{"690459":{"#nid":"690459","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Conference Season Sparks Shared Momentum","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis spring, educators and researchers from the College of Lifetime Learning shared work on the future of learning at conferences across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite different contexts and disciplines, Jayma Koval, Jeonghyun (Jonna) Lee, Meltem Alemdar, Meryem Yilmaz Soylu, and Sirocus Barnes highlighted shared priorities: interdisciplinary collaboration; the evolving role of AI and immersive technologies in education; and research-driven approaches to better serve learners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarnes, Koval, Lee, and Yilmaz Soylu attended the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference. The conference\u2019s scale fostered a dynamic exchange, connecting colleagues with longtime collaborators and new scholars \u2014 including Georgia Tech alumni \u2014 and cultivating future collaborations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessional Learning and Youth Development\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarnes presented \u201cProfessional Learning in Youth Development that Empowers Educators and Produces Positive Youth Outcomes,\u201d alongside Charmaine Davis-Grant of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Edlyn Thompson-Mettle of Stevens Institute of Technology. The session highlighted three doctoral dissertation studies demonstrating that structured, evidence-informed professional learning empowers out-of-school time (OST) educators to create more engaging, responsive, and developmentally meaningful experiences for K\u201312 students. These findings reinforce the College\u2019s goal of expanding access to high-quality, targeted professional development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy investing in and scaling these learning opportunities, the College can strengthen the impact of its K\u201312 programs while advancing its broader mission to support learning across the lifespan,\u201d said Barnes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImmersive and AI Learning Environments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Lee, presenting \u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003EAI-Mediated Learning Environments: Scaffolding Inquiry, Metacognition, and Engagement\u201d inspired thoughtful dialogue with the audience. Attendees expressed strong curiosity and engaged in critical reflection on the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into educational settings. \u0026nbsp;Lee said that these conversations underscored the importance of the College researching effectiveness, trust, accountability, and the responsible implementation of AI as it becomes integrated into learning environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYilmaz Soylu contributed insights on AI and virtual reality, including the Socratic Mind project and immersive spaces, in \u201cImpact of a GenAI-assisted Socratic Dialogue Tool on Learning in an Asynchronous Computer Science Course,\u201d \u201cSeeing from the Stage: How Virtual Reality Shapes Rhetorical Understanding through Embodied Learning,\u201d and \u201cThe Power of GenAI-enhanced Socratic Dialogue as a Scalable Learning Aid.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer sessions generated interest in tool design and implementation, as well as in how emotion shapes learning in VR.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs the College moves toward a more structured microcredential portfolio and deepens its investment in teaching with and about AI, learning from and collaborating with other institutions during moments like this will help us design educational experiences that better serve students in a world shaped by AI and immersive technologies, she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFocusing on the Learner Experience\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to AERA, Koval attended and presented at the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), where she delivered a session titled \u201cExploratory Structural Equation Modeling Test of a Computer Science Pedagogical Intervention and Beyond Testing: Incorporating Culturally Responsive Assessments in Informal Education.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter both conferences, she found that conversations with colleagues across institutions reinforced the need for professional development that extends beyond content knowledge and supports teachers in developing emotional pedagogies. This approach equips educators with the tools to help students navigate complex content and related emotions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also explored culturally responsive and formative assessments that link learning to students\u0027 lived experiences and strengthen engagement \u2014 approaches the College could implement in informal programs, such as summer camps and youth initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI and Learning Analytics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlemdar co-presented at the International Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK) Conference with Parvez Rashid of the College of Charleston on \u201cMapping Cognitive Flows and Student Programming Patterns: A Case Study on an Introductory Python Course.\u201d Additional co-authors were Yang Shi, Sutapa Dey Tithi, and Bedriye Eren.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe College is uniquely positioned to explore how AI and learning analytics can create more personalized, adaptive, and equitable learning experiences across the lifespan. LAK showed that AI-augmented systems can serve as collaborative partners, providing analysis and timely insights that enhance teaching and learning,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross each event, a shared direction emerged \u2014 one that mirrors the College\u2019s work: highlighting the importance of supporting educators, centering the whole learner, and applying new technologies to extend, rather than replace, human agency.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFaculty presentations highlighted the College of Lifetime Learning\u0027s work to advance research-informed teaching, expand professional development, and explore emerging technologies to create engaging, responsive, and equitable learning experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Faculty presentations highlighted the College of Lifetime Learning\u0027s work to advance research-informed teaching, expand professional development, and explore emerging technologies to create engaging, responsive, and equitable learning experiences."}],"uid":"33969","created_gmt":"2026-05-23 01:10:20","changed_gmt":"2026-05-23 01:38:34","author":"ymrv3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680343":{"id":"680343","type":"image","title":"Conference_Season26.png","body":null,"created":"1779498656","gmt_created":"2026-05-23 01:10:56","changed":"1779498774","gmt_changed":"2026-05-23 01:12:54","alt":"Faculty of the College of Lifetime Learning and collaborators at various conferences.","file":{"fid":"264591","name":"Conference_Season26.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Conference_Season26.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/Conference_Season26.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1654478,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/Conference_Season26.png?itok=RxjEAcJf"}}},"media_ids":["680343"],"groups":[{"id":"66244","name":"C21U"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193940","name":"college of lifetime learning"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ymrv3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EYelena M. Rivera-Vale\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EC21U, College of Lifetime Learning\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}