International Conference of AI-based Assessment in STEM held at UGA

Xiaoming Zhai, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education, recently co-chaired the International Conference of AI-based Assessment in STEM.

Held at the UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel from May 25-27, the conference was hosted by the AI for STEM Education Research Lab, which researches the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to STEM education.

Forty-one researchers from the United States, Europe and Asia presented their research in-person or virtually, along with keynote addresses from six speakers, and the conference received sponsorship through grants from the National Science Foundation and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at UGA.

Discussion at the conference addressed five themes:

• AI-based assessment in domain-specific learning
• Validity theory and design principles for AI-based assessment
• Integrating AI-based assessments in STEM
• Instruction and pedagogy with AI-based assessments
• AI and big data in STEM education

Zhai also co-founded and chaired a research interest group in the National Association of Research in Science Teaching called Research in AI-Involved Science Education (RAISE).

“Applying AI to solve STEM education problems is an emergent field and has shown substantial promise to advance science education,” Zhai said. “Aligned with the charge of RAISE, this conference aims to gather researchers in this emergent field to discuss and identify the new opportunities and challenges.”