Upcoming Events
ALI at the University:Future Festival 2025
On 13th of May 2025, members of the ALI project will present two virtual contributions at the University:Future Festival 2025. The event is organized in cooperation with Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, and Stifterverband.
Our first contribution is a virtual workshop titled “Intro to Prompt Engineering.” This hands-on session will introduce participants to advanced prompting techniques, including few-shot prompting, chain-of-thought reasoning, and role modeling. The workshop focuses on developing practical skills for using AI effectively and ethically in educational contexts.
Our second contribution is a lightning talk called “ALI: An Interdisciplinary Study Program for Future Educational Contexts.” This talk is part of the session “Lightning Talks: Innovative Study Formats on Artificial Intelligence,” organized by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. It features insights from ALI and nine other projects funded by the Federal-State Initiative on AI in Higher Education.
We’re excited to take part in these events and will share our reflections and takeaways afterwards.
Find out more at https://festival.hfd.digital/en/programm-2025/
The ALI study program got awarded in the Stifterverband’s MINTchallenge plus program!
In a two-stage jury process, five degree programs were selected in March 2025, each of which will be awarded 5,000 euros:
Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau: Master Management and Information Technology
Technische Hochschule Aschaffenburg: Master Industrial Engineering and Management
University of Hamburg: Integrated Climate System Sciences (ICSS)
Hochschule München: Computer Science and Design
Goethe University Frankfurt am Main: AI and Digital Technologies in Learning and Instruction (ALI)
The five universities are to use the funding to evaluate the effectiveness of the degree program in terms of success rates, student numbers, number of female students, etc.
Please find more information here: https://www.stifterverband.org/mintchallenge-plus
Legal assessment of AI and learning analytics in teaching and learning
Expert opinion by Goethe University takes into account both state and federal law as well as the upcoming EU AI Act.
Goethe University has published a groundbreaking legal opinion entitled ‘Data protection assessment of learning analytics at universities in Hesse’. The report was prepared as part of the research projects IMPACT (Implementation of AI-based Feedback and Assessment with Trusted Learning Analytics in Universities) and ALI (Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies in Learning and Instruction) and is the first comprehensive legal assessment of the use of AI technologies in teaching and learning at universities in Hesse. Building on the first report from 2023, which analysed the legal framework for North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the new report now offers a detailed assessment for Hesse. This is the first time that legal comparability has been established between two federal states, enabling universities in Hesse and NRW to harmonise their learning analytics approaches.
The report examines the data protection framework for the use of learning analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) in the university context. Both state and federal law as well as the upcoming EU AI Act are taken into account. The key finding is that the legally compliant use of AI depends on the specific application, its scope and the technical details, which must be checked and regulated in accordance with the law in order to be able to use the respective AI safely, in compliance with data protection regulations and for the intended purpose. For all AI, however, Hessian universities such as Goethe University can regulate the use of AI in a statute. The Hessian Higher Education Act, on the other hand, does not yet provide a sufficient legal basis and would have to be expanded accordingly.
The IMPACT and ALI research projects play a pioneering role in this context. IMPACT is researching and testing the use of AI tools to analyse learning progress and teaching practices in lectures and exams and has developed a chatbot for study orientation, among other things. ALI is preparing a Master’s degree programme that develops and researches AI tools. This legal review of these applications in the expert opinion provides a blueprint for other universities that want to establish AI-supported learning analyses and teaching support at their institutions – especially for universities in Hesse that want to do the same on this legal basis.
Nina Seidenberg and Prof. Hendrik Drachsler, head of the IMPACT project, emphasise the importance of the report: ‘Our work shows that the use of AI in higher education is legally possible and practicable, provided it is regulated responsibly and in compliance with data protection regulations. The report provides a guide for universities in Hesse that want to improve their teaching and learning support through innovative AI and learning analytics technologies.’ Imitation is not only desired, but strongly recommended!
The report is the first of its kind in Hesse and marks a decisive step in the development of university digitalisation. It shows what universities can initiate legally and technologically in order to design modern, data protection-safe AI applications in teaching and learning methods in a legally secure manner. For the higher education landscape in Hesse and beyond, it provides a solid basis for responsibly utilising the potential of AI and learning analytics technologies.
Official press release: Legal assessment of AI and learning analytics in teaching and learning (14.01.2024)
Publication: Geminn, C. L., Johannes, P. C., Nebel, M. & Bile, T. (2024). Datenschutzrechtliche Beurteilung von Learning Analytics an Hochschulen in Hessen. (Eng: Data protection assessment of learning analytics at universities in Hesse.)
Further information: Prof. Dr Hendrik Drachsler, Head of studiumdigitale and Professor of Educational Technologies and Learning Analytics at the Department of Computer Science at Goethe University and at the German Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF). info@sd.uni-frankfurt.de
Presentation of the ALI project at the 17th eLearning Network Day of the Goethe University
The 17th eLearning Network Day of the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main took place on November 4th. Once again this year, we were able to present and discuss our project and the emerging ALI Master’s program as part of the Innovation & Information Hub. This year, we focused on the conceptual contribution of computer science to the degree program.
Find out more at https://www.studiumdigitale.uni-frankfurt.de/netzwerktag
Transfer workshop and networking meeting 2024: AI skills: What to teach?
