This project establishes a Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VAMR) Laboratory and Software Development Group for the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Loyola Schools Campus. The VAMR laboratory intends to provide a viable way to consume VAMR educational content by students and visitors to the Ateneo de Manila University from multiple disciplines, both STEM and non-STEM. This shall enable such supplementary VAMR educational content to be formally integrated into the respective courses’ curriculum. A dedicated software development group shall also be established to provide educational VAMR applications that cater to the Philippine context. A serious-games programming framework will be developed in-house for this purpose. A proof-of-concept game will be developed using this framework, which shall revolve around “escape room” adventure game mechanics. Partnership with a local museum shall be pursued. Furthermore, a workshop seminar shall be conducted to allow other software developers, both from ADMU and outside, to make use of our serious-games framework for further applications, to help ensure continued development of VAMR-based educational material designed for Filipinos.
The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS), in collaboration with the Ateneo Public Mental Health Collaborative (APMHC), took part in the Department of Education’s YAKAP at Kalinga Caravan and Audit of Nationwide Mental Health Hotline and Learner Support Centers at General Tiburcio de Leon National High School (GTDLNHS) on May 11, 2026.
ALLS and APMHC representatives Layla Villanueva, Jesther Resuello, Tina Alfonso, Ann Braga, and Dr. Camille Yusay demonstrated the bullying prevention materials they developed for both parents and students. Layla and Jesther facilitated the students’ game sessions of MahikaSama, an anti-bullying card game for high school students that uses interactive gameplay to raise awareness of possible bullying scenarios and appropriate ways to respond. Both digital and physical versions of the game were showcased. The participating students are part of the school’s Peer Facilitators program, now equipped with the necessary skills to facilitate MahikaSama sessions with the rest of the student body.
Meanwhile, Tina, Ann, and Dr. Camille engaged parents through a series of comics aimed at helping them recognize and respond to bullying situations in their children’s lives. The event was attended by Education Secretary Sonny Angara and members of DepEd and Valenzuela LGU, who visited the game sessions and discussions facilitated by the representatives.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara observing students of General Tiburcio de Leon National High School as Layla Villanueva hosts a game of MahikaSama.(Photo: DepEd Philippines Facebook Page)
Jesther Resuello explaining the game’s mechanics and rationale to Education Secretary Sonny Angara as students play the card game. (Photo: DepEd Philippines Facebook Page)
Tina, Ann, and Dr. Camille with the parents of General Tiburcio de Leon National High School students and the bullying prevention comic strips presented. (Photo: RenewHealth Facebook Page)
The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS) hosted a talk entitled “When Digital Innovation Meets Care: Lessons from a Large Danish NGO,” delivered by Pedro Ferreira on April 8, 2026 at Faura Hall, Ateneo de Manila University.
Dr. Ferreira, an Associate Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, shared findings from his study on how digitalization affects older adults working in a Danish NGO. He explained that while digital tools are meant to make work more efficient and modernized, they can also create challenges for older volunteers. Many of these individuals joined to help their communities, but the shift to digital systems requires them to do more technical and administrative tasks, causing some to feel left behind.
In line with this, the discussion highlighted that digital transformation is not always ideal, as it can unintentionally exclude people whose strengths are in community-based and relational work. It also creates new challenges within organizations, such as shifting responsibilities among volunteers.
In relating these insights to the Philippines, Dr. Ferreira noted that care systems are deeply rooted in family and community networks. He emphasized that introducing digital solutions without considering these relationships may disrupt existing support systems, highlighting the need to design technologies that fit local contexts.
Dr. Ferreira shares his findings on tensions arising from digitalization.
The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS) is set to showcase For People and Planet: An SDG Adventure, a narrative-based game that teaches students about integrating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into everyday life. This will take place at Ready, Set, Resilience! An Afternoon of Gamifying Climate and Disaster Resilience, hosted by the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) on February 20, 2026. See details below:
The Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS), under the Climate and Disaster Resilience (CDR) Program, is hosting “Ready, Set, Resilience!”, a one-day event designed to have engaging and innovative games to introduce participants to climate and disaster risks while building upon practical knowledge and skills on mitigation, adaptation, and community resilience.
It also builds on crisis-oriented education by immersing learners in cooperative and scenario-based problem-solving (Fonseca et al., 2023); moreover, more localized approaches, such as games designed to be played during the event itself, can further contextualize learning within the Filipino lived experience.
Note: The event is open to the Ateneo de Manila community, is free of charge, and slots are limited.
This event is in partnership with the Ateneo Department of Environmental Science, Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences, and Climate Fresk Philippines.
The Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences (ALLS), in collaboration with Ateneo Sandbox Programs, opened the year with two distinct activities on Artificial Intelligence in Education, held on January 16 and 17, 2026. The first lecture was held on January 16, followed by a seminar-workshop on January 17. Both activities featured Shamya Karumbaiah, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Director of the Responsible AI for Learning (TRAIL) Lab.
The lecture on the first day focused on the potential of AI to address language boundaries in science learning, with particular emphasis on multilingual support and fostering translanguaging opportunities. Dr. Karumbaiah discussed how AI can support inquiry-based science learning by leveraging learners’ everyday language practices as resources for meaning-making. Drawing from teacher needs analyses and the Science and Language with AI (SLAI) initiative, the lecture positioned AI as a tool for bridging science content and language development, while also critically examining challenges associated with large language models, including linguistic bias, safety concerns, hallucinations, misinformation, and toxicity. The lecture concluded with a live demonstration of the SLAI app, showcasing how AI can enable multilingual and translanguaging interactions among students. Dr. Karumbaiah emphasized that AI, in this context, supports diverse forms of meaning-making in science learning by foregrounding learners’ cultural and linguistic assets. The lecture was attended by participants from fields such as language, science, and computing education.
The seminar-workshop on the second day centered on the responsible use of AI in education and brought together a multidisciplinary group of educators and AI-in-education enthusiasts from institutions across the country. Through guided discussions, collaborative activities, and shared reflections, participants examined ethical, pedagogical, and contextual considerations in AI adoption, including fairness, transparency, learner agency, assessment, and feedback. Drawing on their varied teaching contexts, participants engaged in a rich exchange of ideas, culminating in shared principles and practical insights for ethical, inclusive, and context-sensitive integration of AI in classrooms.
Day One: Participants in the AI Support for Translanguaging in the Classroom lecture with Dr. Shamya Karumbaiah and ALLS Head, Dr. Maria Mercedes Rodrigo. (Photo: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
Day Two: Participants in the seminar-workshop on Responsible AI Use in the Classroom, together with Dr. Karumbaiah and Dr. Rodrigo. (Photo: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
Dr. Rodrigo, Head of ALLS, welcomes the participants and introduces Dr. Karumbaiah on the first day of the lecture. (Photo: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
In her talk, “Blurring the Language Barriers: AI Support for Translanguaging in Classrooms”, Dr. Karumbaiah demonstrated how the SLAI app can support multilingual and translanguaging in the context of science learning. (Photo: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
In one of Dr. Karumbaiah’s workshop activities, participants worked in groups to examine scenarios on the responsible use of AI in classrooms, focusing on whether specific applications of AI could be considered harmful, fair, and contextually appropriate in educational settings. (Photos: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
With the help of participants fluent in multiple languages, Dr. Karumbaiah invited attendees to actively explore and experience the translanguaging features of the SLAI app, demonstrating how it supports multilingual interaction. (Photo: Karlo Erfe, Sandbox Program, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University)
