Im Rahmen der Tagung für Schulleiter*innen durfte ich eine Keynote halten zum Thema „Wenn KI (Schul-) Alltag ist, dann …“ – die Folien sind nun auch online verfügbar:


Digitale Lehre an und rund um der Technischen Universität Graz
Im Rahmen der Tagung für Schulleiter*innen durfte ich eine Keynote halten zum Thema „Wenn KI (Schul-) Alltag ist, dann …“ – die Folien sind nun auch online verfügbar:

Find here our Slides from the presentation of our paper at

Find slides right here.
Zusammen mit der Universität Graz haben wir einen MOOC gestaltet zum Thema „Generative KI: verstehen, gestalten, verantworten„. Nachdem ich selbst im Projekt involviert bin, kann ich nur soviel sagen es zahlt sich aus reinzuschauen – ich glaub es ist uns etwas Gutes gelungen und wir hoffen danach versteht man besser was hier auf uns zurollt.
Der MOOC „Generative KI: verstehen, gestalten, verantworten“ bietet eine fundierte und zugleich praxisorientierte Einführung in das Themenfeld der generativen Künstlichen Intelligenz (genKI). In vier inhaltlich aufeinander abgestimmten Lerneinheiten und zwei optionalen Vertiefungs-Lektionen erwerben Teilnehmer:innen sowohl theoretische Grundlagen als auch anwendungsbezogene Kompetenzen, um generative KI-Technologien reflektiert und verantwortungsvoll im eigenen (Arbeits-)Kontext einsetzen zu können.
Hier nochmals der Trailer zum MOOC:
Die Teilnahme ist natürlich kostenlos und wir freuen wenn man den Link weiterteilt: [Link zur kostenlosen Teilnahme]
This is an impactful online course for free, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.
This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.
Another research paper about the use of AI for education – titled „Ensuring Quality in AI-Generated Multiple-Choice Questions for Higher Education with the QUEST Framework“ – was published.
Abstract:
With the rise of generative AI models, such as large language models (LLMs), in educational settings, there is a growing demand to ensure the quality of AI-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) used in higher education. Traditional quiz development methods fall short in addressing the unique challenges posed by AI-generated content, such as consistency, cognitive demand, and question uniqueness. This paper presents the QUEST framework, a structured approach designed specifically to evaluate the quality of LLM-generated MCQs across five dimensions: Quality, Uniqueness, Effort, Structure, and Transparency. Following an iterative research process, AI-generated questions were assessed and refined using QUEST, revealing that the framework effectively improves question clarity, relevance, and educational value. The findings suggest that QUEST is a viable tool for educators to maintain high-quality standards in AI-generated assessments, ensuring these resources meet the pedagogical needs of diverse learners in higher education.
[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full article @ publisher’s website]
Reference: Ebner, M., Brünner, B., Forjan, N., Schön, S. (2025). Ensuring Quality in AI-Generated Multiple-Choice Questions for Higher Education with the QUEST Framework. In: Tomczyk, Ł. (eds) New Media Pedagogy: Research Trends, Methodological Challenges, and Successful Implementations. NMP 2024. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 2537. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-95627-0_20
At this year’s ED-Media conference in Barcelona we also presented a poster titled „aicast: Combining AI-Generated and Instructor-Defined Content in Educational Podcasts„
You can find the poster as well as the feedback now also online [here]

