By: Dr. Arnel B. Ocay
Ateneo de Manila University opened its doors to me and provided a meaningful opportunity to grow as a researcher. My two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS), under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo, was a deeply enriching experience that allowed me to engage in research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computing education, and the learning sciences.
During the first year, we explored the implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for computing education, particularly its impact on student performance, industry, and teaching practices. This work laid the groundwork for subsequent research on the use of AI in computing education.
In the second year, our research expanded into collaborative initiatives that utilized RunCode, a learning platform designed to support programming education with the use of LLMs. These initiatives brought together researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, the Adelaide University, and Ateneo de Davao University. Working with Dr. Ryan S. Baker, Dr. Maciej Pankiewicz, and Fr. Arthur Nebrao, Jr., SJ, we investigated how large language models (LLMs) could support programming students and explored their broader implications for computing education, particularly in the Philippine context.
The fellowship also led to significant scholarly contributions, including publications in Scopus-indexed journals and international conferences such as 27th International Conference on Human Computer Interaction (HCII2025) and ACM Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE2025). It also expanded my academic network through participation in the ACM Global Computing Education Conference (CompEd2025) in Botswana and the International Conference in Computers in Education (ICCE2026) in India, providing new perspectives and opportunities to build connections with researchers beyond the Philippines.
More than an academic appointment, my two years at Ateneo were transformative. The fellowship strengthened my research capabilities, broadened my international network, and enabled me to contribute to important conversations about the evolving role of AI in computing education.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Rodrigo and Ateneo de Manila University for the mentorship and supportive research environment. This fellowship has been an important milestone in my career, providing knowledge and experiences that I can bring back to and share with my university, the Urdaneta City University.
This marks my first meeting with Dr. Rodrigo, a photo taken just minutes before our first meeting began.
Photo taken during a session break on the second day of CompEd 2025 in Botswana, with Sue Sentance of the University of Cambridge, a member of the CompEd Steering Committee, and Viktoriya Olari of Free University of Berlin, a presenter at CompEd 2025.
ICCE 2025 in India with fellow Philippine participants. From left: Dr. Cesar Eric Vidal, Fr. Joseph Patrick Echevarria, SJ, Dr. May Marie Talandron-Felipe, Dr. Arlene Mae Valderama, and me.
Safari game drive with my conference buddy, Nico Hillah of Karlsruhe University of Education, Germany, as part of the CompEd 2025 activities.
