Using artificial intelligence to create individualized learning paths

The Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) has won the first funding call of the Innovation in Higher Education Foundation with its "THISuccessAI" concept and will receive around 3.6 million euros in funding from 2021 to 2024.

Prof. Schober, President of THI, is pleased about the funding: "With THISuccessAI, we will further individualize studies at THI and thereby increase the learning success of our students, especially in the MINT courses. To do this, we are using modern artificial intelligence tools via learning analytics." This involves collecting student, learning and teaching information, evaluating it via pattern recognition and deriving individualized learning paths from it.

In addition to the AI data analysis, digital learning nuggets and other AI-supported tools are developed for the individualized learning paths, such as the digital learning assistant "THIM" or an automated learning partner platform. An individualized dashboard visualizes the respective learning status for both students and lecturers.

The project measures are flanked by ethical and data protection monitoring as well as various transfer activities, which are carried out in cooperation with external partners, such as the newly founded Bavarian Zentrum für Innovative Lehre (BayZIeL), the TU München, or the community of the learning management system Moodle.

Ten THI professorships are involved in the project. The scientific management of the project is taken over by Vice President Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Hof as well as Vice President Prof. Dr. Katherine Roegner, who is looking forward to the new tasks in the project: "THISuccessAI ties in seamlessly with our activities to strengthen the next generation of MINT students and also gives our students the opportunity to experience the use of AI methods and also to actively participate in shaping them."

After the three-year funding phase, the project measures are to be rolled out across all subjects and degree programs at THI and the tools developed will also be made available to other universities and cooperation partners as open source.

About the sponsor

The "Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre" (Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching) is a trust foundation under the sponsorship of the Toepfer Stiftung gGmbH and aims to further develop and permanently strengthen high-quality and internationally competitive teaching at German universities. With the funding program "Strengthening university teaching through digitization", the foundation will support a total of 139 project proposals from universities and colleges over the next few years, including 115 individual and 24 collaborative applications, with a total funding volume of up to €330 million.