[publication] The OER Paradox in Ukraine: Legal Comfort and Its Impact on Open Educational Practices #OER #research

Our publication about „The OER Paradox in Ukraine: Legal Comfort and Its Impact on Open Educational Practices“ is published in the conference proceedings of this year’s EDMedia conference.

Abstract:
This study analyses the impact of the new Law of Ukraine „On Copyright and Related Rights“ (2811-IX) on the use of educational materials in the context of digital transformation and military crisis. Using the benchmarking methodology „15 cases in 15 countries“ and qualitative interviews with teachers, the work compares Ukrainian norms with the practice of European countries. The results show that broad educational exceptions (in particular, Articles 22 and 24) create a situation of „legal comfort“ for the academic community, allowing the legal use of protected content in closed digital environments. However, this gives rise to the „OER paradox“: the absence of legal barriers to the use of proprietary resources reduces the motivation to create full-fledged open educational resources under open licenses. The paper highlights the need for institutional incentives to overcome dependence on closed content and integrate Ukraine into the global open education movement.

[publication @ conference’s homepage]
[preview @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Andriichenko, Y., Ebner, M., Schön, S. & Brünner, B. (2026). The OER Paradox in Ukraine: Legal Comfort and Its Impact on Open Educational Practices. In Proceedings of EdMedia 2026 Edinburgh (pp. 1589-1599). Waynesville, NC: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved June 15, 2026 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/2129797/.

This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of Open Educational Resources (OER).

[presentation] Guiding Innovation with Rapid EdTech User Experience Research Nodes #edmedia #SIG

We also did, as usual, the SIG (Special Interest Group) for Emerging Technologies at the EDMedia Conference. This year the session was titled „Guiding Innovation with Rapid EdTech User Experience Research Nodes

This presentation is from the Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching from EdMedia 2026 conference workshop on Guiding Innovation with Rapid EdTech User Experience Research Nodes (RETURN). It includes supporting resources for the RETURN Manifesto, selected EdTech case examples, and documentation related to rapid user experience research in educational technology contexts.

[Link to the slides]

This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.

[presentation] Code Meets Career: Employer Interpretations of Coding Bootcamp Graduates in Austria and Germany #research

Another talk we did at this year’s EDMEDIA conference is about the research of Daniela, titled „Code Meets Career: Employer Interpretations of Coding Bootcamp Graduates in Austria and Germany

Coding bootcamps have expanded rapidly in response to persistent skill shortages in the IT sector and as alternative pathways into the field, particularly for groups underrepresented in technology, such as refugees and women. However, little is known about how these pathways are perceived and valued within organizations, especially in Austria and Germany.
This study therefore examines how companies in Austria and Germany perceive, evaluate, and integrate coding bootcamp graduates. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of five semi-structured interviews with decision-makers in software development, IT consulting, and human resources, the study focuses on socially situated employer perspectives on skills, potential, and legitimacy, rather than measuring effectiveness in terms of employment outcomes.
The findings reveal an ambivalent picture: while graduates are valued for their motivation, adaptability, teamwork, and practical orientation, concerns persist regarding their theoretical depth and level of project experience. In the case of refugee participants, language proficiency is additionally identified as a key challenge. Overall, the study provides exploratory insights into how coding bootcamp qualifications are interpreted and evaluated by employers, rather than aiming to produce generalizable conclusions.

[Link to the slides]

[presentation] Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning in Secondary Schools with Flipped Classrooms: A Systematic Literature Review

Benedikt presented our research about „Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning in Secondary Schools with Flipped Classrooms: A Systematic Literature Review“ at this year’s EDMEDIA conference.

The findings show that FC approaches is promising positive on motivational effects, self efficacy, and participation, particularly among low achieving learners, while emphasizing the importance of effective instructional design and strong teacher support in overcoming technical and organizational challenges.