We also did workshops at this year’s ED-Media conference. One of them was titled „Workshop for Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching: Exploring Educational Podcasts with AI“ and followed the idea of open discussions.
Abstract:
How can educators unleash the power of AI without losing control over core educational strategies? In this workshop, we introduced aicast, an open-source platform for educational podcasts that combines the best of both worlds: AI-generated elements for personalization and flexibility, and fixed elements, with instructor-defined content to ensure pedagogical accuracy. This hybrid approach reduces the risks associated with AI-generated materials like hallucinations. Attendees experienced how the platform utilizes LLMs like ChatGPT for personalized content authoring and ElevenLabs for high-quality voice synthesis, enabling real-time creation of educational audio content. After a short demo and hands-on session, participants engaged in a guided discussion: What is the core of an educational podcast? Most importantly from the perspective of an instructional designer, how must an educational podcast be? This session was part of the Special Interest Group on Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching at the ED-Media 2025 conference.
[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full article @ conference website]
Reference: Ebner, M. & Brünner, B. (2025). Workshop for Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching: Exploring Educational Podcasts with AI. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 1375-1376). Barcelona, Spain: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved June 4, 2025 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/226347/.
This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.
Our chapter in the new book on Emerging Technologies, „Early Findings from Pilots in AI-Driven Education: Effects of AI-Generated Courses and Videos on Learning and Teaching,“ has been published.
Abstract:
This paper presents the (preliminary) findings from three pilot activities conducted at TU Graz over the past 18 months, exploring the use of AI in generating (open) educational resources. The first pilot involved developing a MOOC titled “Societech: Society in the Context of Information Technologies”, which utilized various AI tools to create videos and learning materials, engaging over 500 participants. The second pilot focused on creating multilingual videos for the MOOC “Open Educational Resources in Higher Education”, using AI-generated avatars of course instructors, involving more than 800 participants. The third pilot was a field study conducted in an Austrian secondary school, where 20 students aged 12–15 could choose between videos featuring their teacher, an AI-generated human avatar, or a cartoon character. Preliminary results indicate a clear preference for teacher-led videos, highlighting the significant role of the teacher in the learning process. While AI tools facilitated quicker and more cost-effective production of educational resources, challenges such as the need for quality assurance and handling of (now possible) automatic translations were noted.
[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full version @ publisher’s website]
Reference: Schön, S., Brünner, B., Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Uhl, B. (2025). Early Findings from Pilots in AI-Driven Education: Effects of AI-Generated Courses and Videos on Learning and Teaching. In: Auer, M.E., May, D. (eds) 2024 Yearbook Emerging Technologies in Learning. Learning and Analytics in Intelligent Systems, vol 44. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80388-8_2
Our contribution about „How to Plan and Manage a Blended Learning Course Module Using Generative Artificial Intelligence?“ got published.
Abstract:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the educational landscape, playing a crucial role in the transition to blended learning environments. As generative AI gains momentum, educators now have access to a growing repository of AI tools that can facilitate the shift from face-to-face instruction to more virtual learning experiences. This chapter provides a practical guideline for integrating and using AI tools to support educators in transitioning their courses to blended learning. The approach is structured around four key pillars: teacher practice support, online classroom support, evaluation and feedback, and student support. Following this guideline, we explore a curated list of AI-powered tools categorized based on their functions within these four pillars. To illustrate the application of these guidelines, we present a case study demonstrating a transition of a selected module of a traditional face-to-face machine learning course and make it accessible to students online, thus enabling blended learning experience. This chapter can empower future educators interested in AI to structure engaging blended learning courses and underscore the significant role of AI in enhancing the planning, management, implementation, and assessment of new blended learning courses.
[final publication @ publisher’s homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]
Reference: Khalil, M., Shakya, R., Liu, Q., Ebner, M. (2024). How to Plan and Manage a Blended Learning Course Module Using Generative Artificial Intelligence?. In: Panda, S., Mishra, S., Misra, P.K. (eds) Case Studies on Blended Learning in Higher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-9388-4_4
Benedikt gave an interview about „Using AI-Generated Instructor Video for Multilingual Content in MOOCs“ to the „Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education“ and introduced our recent research on AI-genereated videos:
Benedikt Brünner is a member of the e-education team at TU Graz, and facilitates the production of avatars, assets, audio and video. As part of his PhD project he has conducted initial survey research to gauge students’ reactions to AI avatars. While most students found the avatars to be authentic and natural, they still preferred real human teachers over AI avatars. However, many students indicated that they would not have realized that the videos were AI-generated, which shows the increasing sophistication of the technology.
In the interview, Benedikt Brünner discusses the potential of generative AI for creating educational videos.
Es freut uns, dass wir nun den 20. Teil unserer Podcast-Serie „Lehren – Lernen – Lauschen“ auf der TELucation-Webseite zur Verfügung stellen können. Diesesmal spricht Verena Schwägerl-Melchior zu KI in der Hochschullehre:
Verena Schwägerl-Melchior (Sprachen, Schlüsselkompetenzen und Interne Weiterbildung bzw. Teaching Academy der TU Graz) spricht in diesem Podcast über die Entwicklung und die Angebote der Teaching Academy sowie über die Auswirkungen von KI auf die Hochschullehre und Hochschuldidaktik. Sie erzählt, was KI in der Vorbereitung und Durchführung von Lehre, im wissenschaftlichen Schreiben und in der Leistungsfeststellung bieten kann, aber auch, wo Vorsicht geboten ist oder alternative Methoden gefunden werden müssen, um die Qualität der Lehre aufrechtzuerhalten.
[#20 – Verena Schwägerl-Melchior: KI in der Hochschullehre]
Und nicht übersehen – der Podcast ist auch in allen gängigen Portalen verfügbar: