Heather Wehner, Author at EduTec Science

Oct302026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

PhD Defense: A Multimodal Immersive Technology Approach in Running: Congratulations, Dr. Cardenas Hernandez!

Multimodal Learning Analytics, PhD defense

We extend our warmest congratulations to our dear alumni and associate, Fernando Pedro Cardenas Hernandez, on the successful defense of his PhD thesis on Thursday, 29.10.2026! Great job, Dr. Fernando! We’re so proud of you for achieving this milestone! In his dissertation “Beyond the Physical Toward Mental Training: Investigating a Multimodal Immersive Technology Approach in Running”, Fernando explores the potential of immersive technologies, like Virtual Reality (VR), to promote a holistic approach to learning and improving running skills. His research aims to address the gap in contemporary training practices that often focus on physical and biomechanical analysis while neglecting the cognitive dimensions of performance. [pdf-embedder url="https://edutec.science/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Slides_Fernando.pdf"] As a starting point for his research, he consulted experienced running coaches to identify four interdependent aspects of holistic running training: physical, technical,…

Oct272026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

A Warm Welcome to Our Guest Researcher Laís Pisetta van Vossen

Team

We are delighted to welcome Laís Pisetta van Vossen as a guest researcher in our team! Laís has recently completed her master’s degree in applied computing at UDESC University in Brazil. During her master’s studies she focused on the analyzation of conceptual map data and developed the concept map tool CoMEA. She has published and contributed to several peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings papers and has actively participated in recognized international conferences, such as AIED 2024 and ECTEL 2025. She will use her one year stay at DIPF as a research station to further develop her work, integrate it with the ongoing studies in the field and strengthen her research foundation before formally beginning a PhD in Germany. During her stay, she will work closely with the EduTec team, collaborating…

Oct192026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: How Students Think About and Act Upon Personalized, Automated Feedback on Transactivity

Computer-supported collaborative learning, Conference, Feedback, Higher Education, Publication

A key factor for success in collaborative learning environments is transactivity. This process, whereby learners engage with and build upon the ideas of others, is crucial for learning outcomes. In today's digital learning environments, AI-powered speech and text analysis can be used to measure the extent to which learners interact with one another. In a recent randomized field study involving 252 student teachers, a research team examined how different forms of automated feedback influence the transactivity in online discussions. The study compared basic feedback (BAF), consisting of general information and a performance summary, with highly informative feedback (HIF), consisting of highly personalized, detailed feedback on various aspects of transavtivity. The results were surprising: Although the participants rated the personalized feedback significantly more positively, it did not lead to any measurable…

Sep292026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Dr. Fabíola Gonçalves Joins the EduTec Group as Research Fellow

Team

We warmly welcome Dr. Fabíola Gonçalves as a new member of our EduTec team at DIPF. Dr. Fabíola is a postdoctoral researcher and has recently been awarded a CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship. Her project “AI-Supported Co-Design for Personalized Feedback and Teaching Enhancement” will be supervised by Prof. Hendrik Drachsler and focuses on the analysis, investigation and integration of AI support to enhance teaching and learning practices. Dr. Fabíola completed her PhD in Computer Science at the University of Oldenburg, Germany, in cooperation with the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. From 2013 to 2025, she worked as a professor and researcher at the Federal Institute Goiano, Brazil, contributing to teaching, student supervision and scientific projects in secondary and higher education contexts. Dr. Fabíola’s areas of expertise include Software Engineering, System Specification and Design, Project Management and Human-Computer Interaction. Currently, her research focus includes human-centered approaches, particularly in Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED), Learning Analytics and the use of Large Language…

Sep252026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Implementation of AI-based Feedback and Assessment – IMPACT Project Evaluation Report

Artificial Intelligence, Feedback, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Publication, Report

How can universities provide individual feedback and useful support systems to every student when class sizes continue to grow and learner needs become increasingly diverse? Artificial intelligence offers promising opportunities to provide personalized learning and teaching support on a larger scale. Yet as regulations regarding data protection, transparency and the responsible use of AI continue to evolve, institutions face a difficult balancing act between innovation and regulatory compliance. These issues were addressed in the IMPACT project (Implementation of AI-based Feedback and Assessment with Trusted Learning Analytics in Higher Education Institutions), which explored how AI can support students and educators throughout the academic journey. Its goal was to develop AI-based methods for the semi-automated analysis of academic texts, to allow for more effective support in learning, teaching and assessment. A key…

