Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences

The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences invites you to attend the talk entitled “SkAI-Pinas and ASIMOV : An overview of the DOST Flagship R&D Programs in AI and Robotics” by Jose Ildefonso U. Rubrico, Ph.D. on 16 July 2024 at 10:30am in F223, Faura Hall, Ateneo de Manila University.

This talk is part of the ALLS Lecture Series. Please register at https://go.ateneo.edu/ALLSLectureJuly2024

Admission is FREE.

𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭

A little over half a decade ago, AI was just starting to make waves in the country. Two Balik Scientist research projects hosted in the DOST Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) in 2017-18, the ALaM and AI Robot projects, served as early prototypes in exploring the usefulness of Deep Learning to address problems in remote sensing as well as in search and rescue. Those early endeavors served as precursors to the DOST- and PCIEERD-funded Philippine Sky Artificial Intelligence Program (SkAI-Pinas) and Autonomous Societally Inspired Mission Oriented Vehicles Program (ASIMOV), two large-scale pioneering efforts meant to realize the wider use of artificial intelligence and robotics towards solving relevant, practical problems of the nation.

In a nutshell, SkAI-Pinas seeks to bridge the gap between big data availability and the lack of a sustainable technology-based framework for the widespread, rapid, and democratized development and deployment of remote sensing applications to the Filipinos. On the other hand, ASIMOV aims to develop autonomous robots capable of independent navigation, collision avoidance, vision-based feature detection, and environmental mapping to be deployed in the field under real-life conditions, particularly in unstructured and dynamic environments.

This presentation provides an overview of the SkAI-Pinas and ASIMOV R&D programs, and highlights some outputs of their component projects being implemented in Davao City, namely, the Automated Labeling Machine – Large-scale Initiative (ALaM-LSI) and the Harmonized Aerial Watch and Knowledge-based Survey (HAWKS).

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

Dr. Jose Ildefonso U. Rubrico is a full professor at the University of the Philippines Mindanao. He has significant contributions to UP Mindanao, most notably for bringing in two multi-million flagship programs in AI & Robotics: the Autonomous Societally-Inspired Mission-Oriented Vehicles Program (ASIMOV) and the Philippine Sky Artificial Intelligence Program (SkAI-Pinas).

Dr. Rubrico served as a Balik Scientist, a DOST program encouraging Filipino scientists to come home and share their expertise in the field of science and technology. His expertise and twenty-one (21) year experience in AI/Machine Learning and Robotics helped DOST strengthen its research agenda in areas of AI and Machine Learning as well as High Performance Computing and Data Flow Processing Architecture. For more information about Dr. Rubrico, visit https://dmpcs.upmin.edu.ph/jurubrico/

The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS) of the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS) hosted the 3rd Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE) International Conference on Future Language Learning (ICFULL 2024) on 19–21 June 2024 at Areté, Ateneo de Manila University. ICFULL provides a platform for academics and researchers from transdisciplinary areas, including cognitive neural scientists, linguistic researchers, pedagogical designers, theorists of language learning, as well as practitioners in various language learning arenas in the world to share and exchange ideas to strengthen research, theories and practice, and explore possibilities for advancing future language learning.

ICFULL 2024 featured three (3) keynote speeches, 19 paper presentations, two (2) invited talks, four (4) demos, and two (2) tutorials. The 54 registered participants hailed from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan.

On the first day, Dr. Ethel Ong from De La Salle University – Manila opened with a keynote on “Computational Storytelling.” Sessions featured language identification studies by Prof. Aileen Joan Vicente and opinion-mining research on Cebuano texts by Mr. Eric Ortega. Mr. Joseph Benjamin Ilagan offered an engaging tutorial on AI in language acquisition. Discussions on AI ethics by Mr. Kitman Cheung of IBM ASEAN, technology-enhanced learning strategies, including game-based methods by Prof. Justine Marielle Porras, and web-based systems by Prof. Ben Chang, rounded out the first day’s proceedings. The day culminated with a collaborative networking reception.

