September 2024 - EduTec Science

Sep302024 by Sebastian WollnyNo Comments

Exploring the Future of Learning: Edutec at the Frankfurt Science Festival 2024

The Edutec team successfully participated in the Frankfurt Science Festival 2024 at the Rossmarkt square, organized by the Frankfurt Alliance, and was present at the DIPF booth. Under the motto "Try Out Learning Technologies," visitors had the chance to explore a variety of innovative technologies. Our Highlights: Strategic Running Training: Experience the "Pacing" running strategy through Virtual Reality and take part in a virtual race through the streets of Frankfurt. Supporting Climate Protection through Games: Two engaging games – a quiz game and a dilemma game – offer insights into climate protection. These games are part of a Horizon Europe project in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program. Pilates Feedback: Discover a new Pilates experience with our app, offering real-time feedback and exciting video game elements to make your…

Sep202024 by Daniele Di MitriNo Comments

New Pub: Preserving Privacy in Multimodal Learning Analytics with Visual Animation of Kinematic Data

Empirical Study

A recent study has been published that addresses the growing concern of data privacy in multimodal learning analytics (MMLA). The research investigates the potential of using visual animations as an alternative to traditional video recordings for analyzing sensitive data, particularly in educational settings. MMLA involves collecting and analysing data from various sources, including video recordings, to gain insights into learning behaviours and outcomes. However, the use of video can raise significant privacy concerns, especially when it contains identifiable information about individuals. This has led to ethical dilemmas regarding using such data in research. The study, based on the master thesis of Aleksandr Epp, introduces the Kinematic Animation Tool (KAT) to address these privacy issues. This tool allows researchers to visualise kinematic data without relying on video footage, thereby mitigating privacy…

Sep192024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

From Office Talks to Lecture Halls: Congratulations and Farewell to Joshua Weidlich

Team

It doesn’t happen often that one can witness a colleague taking an inspiring leap into a new and exciting chapter of their careers. But today, we celebrate just that, as we send our warmest congratulations to our esteemed colleague Dr. Joshua Weidlich as he takes up a tenure track professorship at the University of Zurich and the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich starting in October. To embark on this new journey, Joshua will be swapping the Frankfurt Skyline for the Swiss mountains. We are excited for him for this change of scenery, but will miss him dearly. Joshua has been part of the EduTec family for 3.5 years – which accounts to roughly 1,278 cups of coffee and probably even more team and project meetings. His incredibly helpful and consistently friendly nature…

Sep142024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

PhD Defense: A Deep Dive into Visual Learning Analytics

Award, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, PhD defense, School

On September 13th, Hendrik Drachsler took on the esteemed role of opponent in the PhD defense of Artemis Mohseni at Linnaeus University, Sweden. The defense, which marked a pivotal moment in Artemis’s academic journey, centered around her innovative doctoral thesis titled "Development of Visual Learning Analytics Tools to Explore Performance and Engagement of Students in Primary, Secondary, and Higher Education." The evaluation commission was formed by: Associate professor Olga Viberg, Royal Institute of Technolgy, Sweden Associate professor Linnéa Stenliden, Linköpings University, Sweden Professor Johan Lundin, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Associate professor Fisnik Dalipi, Linnaeus University, Sweden Associate professor Arianit Kurti, Linnaeus University, Sweden It was an exciting defense that showcased Artemis’s research, which focuses on the potential of Visual Learning Analytics (VLA) to enhance teaching and learning by providing actionable…

Sep142024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

HILA goes to school – Keynote at ISDT24, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Feedback, Keynote, Learning Analytics, School

What happens when Highly-Informative Learning Analytics (HILA) goes to school? That’s exactly what Hendrik Drachsler explored during his keynote at the 3rd International Symposium on Digital Transformation (ISDT24) in Linnaeus University Växjö, Sweden. His talk highlighted the impact of the AFLEK project, a transformative initiative under the HILA research program, which focuses on improving learning outcomes in secondary schools through actionable data and AI-driven tools. The keynote wasn't just about theoretical advances; it presented real-world applications that are actively shaping how secondary education functions today. Through three key publications, Drachsler demonstrated how the integration of Data-Enriched Learning Activities (DeLA), teacher dashboards, and empirical research has paved the way for improved teaching practices and measurable student success. Let’s dive into what happens when HILA meets the classroom. Key Highlights from Hendrik…

Sep92024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

A Warm Welcome: Our Guest Researcher Víctor Alonso-Prieto Begins His Visit

Team

We are very excited to welcome Víctor Alonso-Prieto, who has just joined the EduTec team as a visiting researcher from the University of Valladolid, Spain. His three-month research visit from 10.09 till 15.12.2024 promises to inspire new collaborations and bring fresh insights into the field of educational technologies. His research stay at DIPF will be supervised by Dr. Daniele Di Mitri and he will work together with members of the HyTea project as well as other researchers from the EduTec and EduCS team. We look forward to this time of research and exchange! Here is a short introduction of our visitor Víctor: Current PhD project Víctor is currently pursuing a PhD in Transdisciplinary Research in Education. Víctor’s PhD project, which is co-supervised by Dr. Sara Lorena Villagrá-Sobrino and Dr. Yannis…

Sep42024 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik DrachslerNo Comments

Keynote at #LearningAID24, Bochum Germany

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Event, Higher Education, Keynote, Learning Analytics, Learning Design

At the recent #LearningAID24 conference in Bochum, Germany, Hendrik Drachsler delivered a keynote that challenged conventional perspectives on Learning Analytics and AI in education. He opened the discussion by examining the often ambiguous boundary between Learning Analytics and AI in education, posing a thought-provoking question: are these two areas truly distinct, or do they converge into one shared domain? Beyond theoretical discussions, Hendrik presented early empirical findings from the research program on Highly-Informative Learning Analytics (HILA), advocating for a more evidence-based approach to integrating Learning Analytics and AI into education. The goal, he argued, should be to ensure that these technologies effectively meet the informational needs of learners, providing meaningful and actionable insights. He framed the 2nd conference day around the theme: INFORMED PRECISION - This concept captures the need…