Conference Archives - EduTec Science

Nov22026 by Zhifan SunNo Comments

[NEW PUB] Two EduTech papers presented at the main track of EMNLP Conference

Two papers from EduTech have been accepted to the main track of the 2026 Empirical Methods in Natural Language Conference (EMNLP) and were presented at the conference in Budapest, Hungary. Paper1:Alice: A Large-Scale German Benchmark for Rubric-Based Multi-Dimensional Automatic Short Answer Scoring This paper presents the full Alice Dataset, a large-scale German student answer scoring benchmark. The novelty of the benchmark lies in the multidimensional scoring, where each student answer is scored according to three subtasks: Learning Performance, which measures how well the student answers the question directly; Knowledge Elements, where each answer is scored by how well the student masters and utilises the target concepts for each question; and Skill, which is the cognitive concepts required by each question. In addition, each available level in three subtasks is annotated…

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…

Sep302026 by GianlucaNo Comments

mISPL: Mini Framework for Intelligent Systems for Psychomotor Learning @ ECTEL 26

Conference, Workshop

I recently had the pleasure of presenting my latest work at the MILeS 2026 workshop (Fourth International Workshop on Multimodal Immersive Learning Systems), held during the ECTEL 2026 conference in Valencia, Spain. It was an incredible week of pushing the boundaries of technology-enhanced learning, exchanging ideas, and building lasting professional bonds. Here is a quick recap of my experience, from early-stage frameworks to visionary futures and unforgettable social gatherings. Part 1: Introducing mISPL In the first part of the workshop, I presented my paper: "mISPL: Mini Framework for Intelligent Systems for Psychomotor Learning". While comprehensive frameworks like PsyLearn exist for building full-fledged psychomotor tutoring systems, they can often feel overwhelming for researchers in the early stages of development. That is where mISPL comes in. It is a streamlined, accessible "mini"…

Nov62025 by Nina MouhammadNo Comments

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…

Dec22024 by Atezaz AhmadNo Comments

New Pub: Harnessing the Power of Gaming to Influence Policies Addressing Climate Change

Conference, Game, Publication

As part of the GREAT (Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation) project, co-funded by the European Union and UKRI, the project team has published the following paper at ECGBL which was held at Aarhus University, in October 2024. Harnessing the Power of Gaming to Influence Policies Addressing Climate Change – co-authored by Paul Hollins, Paul Watson, Anchal Garg, Jude Ower, Joost Schuur, David Griffiths, Barbara Kieslinger, Katharina Koller, Jane Yau, pages 403-413 Abstract: In this paper, the authors present the findings of an empirical case study examining the efficacy of the Games Realising Effective & Affective Transformation (GREAT) Case Study design process. The process is underpinned by an established Mixed Methodological Research (MMR) framework for eliciting the preferences of gamers and determining their priorities in climate change policies. Funded by…

Oct232024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: How Can Learning Analytics Dashboards Help Improve Students’ Self-Regulated Learning?

Conference, Empirical Study, Learning Analytics, Publication, School, Self-Regulation

Learning Analytics Dashboards (LADs) are important and widely-used tools used to give feedback to students and to aid them in their self-regulating learning process. Much has been done to investigate the design of LADs, but there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how students interpret the information shown on LADs and how they actually use these tools while learning. In a newly published study, we try to fill this gap. In an experimental study, we compared two groups of students. One group was given personalized self-regulared learning (SRL) feedback on their interactions and learning advances. The control group was only given minimal feedback calculated from the average class scores. After reviewing their feedback, students submitted written reflections on how they would adjust their study behavior. The researchers then analyzed…

Oct142024 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New Pub: Conceptual Map Assessment Through Structure Classification

Assessment, Conference, Feedback, Publication, School

In educational settings concept maps are often chosen as a tool to help knowledge constructions be visualized. While mapping out concepts and their relationships, students are able to show how well (or not well) they understand certain subjects. A newly published study, which was presented at the AIED 2024 in Recife, Brazil, takes their usage a step further, examining the structural patterns in concept maps and developing an automated system to classify them. The researchers categorized 511 different concept maps into three key structures: spoke, network and chain. Each structure type can provide its own insight about the deepness of students’ understanding. For example, a "spoke" structure may indicate a surface-level understanding, while a "network" might reflect a more complex comprehension. The researchers trained multiclass classification models using statistical data…

Jul12024 by Sebastian GombertNo Comments

New pub: Predicting Item Difficulty and Item Response Time with Scalar-mixed Transformer Encoder Models and Rational Network Regression Heads

Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Computational Psychometrics, Conference, Higher Education, Publication, Workshop

In a contribution to the BEA 2024 Shared Task, we addressed the challenge of predicting the difficulty and response time of multiple-choice questions from the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®). This exam is an important assessment for medical professionals. To predict these variables, we evaluated various BERT-like pre-trained transformer models. We combined these models with Scalar Mixing and two custom 2-layer classification heads, using learnable Rational Activations as the activation function. This multi-task setup allowed us to predict both item difficulty and response time. The results were noteworthy. Our models placed first out of 43 participants in predicting item difficulty and fifth out of 34 participants in predicting item response time. This demonstrates the potential of advanced AI techniques in improving the evaluation processes of critical exams like the…

May72024 by Atezaz AhmadNo Comments

New Pub: Students Want to Experiment While Teachers Care More About Assessment! Exploring How Novices and Experts Engage in Course Design

Computer-supported collaborative learning, Conference, Conference, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, New Pub, Open access, Open science, Publication, Technical paper

Abstract: Learning Design (LD) is the strategic orchestration of educational components to create a rewarding experience for students and educators. Adapting it to real-world scenarios with evolving technologies, like learning analytics (LA), adds complexity but offers the potential for enhanced learning outcomes and engagement. Prior research highlights the growing importance of LA in informing LD decisions. The FoLA2 method offers a collaborative approach to course design considering LA implications. This study pursues two primary objectives. Firstly, to enhance the FoLA2 method by granting course designers access to the Open Learning Analytics Indicator Repository (OpenLAIR) that facilitates visual connections between LD pedagogies, LDLA activities, LA indicators and their metrics. Secondly, to explore how novice and expert groups utilize the FoLA2 methodology to design a course in Technology Enhanced Learning. The findings…

May72024 by Atezaz AhmadNo Comments

Atezaz’s Conference Paper Presentation at CSEDU in Angers, France

Conference, Conference, Event, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, Publication

Atezaz shared insights from their paper titled "Students Want to Experiment While Teachers Care More About Assessment! Exploring How Novices and Experts Engage in Course Design" at the CSEDU 2024 conference in Angers, France, delving into its implications and findings. Additionally, this paper received a nomination in the Best Student Paper category.