Speech Title: Integrating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy into Personal Learning Environments through The CRT-SPET Framework

Abstract: The landscape of higher education is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) grounded in Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) principles and learner autonomy. This presentation introduces the CRT-SPET framework, a comprehensive theoretical model that encompasses four crucial perspectives: academic administration, learners and learning, teachers and teaching, and information and communication technology (ICT). By integrating CRT principles into PLEs, this framework ensures alignment between the roles and functions of academic administration, instructors, learners, and ICT, while remaining firmly committed to culturally responsive pedagogical principles.

The goal is to elevate PLEs beyond mere technical platforms and establish them as a holistic educational paradigm that seamlessly integrates digital literacy, conceptual learning spaces, and pedagogical processes. This transformative approach aims to empower learners, providing them with autonomy and ownership over their lifelong learning journey, while leveraging advanced information technology to optimize engagement and educational outcomes.

Speech Title: Open System to Access Video Projection Resources – Empirical Assessment of Experience and Results

Abstract: Swopi is a platform intended to be open to the entire academic community, aiming to facilitate access to video projectors and create new dynamics in the classroom. Essentially, it is a video reception service over Wi-Fi that runs on a Raspberry Pi connected to a video projector; and is accessed through an application installed by users who wish to connect to the video projector via Wi-Fi. This application captures the desktop environment, whether real or virtual (where the projector functions as an extended display), and sends it to the projector. The platform includes a solution that automatically identifies potential users present in the room, which is used to control who can access the video projector, but also to allow the moderator (a role provided by the platform) to invite those present to transmit to the video projector. This very low-cost platform, created to solve connectivity issues with video projectors, has enabled and democratized the possibility of new dynamics in the classroom environment. Simplifying switching access to the video projector to just a few clicks allows for new possibilities in presentations, demonstrations, and even the overall classroom experience. Additionally, it facilitates connectivity for any platform user in any location with a video projector equipped with the Swopi solution—something akin to Eduroam, where any student, in a completely transparent manner, can access the data network in any European institution. This speech describes the experience and results, and discusses the solution's potential.

Speech Title: Ontological approach to the domain of Computational Thinking and Learning Resources

Abstract: Nowadays it is commonly accepted that the 'skills' and 'attitudes' inherent to the reasoning strategy, coined by Wing as Computational Thinking (CT), are of utter most importance to learn Computer Programming. This is so because programming is much more then master the syntax and semantics of a programming language. Programming means to find an effective and efficient way to solve a given problem describing a process that can be carried out by a computer. To produce the desired effect, we believe that CT skills should be developed and encouraged from a young age.

Taking into account 'who we are' / 'what we do', I will explain: our motivation to characterize in detail the knowledge domain of CT and to look for adequate resources to train it; where we are now and the outcomes of our research in this CT field; and what we intend to do in the next steps. As Computer Scientists we have chosen a formal way to specify CT that paves the way to reason about the characteristics of Computational Thinking and its interconnections with Computer Programming. The approach chosen is based on an ontology, that we called OntoCnE. At present OntoCnE is made up of 4 layers, in order to be able to answer the following questions:

(i) what concepts are needed to develop Computational Thinking and aid in learning Computer Programming;

(ii) what concepts to train at each teaching level and how in-depth it should be worked out;

(iii) what material to use to promote Computational Thinking at the various levels of education;

(iv) which Neuroeducation guidelines the material used covers.

Speech Title: Implementation of a Secure Online Examination System: A Case Study in Medical Education in Thailand

Abstract: In the field of medical education in Thailand, examinations are frequent and play a crucial role in assessing student competence. Immediate feedback to both students and instructors is essential for effective learning and teaching. However, many educators lack expertise in item-level and test-level analysis, which are vital for evaluating the quality of examinations.
To address this gap, we have developed and implemented a secure online examination platform, leveraging iPads to facilitate seamless and reliable exam administration. Our system not only provides real-time insights into item and test performance, including metrics such as item difficulty, item discrimination, KR-20, COHEN-55, and COHEN-66, but also integrates robust security measures to prevent cheating and maintain the integrity of the examination process.
The secure design of the system, combined with advanced analytical capabilities, has led to significant improvements in the quality of medical education in Thailand. Students benefit from immediate, accurate feedback, while instructors are able to automate and streamline complex analysis tasks. The system has been successfully deployed and is in use across several medical schools in the country. In this presentation, we will share our experiences, focusing on the security features and the impact they have had on the examination process.

