TRIADS Speaker Series with Sidney D'Mello

From Learning Optimization to Learner Flourishing: Reimagining AI in Education at the Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT)

The Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) addresses the foundational question of how to promote deep conceptual learning via rich socio-collaborative learning experiences for all students – a question that is ripe for AI-based facilitation and has the potential to transform American classrooms. We advance use-inspired and foundational AI research in speech, computer vision, human-agent teaming, computer-supported collaborative learning, expansive co-design, and the science of broadening participation to design and study next-generation AI Partners embedded in student collaborative learning teams in coordination with teachers. Our institute ascribes to theoretical perspectives that aim to create a normative environment of widespread engagement through responsible design of technology, curriculum, and pedagogy in partnership with K–12 educators, racially diverse students, parents, and other community stakeholders.

Bio:

Sidney D’Mello is a Professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research is in the fields of affective and attentional computing, multimodal interaction, speech and discourse processing, and intelligent learning environments. His team conducts basic research on affective and cognitive states (e.g., confusion, boredom, mind wandering) across a range of interaction contexts, develops real-time computational models of these states, and integrates the models in affect- and attention- aware intelligent technologies.