[Link to the slides]

[presentation] The OER Paradox in Ukraine #edmedia #research

Another presentation at this year’s EDMedia Conférence is about „The OER Paradox in Ukraine

This study analyses the impact of the new Law of Ukraine „On Copyright and Related Rights“ (2811-IX) on the use of educational materials in the context of digital transformation and military crisis. Using the benchmarking methodology „15 cases in 15 countries“ and qualitative interviews with teachers, the work compares Ukrainian norms with the practice of EU countries. The results show that broad educational exceptions (in particular, Articles 22 and 24) create a situation of „legal comfort“ for the academic community, allowing the legal use of protected content in closed digital environments. However, this gives rise to the „OER paradox“: the absence of legal barriers to the use of proprietary resources reduces the motivation to create full-fledged open educational resources under free licenses. The paper highlights the need for institutional incentives to overcome dependence on closed content and integrate Ukraine into the global open education movement.

[Link to the slides]

[poster] A Whitepaper on Evaluating GenAI Innovation in Higher Education #edmedia26

This year, we present a poster about „A Whitepaper on Evaluating GenAI Innovation in Higher Education“ at EDMedia 2026.

Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) is increasingly shaping higher education by enabling new forms of content creation, assessment, learner support, personalization, and synthetic media. A whitepaper now presents a practice-derived framework developed through a cross-case synthesis of nine diverse GenAI implementations at Graz University of Technology. Analyzing projects ranging from AI-generated content to RAG-based chatbots, recurring decision points and risk patterns were identified to formulate a five-phase, non-linear evaluation model.

[Link to the poster]
[Link to ResearchGate]

This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.

Finales Programm und die letzten Tickets #UFF #festival #TUGraz

Es freut uns ja sehr, dass wir eine der Partnerbühnen des großen University Future Festivals vom 22.6. – 24.6. 2026 sein werden. Und es ist jetzt soweit, das finale Programm ist online. Weiters darf ich verraten, dass es noch wenige Resttickets für unsere Bühne vor Ort geben würde – also schnell sein und diese noch sichern:

Hier findet ihr den finalen Link zur Programmübersicht:
https://festival.hfd.digital/de/programm-2026/

Anbei findet ihr zudem die Links zu den jeweiligen Partnerbühnen:
NRW:Stage Essen
Future-Tech:Stage Braunschweig
AI Force:Stage Graz
Shifting:Stage Nürnberg
Open for Change:Stage Hamburg

Und wer sich noch Tickets bei uns für den 23.6.2026 sicher möchte: https://festival.hfd.digital/de/tickets-2026/

[publication] Forecasting Education Metrics through Joint Futures Betting – A Study with Austria’s Emerging Scholars #tugraz #research

Our publication about „Forecasting Education Metrics through Joint Futures Betting – A Study with Austria’s Emerging Scholars“ got published in the conference proceedings of the SITE 2026 conference.

Abstract:
Education systems increasingly rely on indicators to guide policy and practice. However, the underlying assumptions of these indicators are rarely discussed collectively. This short article reports on a future-oriented, game-based „future bet“ conducted as part of the „Educational Innovation Needs Educational Research“ (B3) initiative at the eduNexus.at retreat in Austria. Doctoral students, supervisors, and experts placed tokens on measurable hypotheses. We focus on five hypotheses from these funded doctoral programs closely linked to technology policy and practice: teacher training in computer science and digital education; open education resource certificate holders; the school dropout rate; and the number of schools with a STEM quality label.

[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Brünner, B., Geier, G., Schön, S. & Ebner, M. (2026). Forecasting Education Metrics through Joint Futures Betting – A Study with Austria’s Emerging Scholars. In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1514-1519). Philadelphia, PA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Published at https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/2129172/

[presentation] AI avatars and their application in MOOCs #tugraz #oer

I was invited to give a short talk about „AI avatars and their application in MOOCs“ for the workshop „Exploring the Futures of Open Education“ acting as an Open Education Week event.

To mark the 2026 edition of Open Education Week (OEWeek 2026) in Portugal, the Distance Education and eLearning Laboratory (LE@D) at Universidade Aberta (UAb) is hosting an online event to discuss the challenges currently facing Open Education, in a context marked by the impact of AI and other emerging technologies. Entitled „Exploring the Futures of Open Education“, the programme will feature Professor Marisol Ramírez Montoya from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Tec de Monterrey), Mexico, and Professor Martin Ebner from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Austria, who will share their experiences and reflections on this topic.

[The slides of the talk are available here]