TL;DR:
- The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has established the Inclusive and Intelligent Technologies for Education (INVITE) Institute with a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
- The institute aims to revolutionize learning technologies and enhance STEM education for young individuals.
- Led by a team of scientists, INVITE will conduct interdisciplinary research in AI, learning sciences, and psychology to develop innovative teaching methods on a national scale.
- The integration of AI techniques with entertainment industry elements will enhance user engagement and STEM learning.
- The institute will collect diverse datasets to create inclusive digital environments and develop intelligent learning systems that dynamically adjust instruction based on students’ needs.
- The research will address the lack of shareable datasets for K-12 students, advancing AI in education.
- The leadership team includes experts from the University of Illinois, Educational Testing Service, University of Florida, and Temple University.
- INVITE will engage more than 96,000 students from 24 school districts, promoting persistence, collaboration, and academic resilience through formal and informal learning opportunities.
- The INVITE Institute is part of the NSF-led AI Institutes Program and is the third institute directed by the University of Illinois.
- Funding partners include prominent organizations such as the Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Agriculture, and IBM.
Main AI News:
The establishment of the Inclusive and Intelligent Technologies for Education (INVITE) Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has garnered significant attention in the academic and technological spheres. With a grant of $20 million over five years from the National Science Foundation (NSF), this research institute aims to revolutionize learning technologies and enhance the academic achievements of young individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Led by a distinguished team of scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the INVITE Institute will spearhead interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence (AI), the learning sciences, and psychology. By combining their expertise and leveraging the power of AI, these researchers seek to develop innovative teaching methods that can reach students and teachers on a national scale. The profound support from the NSF enables the institute to embark on transformative research, which will be complemented by extensive outreach and AI education initiatives.
H. Chad Lane, the esteemed director of INVITE and a professor of educational psychology, computer science, and curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois, envisions the integration of AI techniques with elements from the entertainment industry to enhance user engagement and facilitate STEM learning.
Lane’s research focuses on the design, application, and impact of intelligent technologies in educational settings. By exploring cutting-edge AI techniques and developing intelligent technologies, the INVITE research team aims to promote broader engagement with and deeper learning of STEM subjects among historically marginalized groups from prekindergarten to 12th grade.
Recognizing the vital role that STEM disciplines play in the educational and professional success of K-12 students, U. of I. Chancellor Robert J. Jones emphasizes the significance of this ambitious undertaking. He believes that harnessing the potential of AI to provide consistent, accessible, and high-quality technologies tailored to the needs of traditionally underserved learners represents a transformative opportunity for the entire educational system. With the INVITE Institute, the aspirational concept of “education for all” takes a step closer to becoming a reality for future generations.
The impact of INVITE’s work is expected to be far-reaching, as more than 96,000 young individuals from 24 school districts will benefit from enhanced STEM learning experiences facilitated by INVITE platforms. These platforms are designed to foster qualities such as persistence, academic resilience, and collaboration, which have been proven to be crucial for achieving academic success.
The institute’s collaborative efforts extend beyond educational institutions, with schools, universities, community organizations, and museums joining forces to provide both formal and informal learning opportunities. Emphasizing hands-on activities that tackle real-world challenges, INVITE’s holistic approach aims to instill a passion for STEM subjects and empower young minds.
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski recognizes the profound impact that harnessing the power of artificial intelligence presents. She applauds the University of Illinois for its leadership in this field and commends the establishment of the AI Institute for Inclusive Intelligent Technologies for Education. Budzinski eagerly anticipates the groundbreaking research that will emanate from this institute and looks forward to witnessing how it will support students and educators across the nation.
In order to foster inclusivity and promote a truly equitable learning environment, the Inclusive and Intelligent Technologies for Education (INVITE) Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is leveraging the extensive computing resources available in the U. of I.’s College of Education, the Grainger College of Engineering, and its partnering universities and organizations. Through collaborative efforts, these teams will gather vast amounts of data from diverse populations, creating digital environments that are specifically designed to be welcoming and inclusive for underrepresented groups, including girls and students of color.
This invaluable dataset will serve as the foundation for the development of intelligent learning systems that possess social awareness, surpassing existing technologies by being flexible, responsive, and capable of inferring individual needs. By taking into account students’ interests, sociocultural influences, cognitive needs, and behavior, these systems will dynamically adjust instruction, revolutionizing the learning experience.
According to co-principal investigator Cheng-Xiang Zhai, the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering in the Department of Computer Science at the U. of I., the lack of shareable datasets for K-12 students has been a significant impediment to the progress of AI in education. However, the INVITE Institute aims to address this issue by collecting large and representative datasets enriched with contextual information about learner interactions. This endeavor will pave the way for foundational advances in various AI domains, including fair and robust machine learning, natural language processing, and socially intelligent agents.
Zhai’s expertise lies in constructing intelligent learning systems and developing algorithms to optimize AI-human interaction and collaboration. Together with co-PI Diego Zapata-Rivera, the Distinguished Presidential Appointee at the nonprofit Educational Testing Service, Zhai will co-direct the research conducted at the institute.
The INVITE leadership team comprises distinguished individuals, including managing director Kristy Boyer, a professor of computer science at the University of Florida, and Jamie Payton, the director of community engagement and outreach, who holds positions as a professor and co-chair of computer and information sciences at Temple University. Additionally, Rodney Hopson, a professor of evaluation in educational psychology at the U. of I., has been appointed as INVITE’s evaluation director. Other esteemed U. of I. faculty members contributing to the project include Suma Bhat, a professor of electrical and computer engineering; Jina Kang, Robb Lindgren, and Luc Paquette, professors of curriculum and instruction; Colleen Lewis, a professor of computer science; and Jessica Gladstone, a professor of educational psychology.
Notably, INVITE is one of seven national AI Institutes established this year, and it marks the third institute under the direction of U. of I. scientists since the launch of the NSF-led AI Institutes Program in 2020. The funding partners of the NSF include the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and IBM. With the collective support of these esteemed organizations, INVITE is poised to revolutionize the educational landscape, championing inclusivity and leveraging the power of AI to enhance learning outcomes for all students.
Conlcusion:
The establishment of the Inclusive and Intelligent Technologies for Education (INVITE) Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with its focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative learning technologies, presents significant implications for the market. This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the transformative potential of AI in education and its ability to enhance STEM learning outcomes.
The INVITE Institute’s interdisciplinary research, partnerships with renowned organizations, and commitment to inclusivity and equitable education will not only benefit students and educators but also open up new market opportunities for companies operating in the AI and educational technology sectors. The institute’s emphasis on creating intelligent learning systems, collecting diverse datasets, and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders sets the stage for the development of cutting-edge products and services that can cater to the evolving needs of learners.
As AI continues to shape the educational landscape, market players can leverage the advancements and insights generated by INVITE to drive innovation, deliver tailored solutions, and tap into the growing demand for AI-powered educational technologies. The INVITE Institute’s work is poised to drive positive market growth, support educational equity, and ultimately contribute to the advancement of the education technology sector as a whole.