The second day started with paper presentations on Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI. Dr. Hangyan Lu presented a paper on GenAI in ESL learning. Dr. Yoshiko Goda’s keynote speech on the transformative potential of AI chatbots in language education followed, providing a deep dive into harmonizing individual and group learning. The morning continued with a demo session featuring Dr. Nicko Caluya’s real-time subtitling app and Ms. Imroatul Hasanah’s smartphone app for Indonesian ESL learners. In the afternoon, Denise N. Fabella of Khan Academy Philippines (KAP) delivered an invited talk on the Khan Academy technologies as well as KAP’s collaborations with the Department of Education (DepEd). This was followed by paper presentations on advancements in TELL, showcasing innovative educational technology projects. Afterwards, sessions on TELL in Social Context included studies on social acceptance in educational technology and teacher achievement systems. The day’s sessions concluded with a tutorial on linguistic analysis using NLP by Dr. Michelle P. Banawan of the Asian Institute of Management. During the conference banquet, participants were serenaded by CASA – Contemporary A cappella Singers Association.

The final day commenced with Prof Sean Collin Mehmet’s presentation on English language teaching in a rapidly globalizing Japanese university. Following this, Miss Yen-Tsen Liu presented her Best Paper Award-winning analysis of flipped classrooms in TELL. The session continued with Ms. Harianty Harapanta Damanik’s exploration of community practice via TikTok, and ended with Dr. Darmawansah’s study on SVVR production competencies in experiential learning projects. After a brief morning break, Dr. Jeong-Bae Son delivered an insightful keynote on digital literacy challenges and strategies in language teaching. During the closing ceremony, ICFULL recognized the conference’s best paper, A content analysis of the flipped classroom in technology-enhanced language learning research: Assessments of learning outcomes, m-learning strategies, and learning domains by Yen-Tsen Liu , Kai-Yu Tang, and Wen-Chi Vivian Wu. The conference concluded with closing remarks from APSCE President and Conference Chair Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo, and with an invitation to ICFULL 2025 in Beijing, China.

The organizers offered participants two optional social activities. In the early morning of the second day, several participants joined Dr. Trinket Constantino of the Biology Department and the Ateneo Wild on a 90-minute nature walk around campus. Before the banquet, Mr. D Cortezano, Technical Director of Areté, provided participants with a tour of the building.

ICFULL’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC) was chaired by Jessica O. Sugay, who also served as Financial and Registration Chair and Publicity Chair. Joining her team were Creatives & Publicity Chair John Michael B. Santos, Financial & Registration Co-Chair Ma. Rosario M. Madjos, Technology Support Chair Romell Ian B. De La Cruz, and Logistics Chair Japheth Duane C. Samaco. The team of student volunteers was composed of Patricia Isabella Nava (BS CS 2024), Kevin Raymond Sales (4 BS MIS), Christian Anthony Ang (3 BSMIS-MSCS), Olivia Frances Manglapus (3 BFA ID), Izaac Daniel Muncal (4 BSMS CS), Hannah Erin Co (4 BS MIS), Rosbeth Agnes Dayupay (4 BS MIS), and Johnver Christian Laviña (3 BS CS-DGDD).

The organizers thank the event sponsors, Office Naval Research Global, PHINMA Education, PLDT Smart, Faura Research Foundation, SM Foundation, UNILAB Foundation, Torre Lorenzo Development Corp., L’Oréal Philippines, Universal Robina Corporation, and other donors who wish to remain anonymous. Their generous support made ICFULL 2024 possible. The organizers also express gratitude to Areté for their partnership in this undertaking.

This year the 24th Philippine Computing Society Congress was held in De La Salle University Laguna. The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS) attended the conference and was represented by Carlo Ram M. Ferrer, John Ryan H. Tamano, Rene Antonio Castillo, Mylene B. Villegas, Jan Jozef R. Laguer, and Dr. Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo. Also representing Ateneo was the group of Erick Gabriel T. Lopez and Jose Alfonso H. Barreiro.

The Philippine Computing Society Congress provided many avenues for various parties to come together to discuss relevant issues and studies in the computer science field. The first day of the conference featured various talks and workshops for attendees to join. Rene Antonio Castillo presented his thesis project ‘A City-Building Puzzle Game Featuring Solarpunk Architecture’ during the interactive demos session, and Dr. Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo gave a talk during the ‘Oldies but Goodies’ about Affordances in human-computer-interaction.