Speech Title: Educational Technologies for Inclusive Pedagogy: Evidence-based Insights to Improve Teaching Practices and Student Learning Outcomes

Abstract: The massification of education has placed higher education in a complex debate between selectivity and inclusion. Traditional educational models often contribute to significant failure and dropout rates, making this issue increasingly relevant. Initially, educational technologies were perceived as the panacea to solve these problems. However, their inconsistent application within classroom contexts has produced mixed results, ranging from disappointment to enthusiasm. These paradoxical outcomes are frequently due to challenges related to digital literacy, access to technology, and insufficient research on pedagogical applications, which can decrease the effectiveness of educational technologies.
Indeed, educational pedagogies can mitigate failure and dropout rates in higher education by improving access to resources, utilising data analytics for early intervention, enhancing communication, and creating engaging learning environments. In our experience, integrating video lecture capture (VLC) and flipped classrooms into pedagogical practices can make lectures more inclusive and create a more equitable learning environment. This approach enables active engagement, flexibility, collaboration, and immediate feedback, benefiting all students.
This presentation will detail a case study illustrating the construction of one such inclusive pathway. Key factors enabling the success of this approach include adequate training to promote digital literacy for teachers and students, accessible and user-friendly technological equipment, and contextually relevant theoretical knowledge shared with students. Validation of learning requires not only assimilating knowledge, acquiring technical skills, and demonstrating appropriate attitudes during assessment processes, but also perceiving the flexibility of the educational model in achieving its objectives.
By analysing data on the effectiveness of this approach, evidence-based insights will be provided to guide teaching practices and improve learning outcomes, with a focus on applying research within the classroom setting.

Speech Title: Chinese University Centers: Facilitating Digital Transformation in South Pacific Studies via Media and Educational Technology

Abstract: As the world becomes more interconnected, the importance of regional studies in shaping global communication, international relations and cooperation intensifies. This research investigates the role and contributions of Chinese university centers in advancing South Pacific regional studies, thereby enhancing international communication and cooperation. Utilizing educational technology and media, data were gathered from the web sites of ten esteemed research centers across China. The findings highlight the essential role these centers play in fostering academic inquiry through the effective use of web-based platforms. They provide critical guidance for the development of degree and non-degree programs, as well as individual courses, while also smoothing the path for the exchange of personnel. As a result, these efforts significantly strengthen cultural and educational cooperation between China and the South Pacific region.

Speech Title: Computational Model, Automatic Measurement of Academic Well-being in Online Learning

Abstract: Academic well-being is a crucial non-cognitive factor impacting student learning and psychological health. However, current models for measuring and supporting academic well-being in online learning contexts are underdeveloped. This study addresses this gap by constructing a multi-dimensional weighted calculation model for academic well-being. The model encompasses dimensions including topics and aspects, emotional states, and satisfaction levels, with weights derived from expert consultations and student surveys. A dataset and AI methods based on deep learning and large models are employed to quantify these dimensions and generate an academic well-being index. Two prototype applications, "Lingyu" and "PBL Training System," are developed to gather student feedback in school psychological health management and online learning environments respectively. These systems utilize the calculation model to extract key psychological data, including emotion categories and intensity, satisfaction polarity and intensity, well-being index, and specific topics and aspects addressed. The project's outcomes, including the visualized data for decision support, offer significant theoretical and practical value by expanding the research scope and methodologies in the field of student psychological health. These findings can be broadly applied in various educational settings to enhance student well-being and improve educational practices.

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Speech Title: Unleashing the Power of Local RAG Systems for Education Institutes in the Digital Era

Abstract: This presentation will examine the potential benefits and challenges of the deployment of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems at the local level in educational institutions. The integration of large language models with dynamic information retrieval represents a paradigm shift in the approach to teaching, learning, and knowledge dissemination, as enabled by RAG technology.
The deployment of RAG at the local level enables institutions to create bespoke knowledge bases, enhance data privacy, and tailor learning experiences to specific educational contexts. The presentation elucidates the potential of RAG to personalize learning pathways, streamline research processes and provide instantaneous, context-aware responses to student inquiries.
Critical considerations, including infrastructure requirements, model fine-tuning, and integration with existing educational frameworks, are addressed in detail. The potential impact of emerging trends, such as Microsoft's Graph RAG, on the future of educational technology is evaluated.
This presentation offers a compelling vision of how RAG technology can transform knowledge acquisition and dissemination in education. The discussion explores in detail how RAG can promote a more dynamic, professional, secure, and efficient administrative and academic research environment, positioning educational institutions at the forefront of technological innovation.

Speech Title: Generative Artificial Intelligence in Advertising Curriculum: The Pedagogy and Learning Outcomes

Abstract: The value of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) has been adopted in various areas. Such as art, software development, marketing, and so on. AI as assistance tool can analyze and provide the solutions to the complex problems in terms of its advantages. However, Generative AI education have not catch up the rate of AI technology development, especially students out of the computing fields, because teachers lack the teaching materials and experience for AI education and some students have not touched coding programs. The speaker will present some examples of Generative AI course in media school and design the advertising curriculums for undergraduate-level non-technical students. Hoping this speech could give some the practical guidelines for schools or teachers which want to improve the effectiveness of pedagogy and learning outcomes by Generative AI technology.