On 24th and 25th of October 2024, a transfer workshop and networking meeting with projects of the Bund-Länder-Initiative KI in der Hochschulbildung on the topic of “AI skills: Teaching what?” took place. The meeting was organized by the MoVeKI2EAH project at Ernst Abbe University in Jena. In addition to the detailed presentation of selected projects, relevant AI competencies were discussed and there was plenty of room for exchange and networking. We were also able to present and discuss ALI as part of a poster session.
AI Lunch – Artificial intelligence meets education
The AI Lunch took place on 26 September 2024, organised by the project team (AI and Digital Technologies in Learning and Instruction). The concept of an interdisciplinary study program for the integration of AI and digital technologies in educational processes at Goethe University was presented.
The event focussed on two central challenges: Firstly, to promote interdisciplinarity as a learning objective and to prepare students for working in interdisciplinary teams. Secondly, to convey a holistic system perspective that enables students to deal flexibly with technological change.
LEARNING AID IN BOCHUM
This year’s Learning AID, the conference for Learning Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining in Higher Education, took place on 2 and 3 September 2024 at the Ruhr University Bochum. We were able to present and discuss the ALI project in an impulse forum and Professor Hendrik Drachsler, one of our PIs in the project, was centrally represented with his keynote speech on ‘On the way to highly informative learning analytics with AI’ with his main topic.
Presentation at the 15th Conference on Psychology Didactics and Evaluation
On 10 and 11 May 2024, we presented the ALI project and in particular the emerging Master’s program at the 15th Conference on Psychology Didactics and Evaluation at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
The conference, organised by the Training and Continuing Education Section of the Professional Association of German Psychologists (BDP), provided a platform for an intensive exchange on the teaching of psychological knowledge and skills. In addition to exciting presentations, there was also plenty of opportunity for informal discussions and networking. A contribution to the conference proceedings has been submitted.
Further information on the conference can be found on the website: https://www.bdp-verband.de/aktuelles/detailansicht/15-fachtagung-fuer-psychologiedidaktik-und-evaluation-2024-in-mainz-call-for-papers#:~:text=Am%2010.,der%20Johannes%20Gutenberg%2DUniversität%20statt.
Presentation of the ALI project and networking at the 16th Goethe University eLearning Network Day
On 21 November 2023, the 16th eLearning Network Day of the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main took place. This one-day event, organised by studiumdigitale, offered a platform for exchange and networking around eLearning and educational innovations. We were able to present the ALI project on a poster at the Innovation & Information Hub and discuss it with the participants. Find out more at netzwerktag.studiumdigitale.uni-frankfurt.de.
AI in educational processes as part of the Bürger-University at Goethe University Frankfurt
Summer 2023
Since 2008, the Goethe University’s Bürger-University has been held annually in Frankfurt am Main – once again between April and October this year. The Bürger-University consists of various university and science-related events at different locations in Frankfurt. The idea behind it is to give the citizens of the city interesting scientific impulses and to let them participate in a wide variety of topics. The lecture ‘A Transdisciplinary Perspective on AI and its implications for Education’ by Prof Dr Ramesh (AI system development), ‘ChatGPT and Co. in the classroom: promoting creativity through AI’ by Prof Dr Dengel (computer science didactics) and ‘Teaching 2030: AI as an opportunity for scientific education and understanding-oriented skills acquisition’ by Prof Dr Horz (educational psychology and ALI project management) were particularly relevant to the ALI project. Photo: leg, Journal Frankfurt
Photos: Angela Rizzo, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
ALI-Workshop
Presentation of the ALI project and networking at the 15th eLearning Network Day of Goethe University
November 2022
On 28 November 2022, the 15th eLearning Network Day took place, which is organised annually by studiumdigitale, the central e-learning institution of Goethe University. In addition to other Goethe University projects with content or methodological relevance to artificial intelligence (AI) or learning analytics such as IMPACT (implementation of AI-based feedback and assessment with Trusted Learning Analytics in universities) or DigiTeLL (Digital Teaching and Learning Lab), the ALI project was also invited to take part in a workshop. The ALI project – with the overarching goal of developing an interdisciplinary Master’s degree program on the use of AI and digital technologies in educational processes – was first presented to all participants in a short presentation. There was then an opportunity to exchange ideas and clarify questions in three ALI-specific project workshops on the following topics: 1) AI-based applications in university teaching, 2) Integration of the topic of AI in teaching concepts, and 3) Potentials & challenges of degree program development.
Numerous suggestions were collected, particularly regarding the requirements that students should fulfill for such a Master’s degree program, as well as possible modules for the curriculum, which will be incorporated into its further development. Overall, the event provided a valuable opportunity to present the project and to exchange ideas with interested parties, lecturers and other experts at Goethe University and beyond.
Further information on the studiumdigitale eLearning Network Day can be found at https://netzwerktag.studiumdigitale.uni-frankfurt.de.
UniReport
Adaptive learning scenarios: AI and digital technologies in the interdisciplinary project ALI
October 2022
The project “AI and Digital Technology in Learning and Instruction” (ALI) aims to develop an interdisciplinary study program focused on the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in educational processes. Prof. Dr. Holger Horz, educational psychologist at Goethe University and head of the project, explains the educational, computer science, and cultural backgrounds and objectives of ALI, which will be funded through the federal-state program “AI in Higher Education”. Read more.
Short video
About the ALI Project
June 2022
Learning with AI and learning about AI – A two-minute video introduces the project team and the goals of the project. The video was produced as part of the BMBF’s “AI in higher education” networking event for the research projects in the “AI in higher education” funding line.