Jul242026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: The Dependency Dilemma of Machine Learning Aids

Artificial Intelligence, Journal, New Pub

AI and machine-learning decision aids can be a great support for employees and help them improve their work performance. An overreliance on algorithmic recommendations, on the other hand, may result in a long-term reduction of the employees’ ability to develop and maintain their own decision-making skills. This could be especially problematic when such AI and machine-learning decision aids are not available. Instead of overly relying on such AI-based recommendations, organizations should train their employees to continue developing their critical thinking and decision-making skills. Hendrik Drachsler and his research partners address this problematic dependency on AI tools and the conflict of interests in the workplace in their newly published article “The Dependency Dilemma: How Machine Learning Decision Aids can Undermine Skill Growth”. Using a controlled experiment, the authors found that participants…

Jul162026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Recommendations for Higher Education in the Age of Generative AI

Artificial Intelligence, Higher Education, Publication, Report

Generative AI cannot be treated as just another digital tool that has come along. As it becomes more and more embedded in higher education, universities face the challenge of responsibly navigating the many challenges and opportunities that generative AI brings with it. One central guiding principal for institutions and stakeholders engaged with generative AI is intellectual sovereignty, which the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) highlights in its newly published position paper, which was presented in a digital press release on 06.07.2026. Intellectual sovereignty refers to the ability to think independently, exercise critical judgment and maintain autonomy in the creation and evaluation of knowledge. Rather than relying uncritically on AI-generated outputs, this concept encourages students, educators and institutions to actively question, assess and contextualize information. By placing intellectual sovereignty…

Jul22026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Congratulations, Dr. Karademir! Turning Data into Pedagogical Action

Alumni, Learning Analytics, PhD defense

On 1 July 2026, Onur Karademir successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at the Goethe-University Frankfurt — and we could not be prouder. Onur joined the EduTec team in February 2021, but his story started even earlier: as a student frustrated by 90-minute maths lectures, he channelled that experience into founding StudyCore, an EdTech startup delivering digital teaching tools to universities and schools. That hands-on instinct — building things that actually reach learners — defined his entire PhD trajectory. His dissertation, Turning Data into Pedagogical Action: Designing the Learning Analytics Cockpit, a Teacher Dashboard for Feedback, tackles one of the most pressing challenges in educational technology: making learning analytics useful in real classrooms. Over three interconnected studies — a proof of concept, a co-design process with secondary school teachers and a…

Jun102026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Competent Usage of AI and Digital Technology in Education

Artificial Intelligence, New Pub, Publication

[caption id="attachment_8403" align="alignright" width="300"] Modified TPACK model as Level 2 of the AIEDTEC-CDM. Note. TPK = technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), TCK = technological content knowledge, PCK = pedagogical content knowledge, TPCK = technological pedagogical content knowledge.[/caption] How can teachers and learners use AI and digital technology competently, critically and safely in education? Simply using AI tools and digital technology in educational settings does not necessarily mean that learners will profit from these tools. Some tools may have a positive effect on learning, while others may not. A newly published paper addresses this issue and formulates a theoretical framework for the “Competence to Use Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology in Educational Processes” (AIEDTEC competence). Combining insights from psychology and computer science, it aims to provide a theoretical definition of the competent…

May122026 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Hendrik Drachsler Receives Outstanding Community Work Award from SoLAR

Award, Conference, Team

In recognition of his outstanding dedication to the Learning Analytics community, Hendrik Drachsler was presented with the Outstanding Community Work Award by the Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR) at the 16th International Learning Analytics & Knowledge Conference (LAK26) on 30 April 2026 in Bergen, Norway. 🏆 The award recognises Hendrik’s long-standing commitment to strengthening the SoLAR community and supporting the development of Learning Analytics as an international research field. In her laudatio, SoLAR President Prof. Blaženka Divjak highlighted Hendrik’s continuous engagement with the Society for Learning Analytics Research since its early years. He has contributed to the community in many roles, including as a SoLAR Executive Committee member and Local Chair of LAK20. He has also helped create spaces for exchange and collaboration by organising and supporting workshops that…