As part of the 27th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI), the International Workshop on AI in Education and Educational Research (AIEER) was recently held, organized by Francisco Bellas and Óscar Fontenla, researchers from CITIC at the University of A Coruña. This event brought together experts from various fields of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to education, featuring speakers from both technical and social sciences backgrounds, and facilitated the exchange of ideas in a rapidly expanding sector.

During the workshop, a total of 16 presentations were given, covering cutting-edge topics such as the creation of intelligent tutoring systems, the impact of language models (LLMs) on education, the development of specific curricula for vocational training, and the implementation of automated correction systems. The audience also had the opportunity to attend a keynote speech by Professor Wayne Holmes from UCL, who provided a critical and reflective perspective on the role of artificial intelligence in education, generating significant interest among attendees.

A highlight of the event was the presentation by CITIC pre-doctoral researcher Antonio Leis, who showcased his work titled “Personalized Learning of Programming Fundamentals through Robotic Simulations.” This work is part of the TED2021-131172B-I00 (ProgTutor) project, an innovative initiative from CITIC aimed at facilitating programming learning through robotic simulations. The project, which has been in development for a year, was tested in a public school during 2024, yielding promising results in personalizing the learning of programming fundamentals.

The organization of the AIEER workshop underscores CITIC’s commitment and that of its researchers to advancing the application of artificial intelligence in education, fostering both a critical and practical view of digital tools and their benefits for future learning.