This project aims to enhance understanding of how to develop human-centric AI with common sense. It will transform the development of mental modeling, solution verification, figure-of-speech identification, explanation of behaviors through cultural values, and coherent visual reasoning, demonstrating success in controlled lab experiments complemented by human studies in critical domains.

De taalvaardigheid van jonge kinderen legt een belangrijke basis voor hun verdere ontwikkeling. Een manier om deze ontwikkeling te stimuleren is door het interactief voorlezen van boeken. Interactief voorlezen is echter niet gemakkelijk. Hoe stel je bijvoorbeeld de juiste vragen, wat kun je doen om leerlingen met elkaar in gesprek te laten gaan en hoe zorg je dat leerlingen redeneren over het verhaal? In het huidige onderzoeksproject worden de principes van dialogische gespreksvoering ingezet tijdens het voorlezen. Er wordt onderzocht wat het effect hiervan is op de gespreksvaardigheden van leerkrachten en de taalvaardigheid van kinderen in de kleuterklas.

Student attrition and study delay are problems Dutch higher education has struggled with for years. First-year interventions, such as tutoring and BSA (Binding Study Advice; academic dismissal), have reduced dropouts and shortened time to degree. There is a growing concern however, about burnout among students in later years, but interventions and research on student’s course planning in the second bachelor year are limited. The aim of ‘VU Plan for Success’ is to counsel students who begin their second-year with a credit backlog (students-at-risk) on how to improve their ability to take autonomous responsibility for their learning and success. Successful counseling requires three components: students need to acquire clear insights into the (lack) of progress in their program and their level of autonomy; students must be guided to recognize that they may not have chosen an optimal course arrangement; finally, students need to design an optimal arrangement, based on their degree of autonomy and appropriate feedback. In the project, we will develop a learning dashboard and questionnaires on autonomy with academic advisors and students. Academic advisors will use the dashboard in a first pilot with second-year bachelor students. In parallel, we will analyze learner autonomy in relation to chosen course arrangements and success. In the second pilot, we will scale up: academic advisors will additionally offer course arrangements that match the level of student autonomy. The developed dashboard, questionnaires, and models allow for scaling-up and replication of the program within other (inter)national universities

-