The second day featured plenary talks about the studies currently being conducted by professors from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and De La Salle University. The attendees were also given the chance to attend the paper presentations of various students from across the country. The ALLS representatives were among the many paper presenters who were given the opportunity to present their theses. Pablo R. Manalastas presented his work making use of a popular root finding algorithm, ‘Factoring a Quadratic from a Degree N Polynomial Using Newton’s Method’. Jan Jozef R. Laguer presented a creative take on improving upon current Esports technology using computer vision, ‘Incorporating a Computer Vision System to a Web Server to Parse Real-time Data for Valorant Esports’. Mylene B. Villegas presented her thesis project which is centered around Minecraft data as a medium for making ML predictions, ‘Utilizing Machine Learning Methods to Predict Student Re-engagement via Minecraft Data‘. Carlo Ram M. Ferrer presented his work making use of eye tracking data, ‘Modeling Perceptual Organization In Abstract Art Using Eye Tracking Data’. John Ryan H. Tamano, on behalf of his team, presented their thesis project which utilizes serious games as a medium for learning, ‘Halogen: A 2D Simulation Game on Dental Health Challenges in the Philippines’.

The Philippine Computing Society Congress provided many opportunities for the students to engage with peers from across the country to engage in active discussion on various topics in their respective fields. As representatives of ALLs and Ateneo, the students proudly participated in the congress to share their works with their peers. The students would like to extend their gratitude to Dr. Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo for her mentorship of the students, as well as SOSE and ALLS for the financial support.

Two teams of undergraduate students from the Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS), represented by Dagny Eran M. Yenko and Pamela Anne C. Serrano from 5 BS CS-DGDD, participated in the Asian Universities Student Entrepreneurship Ideation Challenge (AUSEIC) from March 9 to 10, 2024 at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).

On the first day, the students attended an “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” Talk Series and further talks at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP) that spotlight the burgeoning role of Artificial Intelligence in education, featuring speakers who shared their insights and journeys with their companies and innovative products.

The final pitches and award ceremony was conducted on the second day, where students from various universities in South East Asia showcased their innovative ideas that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Representatives from ALLS presented their theses related to marine biodiversity education and raising awareness on the need for deep-rooted solutions to food insecurity.

The event shed light on the remarkable breadth of initiatives worldwide dedicated to improving education. The emphasis on entrepreneurship made it apparent that the realms beyond computer science, like marketing and operations, are crucial to sustain the game and reach a wider audience. Yet, it also underscored the challenge of reconciling a commitment to making quality education accessible with the practical realities of sustaining such endeavors, be it in time, effort, maintenance, or other associated costs, thus highlighting the ongoing quest for innovative solutions to maximize educational impact.

For making their participation possible, Dagny and Pam would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to Dr. Maria Mercedes Rodrigo, head of the Ateneo Laboratory for Learning Sciences (ALLS), for her valuable guidance, and Mr. Joseph Benjamin Ilagan, Information Technology Entrepreneurship Program Director, for his technical mentorship. They are also deeply thankful for the SOSE Dean, ALLS, and The Education University of Hong Kong for their financial support.

by: Michael Lopez II

The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS) has hosted Dr. Valdemar Švábenský, a visiting scholar who obtained his doctorate degree from Masaryk University of the Czech Republic. Dr. Švábenský paid a visit to the Ateneo to collaborate with Dr. Maria Mercedes T Rodrigo on modeling the University’s analytics from its learning management system (LMS). His prior collaborations as part of his postgraduate endeavors were from Sorbonne University and the University of Pennsylvania.

On November 17, 2023, Dr. Švábenský held a discussion with students in Faura Hall to raise the interdisciplinary field of learning analytics research. He first emphasized the importance of educational data mining so that it may leverage practitioners such as instructors and academic authorities to support their respective students. In other words, determining the best practices for learning and teaching purposes are important for assessing student behavior. One of the factors to quantify a student’s performance could be about their GPA (or QPI) and the time it took for them to finish a certain course.

He then voiced out his concern on how algorithmic bias may skew these data on machine learning models predicting student success. The problem in the current literature is that there are countless studies about learners in the United States and other Western countries. Yet the foundation is weak for underrepresented sectors and minorities. Thus, the motivation to diversify demographic groups about predicting student success would be beneficial.

Dr. Rodrigo thanked the scholar for his time allotted here in the country and for imparting his expertise with the students. Besides learning analytics, Dr. Švábenský’s current plans involve cybersecurity pedagogy with the goal of optimizing how students should be trained to combat against cyber-crime attacks.