DigiEduHack 2024: Transform Futures of Higher Education through Analytics in Action
In an increasingly data- and AI-driven world, learning analytics has the potential of transforming teaching and learning practices. Reflecting this potential, IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria hosted a hackathon within the framework of the EU initiative DigiEduHack initiative with the challenge “Transform Futures of Higher Education through Analytics in Action”. 17 participants of eleven nationalities finally took part in the hackathon on Nov 12 and 13 2024.
The main goal of the hackathon was to explore how data from learning environments, along with tools from learning analytics and AI, can improve the future of higher education in a positive, fair, and sustainable way. Focusing on active and project-based learning, participants looked at the types of data that can be collected and how this information can help support both students and teachers. As part of the global DigiEduHack event, our hackathon contributed to this worldwide initiative. Each team worked on a solution to tackle one of the challenges identified during the event. Ethical considerations and a focus on user-centered design were encouraged throughout the process.
The teams and their solutions
In two days, the participants – including the first four IT: U’s PhD students in the program Digital Transformation in Learning – not only worked on their ideas, but also received input in workshops and were supported by their mentors. The 5 teams came up with one project each:
- ANA FutureQuest (Abi Atamanesh, Armin Tezer, Gala Niri)
“Electopolis: The Politics of Decision”: A social simulation game where players build communities, debate policies, and face real-life consequences of political choices. Designed to boost critical thinking and civic skills, it empowers players to navigate complex social landscapes.
- B-Better (Saba Soleimani, Ahmed Tammaa, Mark Lester Garcia, David Vilchez Elias)
“B-Better: Your Personalized Educational Assistant”: A new Personalized Educational Assistant that integrates with Canvas to enhance Project Based Learning. Using learning analytics, it tracks progress, sets milestones, offers interactive chats, and delivers weekly reports.
- Deuzemmers (Merih Hatay, Hakan Akduman, Eren Özdemir, Deniz Eraslan)
“Student Focus Enhancement System”: An AI-powered tool that combines camera-based image processing, a language model for lesson tracking, and ARCS feedback to monitor student engagement in real-time, helping teachers boost motivation, attention, and participation for better learning outcomes.
- MAP forward (Pasttita Laksmiwati, Adrijana Krebs, Mar Fernández de las Heras Osés)
“EduAdapt: Enhanced LMS for a multiculturally aware user-centred approach”: An adaptive LMS leveraging AI that aims to enhance engagement by addressing cultural relevancy and individual needs. Key features include a shared calendar, AI-driven forums, and real-time observation.
- Inclusion Innovators (Mona Emara, Melike Nur Köroğlu and Polina Kuzmina)
“Unity Learn”: The Unitylearn plugin for Moodle is an advanced analytics dashboard designed to foster social inclusion and collaboration. It empowers educators with actionable insights into the social dynamics of student groups. By analyzing data on interactions, engagement, and communication patterns, the dashboard offers a comprehensive view of how diverse student groups interact, allowing instructors to monitor social inclusion, encourage meaningful participation, and make informed adjustments to group activities.
More on the projects: https://digieduhack.com/challenges/transform-futures-of-higher-education-through-analytics-in-action
After the final presentation the jury then had the difficult task to choose a winning team, which was particularly difficult, due to the high level of all solutions. But after carefully weighing quality, relevance, originality, feasibility, sustainability and transferability they declared team ANA FutureQuest as winner. They were handed over the winner’s cheque of 1.000 € by IT:U Founding President Stefanie Lindstaedt and will take part in the global competition next year.
Interdisciplinarity and networking
During the event, IT:U demonstrated its strengths as a network university committed to fostering an interdisciplinary community. The hackathon was the only Austrian participation to the fifth edition of DigiEduHack and brought together participants from diverse backgrounds, various universities and research institutions. The JKU School of Education, the University for Continuing Education Krems, the Institute of General Management and Organisation as well as the FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences were cooperation partners. The event was initiated and organized by IT:U founding professor Sebastian Dennerlein and Carla Barreiros, Head of Project Based Learning (PBL) at IT:U. Through its PBL approach, IT:U seeks to redefine the future of education by offering students the opportunity to engage in challenge-based learning, supported by cutting-edge educational technology.
