Heather Wehner, Author at EduTec Science

Mar152024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: AI program doesn’t make kids better at math, but it makes them more independent

Assessment, Journal, Publication, School

Students who receive math tutoring from an artificial intelligence (AI) program perform no better than students who are taught by a "real" teacher. These students do, however, need less help learning. This is the conclusion of Rashmi Khazanchi from the Open University of the Netherlands together with Hendrik Drachsler and Daniele Di Mitri. Math Lessons with AI The researchers examined the effectiveness of the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) tutoring program, called Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). Previous studies have shown that students learn math better using software than traditional teaching methods. Previous studies on ALEKS have also shown that, thanks to this program, students memorize more knowledge, perform better, experience more engagement in mathematics and drop out less. The advantage of an ITS like ALEKS is that it…

Jan312024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

SWK-Talk: Large Language Models and their potential in the education system

Artificial Intelligence, Event, School

In the SWK Talk Special "Large Language Models and their potential in the education system" on 18.01.2024, the SWK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs) presented its impulse paper on Large Language Models. For the impulse paper, the SWK consulted external experts, including members of the EduTec Team, on teaching and learning with AI and LLM. The aim was to contribute to the current debate on the potential of LLM in the education system. The key conclusion is that the German education system currently faces the task of trying to utilize the potentials of generative AI technologies such as LLM, while at the same time recognizing their limitations and finding a way to responsibly deal with their restrictions. The paper also emphasizes the importance of a…

Dec212023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

2023 in a Nutshell: A year of unbridled discovery, innovation, and collaboration, and a little help of AI.

Team

What made this year special? Is it possible to reduce this year to just a few essential words? With all the people in our group, the many projects we worked on, the many publications we have written, and the events we have participated in, a lot has happened in 2023. Let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights: Projects and Conferences At EduTec.science, just like every year, we're committed to enhancing our understanding of education and exploring the potential impact of technology interventions. Our primary focus is on executing research projects, collecting solid data sets, conducting rigorous analysis of the effects of technology on learning and teaching, and publishing our results in accordance with the highest quality standards. The significant advancements in generative AI and the transformative…

Dec72023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Exciting New BildungPLUS Podcast: Learning Analytics in the Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence, Learning Analytics

The studiumdigitale Podcast BildungPLUS invites listeners on a riveting journey into the dynamic world of educational research in the new episode titled “Learning Analytics in the Age of AI”. Prof. Dr. Hendrik Drachsler, Prof. Dr. Bart Rienties and Dr. Eyal Rabin unveil their recent experiences in Learning Analytics, sharing firsthand accounts of breakthroughs and challenges. With a keen focus on AI, the episode delves into anticipations surrounding artificial intelligence's transformative role in shaping personalized learning experiences. Stay tuned for a brief but insightful exploration of the future of education through the lens of Learning Analytics research and innovative AI applications. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MMqdLhJoJcnwy9jSFDIN2?si=0d64ada4b61e4017&nd=1&dlsi=44dc68d0ceb445fa

Dec12023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Measuring Efficacy of ALEKS as a Supportive Instructional Tool in K-12 Math Classroom with Underachieving Students

Assessment, Journal, New Pub, Publication, School

In a recent quasi-experimental research study, the effectiveness of Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), took center stage in the realm of 8th-grade mathematics education. The study aimed to determine whether ALEKS could bring a statistically significant improvement in students' mathematics achievement compared to traditional teacher-led instructions. The research involved 158 8th-grade students categorized as 'underachieving students, with 60 in the teacher-led group and 98 in the ALEKS-led group. The study used a non-randomized approach to compare the outcomes of teacher-led instructions to ALEKS-led instructions over two consecutive years. In the first year McGraw's curriculum "Reveal" was used exclusively without ALEKS. In the second year ALEKS was incorporated as a supplemental tool in a math support class. The study incorporated a rigorous methodology, utilizing…

Sep122023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Why You Should Give Your Students Automatic Process Feedback on Their Collaboration

Computer-supported collaborative learning, Conference, Feedback, Higher Education, Journal, Learning Analytics

In the ever-changing landscape of education, innovation is the key to ensuring that every student has access to quality learning experiences. A transformative approach is Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which enables students to harness the power of teamwork to achieve learning outcomes that often exceed those they could reach individually. One of the strengths of CSCL is that it can give participant feedback on the quality of their collaborative work. This feedback not only aids individual growth but also enhances the group's overall dynamic. Traditionally, providing such feedback was a manual and time-intensive task, making it impractical for larger classes or scalable education programs. That's where this newly published paper comes into play. CSCL The paper “Why You Should Give Your Students Automatic Process Feedback on Their Collaboration: Evidence…

Jul122023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Job advert: two student assistant openings in HyTea project

Job announcements, Project

In the context of the HyTea project we are looking for two student assistants to join the EduTec team for approximately 40 to 80 hours per month for initially 12 months. You can also check the position description on the DIPF website. [pdf-embedder url="https://edutec.science/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hiwi-IZB-2023-07_EduTec-HyTea_EN.pdf" title="Hiwi-IZB 2023-07_EduTec-HyTea_EN"]

Jul102023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Dr. Eyal Rabin from the Open University of Israel joins EduTec group and GU as an International Visiting Fellow

Computational Psychometrics, Learning Analytics, Research Methods

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Eyal Rabin, a distinguished researcher in the field of educational technology, has joined us as an International Visiting Fellow at the EduTec group at DIPF and Goethe University in Frankfurt from July till September. This fellowship is generously funded by the Goethe University and aims to foster collaborative research and knowledge exchange in the field of educational technology. Dr. Rabin serves as a research associate at the Center of Innovation in Educational Technology at the Open University of Israel. His research expertise lies in exploring the complexities of learning in online courses and digital environments, employing learning analytics methods (LA) and drawing from multiple interdisciplinary fields, including psychology, education and computer science. The focus of Dr. Rabin's research revolves around understanding the factors…

Jun282023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Fostering children’s acceptance of educational apps

Journal, Learning Design, School, Self-Regulation

In the field of educational applications (apps), the focus has shifted from mere functionality to creating enjoyable and beneficial learning experiences for children. A recently published article sheds light on the influence of redesigning a mobile learning activity in an app to enhance its appeal and usefulness to young learners. By exploring the relationship between children's enjoyment, intention to use and the incorporation of emojis, this study provides valuable insights into optimizing educational apps. The study involved 103 children aged 9 to 14 years, who participated in a 27-day exploration of a mobile learning app. The objective was to determine how different learning activities influenced children's intention to use the app. The researchers revamped a traditional learning activity, replacing it with an emoji-based representation of learning plans. Two other standard…

Jun232023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Keynote @ #JTELSS23 – Towards Highly Informative Learning Analytics

Conference, Feedback, Higher Education, Keynote, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, Summer School

Hendrik Drachsler delivered a keynote presentation at the 17th EATEL Summer School on Technology-Enhanced Learning (JTELSS 2023) in La Manga, Spain that unveiled groundbreaking insights from the Highly Informative and Learning Analytics (HILA) research program. This exciting initiative explores the effectiveness of HILA and the transformative power of data-enriched learning activities in providing highly informative feedback to students. Here a few highlights from Hendrik's keynote, showcasing the potential of HILA to revolutionize learning outcomes. The Power of Feedback Extensive research has long recognized the profound impact of feedback on learning success. Hendrik's presentation revealed that HILA surpasses traditional feedback methods by offering even higher efficacy. By going beyond simple right or wrong responses, HILA provides actionable feedback that enables students to exercise effective metacognitive control over their learning process. This…