Matapaki Atamai Hangahanga | Promoting reflective and interactive learning with AI conversations
Status
Key Research question
How can integrating AI-driven verbal conversation assessments improve the educational outcomes for tertiary learners across diverse subject areas?
Traditional written methods often fail to engage students. This project intends designing two types of AI-powered verbal conversational assessments:
Reflection
- Where the AI engages students in real-time dialogue
AI Student
- Where through role reversal, student will play the role of tutor who will ‘teach the AI’.
The role reversal (AI student) will enable a novel learning assessment type that helps students better articulate their course learning material learning and reinforce their learning by teaching others.
Aims:
By integrating verbal conversational AI, the research aims to create a more engaging and interactive environment that encourages deeper reflection and sustains deeper student interest. The timely and personalised responses from the AI will prompt students to think and reflect deeply about the subject matter, developing critical thinking skills.
Methodology
A combination of Kaupapa Māori and action research will guide the project.
- A Kaupapa Māori approach will be used to assess the tool's usefulness for ākonga Māori.
- An action research approach will enable the project to iteratively develop, test, and refine the platform in diverse educational settings ensuring the platform remains relevant and effective for tertiary education.
This project is scheduled to be completed November 2025.
Team
Dr Nasser Giacaman
Project leader
The University of Auckland
Dr Piata Allen
The University of Auckland
Dr Allan Fowler
The University of Auckland
Raina Song
The University of Auckland
Danielle Print
The University of Auckland
Professor Michelle Craig
University of Toronto
Timothy Looi
The University of AucklandStatus
Funding
$132,851.00 (excl GST)
How will this project help?
- Provide valuable insight that can inform the development of guidelines for AI-powered assessments, supporting inclusive and equitable learning environments that benefit all learners.
- Demonstrate effective ways to incorporate AI to promote the academic success and work readiness of ākonga.
- Realise the scalability of AI-driven assessments.
- Create a research-informed and well-grounded platform that can be used by tertiary institutions around Aotearoa to immediately benefit both ākonga and kaiako.
- Inform other innovations beyond the developed platform.
Intended outcomes
The project anticipates discovering novel assessment types that are highly scalable and move towards managing large cohorts efficiently while maintaining high assessment standards, regardless of the number of students.
Expected outputs
This project expects to achieve broad dissemination and practical applications:
- A peer-reviewed journal publication
- An online platform
- Instructional videos
- Detailed case studies
Project leader Nasser Giacaman gave a presentation about at the Promoting Reflective, Interactive Learning with AI project at Ranga Auaha Ako (University of Auckland’s Education Office) Research Hui in October 2024.
- 17 October 2024