Speech Title: Effects of Dynamic Visualizations Enriched with Visuospatial Cues on Learners’ Cognitive Load and Learning Effectiveness

Abstract: The present study was to explore whether dynamic visualizations enriched with visuospatial cues can optimize learners’ cognitive processing of mechanical systems. The animated conditions and cueing patterns were the independent variables with an attempt to investigate their impacts on retention and transfer tests. Either dynamic or static visualizations with the presence of visuospatial cues served as the instructional material. Two hundred thirty-eight English as a foreign language (EFL) learners participated in the experiment. The learners were distributed to six groups—either dynamic or static visualizations enriched with non-cue, entity-cues, and arrow-entity cues. Their prior knowledge was initially assessed, and then followed by retention and transfer tests and cognitive load measurements. The experimental results suggested that dynamic visualizations enriched with progressive visuospatial cues was more beneficial in helping learners to develop the favorable quality of mental models.

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Speech Title: Automatic Conversational Assessment Using Large Language Model Technology

Abstract: Student evaluation is an important, yet costly, part of instruction. Traditional exams are a burden for teachers and stressful for stu dents. This paper uses a large language model (LLM) technology to create a system for Automated Conversational Assessment, ACA, where a dialog system, based on content and intended learning outcomes, interviews the student to determine the level of learning. In a pilot experiment in a university course, we found that the ACA system scores correlate with the grades given by a human and also have a positive correlation with the results of a conventional exam of the same students. Based on a questionnaire study, the students responded that the assessment was perceived to be fair and acceptable.

Speech Title: Higher Order Thinking Skills in Technology-Oriented STEM Education

Abstract: In the rapidly evolving field of STEM education, fostering higher-order thinking skills is crucial for preparing students to solve problems in complex, real-world scenarios. This talk emphasizes developing higher-order thinking skills, including creativity, reflective thinking, computational thinking, and collaborative learning within STEM education. The talk will examine the integration of theoretical frameworks and pedagogical strategies in technology-oriented STEM education, aiming to enhance students’ higher-order thinking skills. By leveraging research exemplars and employing inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, design thinking, and interdisciplinary approaches in STEM education, educators can create innovative learning environments that challenge students to move beyond traditional contexts and engage deeply with the STEM context.

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Speech Title: Exploring the Interplay Between Skills and Knowledge for AI Integration in Higher Education: Insights from University Academics

Abstract: The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is reshaping the landscape of teaching and learning, presenting both opportunities and challenges for academics worldwide. This presentation delves into the skills and knowledge required by educators in higher education to effectively integrate AI into their pedagogical practices. Various frameworks have been introduced in the literature to support educators' teaching competencies (e.g., Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), and the Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu)). While skills and knowledge are often discussed together, their distinctiveness and the relationship between these concepts remain underexplored, particularly in the context of AI adoption in education. This study investigates how educators in diverse geopolitical contexts conceptualize and distinguish between skills and knowledge when using AI in their teaching practices. The research is based on the outcomes of three workshops conducted in three countries (UK, Egypt, and Kurdistan), which represent a range of perspectives from university teachers in both the Global North and Global South. Through these workshops, the study examines participants' understanding of the skills and knowledge required for AI integration, exploring whether these two constructs are perceived as reciprocal, complementary, or distinct entities. Additionally, the study seeks to understand the support that academics need from their institutions, particularly through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs, to effectively develop their competencies.

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Speech Title: Studying the Outcomes of Teaching an Artificial Intelligence Programming Language to Lower Secondary School Students: a Case Study with Real-time Finger Tracking Using OpenCV

Abstract: Technologies based on Multimodal Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the drivers for technological innovation and economic growth. They are also playing an increasingly prominent role in teenagers’ everyday lives. Mirroring this trend is a concurrent interest in teaching teenagers about intelligent technologies. Whereas previous research in the field of secondary students’ computer interaction has proposed curriculum and learning activities that what teenagers need to learn about artificial intelligence, there is still a shortage of studies which specifically address the pedagogical design for teaching novice programmers in multimodal AI text-based programming. Multimodal AI text-based programming can process virtually multimodal inputs and outputs. A detailed examination of the individual learning outcomes led to recommendations for secondary classroom text-based programming teaching pedagogical strategies.

Speech Title: Has the Smart Classroom Revolutionized General Education in Chinese Universities? A Comparative Analysis of its Influence Path with that of Traditional Multimedia Classrooms

Abstract: Although general education in China undertakes an important mission to balance the overspecialization of higher education and cultivate wise citizens, its realization is facing challenges. The emergence of the smart classroom (SC) has introduced new concepts to transform general education. However, the impact of SCs on student approaches to learning (SAL) and learning outcomes and the differences from the traditional multimedia classroom (TMC) have not yet been explored. Therefore, this study proposes a 3P learning system model to examine the relationships between physical instructional environments, teacher instruction, SAL, and the development of generic skills. A study survey was completed by 596 students from three Chinese universities, and the results indicated that the cultivation of generic skills was better in SCs than in TMCs. This primarily stemmed from the enhanced student engagement resulting from the multifaceted teaching functions present in SCs. In addition, several pieces of evidence suggested that the impact of general education teacher instruction was not as significant as anticipated in SCs. These findings provide valuable direction for reforming general education and improving teacher instruction.