogy (opens in a new tab)The SAGE Assessment Policy (SAGE-AP) for generative AI in higher education.
  3. Discover Education (Springer Nature) · 2025The SAGE Framework for Developing Critical Thinking and Responsible Generative AI Use in Cybersecurity Education (opens in a new tab)The framework applied to a cybersecurity education setting.
SAGE in practice

Institutional and international use

Three SAGE resources are also listed in the TEQSA Generative AI Knowledge Hub as sector-wide good practice (see Publications).

Citation and enquiries

Citing and adopting SAGE

Suggested citation (IEEE)

M. Elkhodr and E. Gide, “The SAGE Framework: Structured AI-Guided Education,” Central Queensland University, 2026. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18383951.

Developed by Dr Mahmoud Elkhodr and Professor Ergun Gide, CQUniversity Australia. Enquiries about pilots, implementation and collaboration are welcome through the contact page.