Exploring the Future of Digital Teaching at #EduNext25

Exploring the Future of Digital Teaching at #EduNext25

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Event, Higher Education
On 26.11.2025 our team had the privilege of participating in #EduNext25, a full-day conference dedicated to the future of digitalization and AI in higher education. Hosted by studiumdigitale at Goethe University Frankfurt, the event brought together educators, researchers and innovators from across Hessen and beyond to discuss how technology can transform teaching and learning. The opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Viera Pirker, Minister TimonGremmels and Prof. Dr. Hendrik Drachsler set the tone: digitalization and AI are not just trends, they are essential tools for shaping the academic experience of tomorrow. One highlight was the EduConnect session, where universities from the HessenHub network and the QuiS program showcased their latest projects and approaches to digital learning. Another highlight was the panel discussion on strategic alliances for future teaching. Experts from various…
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New Pub: From Nervous to Noteworthy: Evaluating SPEAKS

New Pub: From Nervous to Noteworthy: Evaluating SPEAKS

Competence development, Conference, Conference, Higher Education
Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also a skill every professional needs. Many students leave higher education feeling unprepared to speak confidently in front of an audience. Traditional courses exist, but providing enough guidance to every student is time- and resource-intensive. This is where SPEAKS comes in. SPEAKS (Speech content Preparation for Effective and Authentic Knowledge Sharing) is an educational software designed to guide students through preparing the content of their speeches. The tool and its evaluation were presented at ECEL 2025 in a paper authored by Nina Mouhammad, Jan Schneider, Roland Klemke and Daniele Di Mitri as part of the HyTea-project, highlighting its potential to support students in developing better speech content and becoming more confident regarding public speaking. The tool uses a fully scripted, chat-based interface with…
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GREAT Project – European Conference on Games Based Learning 2025

GREAT Project – European Conference on Games Based Learning 2025

Conference
On 2.10.2025, Jane Yau presented on behalf of the GREAT project team the following paper virtually - THE REACH OF DIGITAL GAMES AND THEIR POTENTIAL AS GLOBAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS   Abstract: This paper examines the potential of digital games as communication tools to reach global audiences, extending beyond established cultural and geopolitical divides. It shows the empirical data gathered in our EU and UKRI-funded Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (GREAT) project, where we collaborated with several organizations to investigate this potential. Namely, a significant case study called Play2Act was undertaken in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which forms the focus of this paper. The aims of this study were to find out how much of the world’s population could be reached via digital games and how…
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ML2MT at the “AI and the Future of Society” Symposium

ML2MT at the “AI and the Future of Society” Symposium

Artificial Intelligence, Conference, Event
At the final symposium “AI and the Future of Society” on April 23, 2025, the ML2MT project team presented key outcomes from their research on human-machine collaboration. Moving beyond traditional AI, the project explored how machines and humans can mutually benefit and learn from each other in a continuous loop. The results of this interdisciplinary project span multiple domains: In medicine, AI systems were found not only to assist diagnoses but also to promote reflection among professionals, encouraging deeper awareness of their decision-making processes. In education, adaptive AI tools were developed to analyze student feedback and help teachers identify learning gaps more effectively. In human-AI interaction, systems were designed to remember and apply user feedback, improving efficiency and reducing the need for repetitive input. Looking ahead, the project will focus…
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Best Senior Reviewer Award Presented to Hendrik Drachsler

Best Senior Reviewer Award Presented to Hendrik Drachsler

Award, Conference, Team
At the LAK 2025 conference in Dublin, Ireland, Hendrik Drachsler was honored with the Best Senior Reviewer Award. We congratulate Hendrik for this high level of recognition for his outstanding contributions to the scientific peer-reviewing process! The Best Senior Reviewer award is not just a statement of appreciation, it represents a commitment to academic integrity, knowledge exchange and high-quality research. At a time when the peer review process is under increasing pressure, recognizing and valuing reviewers is a crucial step in maintaining the credibility and advance of Learning Analytics as a discipline. Especially in fast-moving fields like Learning Analytics and AI in education there has been a rapid increase of academic publications, which has created a large bottleneck in the peer review process. Many journals and conferences struggle to find…
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Girls and Women in STEM Forum of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Girls and Women in STEM Forum of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Artificial Intelligence, Award, Conference, Digitalisation, Event, Transfer Activity
Our Co-Worker Dana Kube was selected to be a jury member of this year's Girls and Women in STEM Award of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) in Budapest. Read her report: I'm still buzzing with the energy from the Women and Girls in STEM Forum 2024! It was an inspiring day filled with conversations on AI, inclusion, and the future of STEM with girls and women from all over Europe. The keynote speakers, Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen and Ilaria Tagliavini, emphasised the urgent need for more women to lead the next generation of scientists in Europe, highlighting the European Commission’s commitment to this mission through strategic plans for STEM education. Ilaria celebrated Girls Go Circular’s expansion to 32 countries, recognising the need for a mindset shift towards greater…
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HILA goes to school – Keynote at ISDT24, Linnaeus University, Sweden

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…
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Keynote at #LearningAID24, Bochum Germany

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…
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GREAT project posters presentations at IEEE Games, Entertainment & Media Conference

Conference
Jane Yau was at the IEEE Games, Entertainment and Media Conference last week in Torino, Italy (5-7 June), and shared GREAT project findings - 📢Co-designing Pilot Games with Citizens and Policy Stakeholders to Increase Climate Action 📌This paper presents an initial report on the codesign processes between researchers and policy stakeholders in the GREAT (Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation) project applied in the context of the climate emergency. 📢 Exploring the Concept of Mini Data Sprints as a Methodology to Assess Data Validity and Stimulate Climate Conversation 📌 The authors present two studies that have deployed mini data sprints (MDS). The MDS approach uses interactive data applications and visualisations to provoke citizens’ feelings, knowledge, and perspectives towards the climate conversation and presented data. These studies highlight how the MDS…
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GREAT project presentation at the Int. Conf. of Young Scientists 2024

GREAT project presentation at the Int. Conf. of Young Scientists 2024

Conference
From 7-10 May 2024, Jane Yau was at the International Conference of Young Scientists, held in conjunction with the Global Young Academy Annual Conference. This year's theme was "Transformative and inclusive science for a sustainable future" and was held at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington D. C. Jane presented the GREAT project, which was recorded and live-streamed (the recording will be available shortly). Positive and enthusiastic feedback was received relating to how the project can align with the United Nations Climate Promise Plan to reduce global carbon emissions by 1.5 degrees by 2025. The project is currently undertaking a number of case studies and by the end of the year, there will be lots of detailed results relating to how games can be used effectively…
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