PhD Defense: A Deep Dive into Visual Learning Analytics

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…
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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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Advancing Automated Analysis of Concept Maps at AIED24

Advancing Automated Analysis of Concept Maps at AIED24

Artificial Intelligence, Feedback, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Publication, School, Workshop, Workshop
The 25th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2024), held from July 8-12 in Recife, Brazil, was a significant event for the Highly Informative Learning Analytics Research Programme. This year marked the first Brazilian-German cooperation in this field, supported by the Alexander Humboldt Foundation, the DIPF in Frankfurt and IPN in Kiel under the ALICE project. Two workshop papers presented at the conference showcased innovative approaches to automatically analyze concept maps, promising to automate the way educators assess and understand the student-created context. #AIED24 #LearningAnalytics #ConceptMaps #AIinEducation #EducationalTechnology #MachineLearning #CulturalDiversity #RealTimeFeedback #EdTech #AI #Education #CrossCulturalCollaboration Paper 1: The Influence of Diverse Educational Contexts on Concept Map Structures Authors: Laís P. Van Vossen, Isabela Gasparini, Elaine H. T. Oliveira, Berrit Czinczel, Ute Harms, Lukas Menzel, Sebastian Gombert, Knut Neumann,…
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Successful PhD Defense: Understanding Self-Regulated Learning in Blended Learning Environments

Successful PhD Defense: Understanding Self-Regulated Learning in Blended Learning Environments

Learning Analytics, PhD defense, School, Self-Regulation
On the 28th of June Hendrik Drachsler had the honor of being a jury member for the PhD defense of Esteban Villalobos at the University of Toulouse. Esteban successfully defended his thesis titled “Developing a Learning Analytics framework to understand the temporal behavior of students in Blended Learning Environments“. Especially in Blended Learning (BL) settings, Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) is crucial for student success. These environments require students to manage their learning not only in online, but also in traditional in-person activities. Esteban’s thesis advances our understanding of SRL in BL contexts through a comprehensive approach, using Learning Analytics (LA) techniques as well as the latest Sequence Analysis (SA) advancements to examine students’ behaviors via trace data and self-reported measures. One of the main goals of his thesis is the manifestation…
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Invited talk at the University of The Philippines

Invited talk at the University of The Philippines

Invited talk
On June 19th, Daniele Di Mitri was invited to give an online talk at the University of the Philippines. The title of my talk was "Intelligent Tutors, Learning Analytics, and Multimodal Technologies," it served as the kickoff guest lecture for the webinar series hosted by the Intelligent Systems Center of the University of the Philippines. At its peak, the lecture had over 170 participants connected online. During the talk, he discussed how learners in the twenty-first century need continuous instruction and timely feedback to develop their competencies. In situations where human experts are not readily available, Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can offer automatic, personalized, and real-time feedback to learners in distance learning settings. This allows learners to practice at their own pace while receiving continuous feedback. Moreover, AI feedback can…
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Planetary Hopes: C3S der GU Seeks Solutions to Planetary Polycrisis

Planetary Hopes: C3S der GU Seeks Solutions to Planetary Polycrisis

Citizens science, Digitalisation, Event, Research Methods
[caption id="attachment_6561" align="alignright" width="300"] Wissenschaftsminister Gremmels taucht per VR-Brille in die Geologie des Naturparks Kellerwald-Edersee ein; Foto: Uwe Dettmar[/caption] Global warming is causing sea levels to rise, making coastal cities uninhabitable. The earth’s biodiversity is being lost and the changing climatic conditions are causing species to migrate to new areas, both of which are transforming the agriculture landscape. Humans and their economic activities are contributing to these changes, which are referred to as planetary polycrises. There is still much to be learned about how these phenomena are connected to each other and how we humans and our economic practices contribute to them. Of essential significance is the unanswered question of what we can do to address these crises. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Global Challenges The Center for Critical Computational Studies…
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The final Consortial Meeting of the MILKI-PSY Project was held in Cologne

The final Consortial Meeting of the MILKI-PSY Project was held in Cologne

Event, New Pub, Project meeting
At the end of May, all project partners of the Multimodal Immersive Learning with Artificial Intelligence for Psychomotor Skills (MILKI-PSY) project convened for the concluding session at the Cologne Game Lab and the German Sport University in Cologne. The project's aim was to develop artificial intelligence-supported, data-driven, multimodal, immersive learning environments for the autonomous acquisition of psychomotor skills. The research outcomes and their corresponding learning tools underwent evaluation. These included a virtual learning environment developed to facilitate the training process, innovative feedback methods to learn and refine movements, and the creation of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications for sports such as golf, dancing, and running. Furthermore, virtual learning scenarios were devised for collaborative tasks with a robot in assembly work. It was demonstrated that innovative, immersive learning environments could…
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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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What is University? Presentation in the Lecture Series of Goethe University

What is University? Presentation in the Lecture Series of Goethe University

Invited talk
[gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="6538,6539,6536,6537"] On Thursday, 6th June 2024, Hendrik Drachsler and Daniele Di Mitri presented "Multimodal Learning Analytics: How AI and sensor technology are changing the way we learn." The presentation was part of a lecture series, "What is University?" organized by Goethe University. The presentation touched upon the relevance of Artificial Intelligence in Education, its sociotechnical implications, and the opportunities and challenges of Generative AI. It also included the role of Education Technologies in their three forms: Learning Analytics, AI in Education, and Immersive Learning. In the presentation, Drachsler and Di Mitri outlined their research, work, and thoughts on the added value of academic research and university AI in education instead of corporate research. A video recording of the presentation is available below.
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