Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
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PAC Learning Or: Why We Should (and Shouldn't) Trust Machine Learning
Get PDFIn this interactive article, we present an interactive game that represents the types of tasks solved by machine learning algorithms. We use this game to motivate the definition of Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) learning, illustrating a proof of PAC learnability for Empirical Risk Minimization (ERM). Then, we show three types of vulnerabilities of ERM that often occur in applied machine learning - domain mismatch, dependencies in data, and an incorrect model class. We conclude by arguing for the need for visualization to identify these issues in a modeling dataset
Returning from Practice to Theory to Practice too
Get PDFContemporary aspirations of higher education emphasise various conceptions of employability and ready-to-work students. This is often included in education as authentic problems parting from prospective vocational practices or different types of apprenticeship, thus reciprocally enriching theorical insights with practical actions for the becoming novice, student. Practice becomes a space entangled in specific pedagogical approaches and considerations. However, the opposite also happens, practice returning to education, where practitioners with years of vocational experience return.
This paper presents a case study of an educational Master’s program consisting of both students continuing the education from a bachelor program, and practitioners returning to education. Based on Dewey’s experiential continuum, we investigate how we by non-intrusive means can aid students’ (N = 28) in reflecting on their past, present and anticipated future in relation to the educational program. The data consist of short, personal snapshots containing short personal characteristics, motivations, and career prospects written by the students on post-it notes (N = 311). The post-its were collected on the first day of study through a workshop.
The snapshots show a wide variation in students’ rationales and ambitions, such as technical and generic competence development, modes of studying, aspirations to change career and profession, but also personal aspects such as family life. A common denominator is a shared story about ambitions to change current careers or open new avenues for employment and professional practice
Exploring Reflective Practice-Based Learning Through Game-Based Design
Get PDFThis study examines DidakTekQuest, a board game designed to enhance Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for in-service educators by integrating Game-Based Learning (GBL) with Reflective Practice-based Learning (RPL). Framed within a design-based research methodology, the paper analyses the game's intended design to explore how it can cultivate collaboration, dialogue and reflection to promote in-service educators’ understanding of digital technology in their teaching practices. Drawing on theoretical frameworks including the concept of double stimulation, the study demonstrates how game elements can stimulate agency, dialogue and pedagogical exploration. The results highlight the potential of game-based learning to stimulate reflective dialogue and critical thinking that enable educators to meaningfully incorporate digital tools into their teaching practices
Navigating the Double-Edged Sword of AI Integration in Higher Education: Student perspective
Get PDFDigitalization is rapidly transforming society and reshaping higher education. Driven by generative AI technologies (GenAI), this shift challenges traditional paradigms and requires exploration of how digital literacy supports Reflective Practice-based Learning (RPL). Drawing on a sociomaterial theoretical understanding, this case study explores challenges and solutions in the dynamic interplay between social and material elements as AI is woven into the students' study practices. The aim is to generate insights into students’ perspectives on the use of GenAI in their study practices. International master’s students in Swedish higher education participated in focus group interviews, reflecting on AI’s role in their education. Using a problem-tree methodology, students discussed the focal problems, the underlying causes, and possible solutions. Findings show that while students value GenAI for efficiency and judgement-free support, its ubiquity creates a perceived obligation to adopt it, which fuelling ethical, emotional, and academic tensions. Students fear diminished critical thinking and creativity through over-reliance, describing AI as both enabler and threat. They call for compulsory AI-use labelling by tool providers, explicit institutional guidelines, and more hands-on, creative assignments that foster independent reasoning and AI literacy. Without such measures, comfort, social pressure, and “speed culture” risk undermining RPL’s reflective depth. The study underscores the need for balanced, transparent integration of GenAI to harness its benefits without compromising core academic skills
Enhancing Student Engagement: A Toolbox for Systematic PBL Implementation
Get PDFTo foster student engagement and improve learning outcomes, there is a growing shift from traditional teacher-centered, lecture-based teaching to student-centered, constructivist approaches. This paper proposes a student engagement toolbox designed to promote active student engagement in a systematic problem-based learning environment. The toolbox includes tools that support diverse teaching contexts, such as the 1-2-Team model, digital interaction tools, teamwork on cases, random interviews, and flipped classroom activities. To offer deeper insights, an example of applying the elements of the toolbox in a specific course at Aalborg University is presented. Furthermore, the practical implications of the toolbox are discussed, including application scenarios, advantages, potential risks, strategies for mitigating those risks, and authors’ reflections on its implementation. The findings highlight the importance of selecting tools and designing courses according to the teaching contexts to promote psychological safety and foster student interactions. This approach ultimately contributes to an improved learning experience by creating an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, empowering students to take an active role in their education. 
Implementing an Institutional Transformation in Science and Engineering: The University of Nairobi example
Get PDFTen years ago, the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya entered in a transformative reflexion to reform Engineering and Science Higher Education, Research and Innovation (HERI). Few years later, a concrete project emerged with the construction of a state-of-the-art academic building aiming at facilitating HERI by its own design, the Engineering and Science Complex (ESC), and the development of international cooperation, especially with French institutions and partners from Europe.
Six pillars of activities have been structured and launched in 2023 with six dedicated teams, mostly from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FoST) and the Faculty of Engineering (FoE): Governance, Curricula reform, Research excellence, Innovation culture, Company linkage and Internationalization.
This work-in-progress has been presented at IRSPBL2023 and is now in its implementation stage. New practices, key actions and capacity building per pillar are developed with strategic roadmaps, milestones and deliverables, learning and training programs, student and staff mobility, etc. The authors showcase concrete examples from each pillar and expose the key concept of international multi-disciplinary “Communities of Excellence” of the ESC. They emphasize the importance of international networks and partnerships, such as the AFRETEC network and the EU Global Gateway program, and share challenges and lessons learned. 
Scalable VR Solutions for Engineering Education: A Continuous Improvement Framework
Get PDFThe increasing use of technology in higher education, especially in resource-constrained environments, is reshaping how students engage with industrial experiences. Virtual Reality (VR) offers a solution to the challenges posed by growing class sizes and limited real-world access, supporting holistic Graduate Attribute Development and addressing global SDG challenges in engineering education.
This paper explores how VR can enhance student engagement with complex technological topics like Industry 4.0. It examines the effectiveness of a VR-based framework for improving student emotional responses and interest in technology, while assessing the scalability of such approaches for larger classes.
A pilot study was conducted with third- and fourth-year students participating in a voluntary virtual facility layout activity. Emotional response surveys showed that fourth-year students were more comfortable with the technology, as expected, but both groups reported increased interest in technological topics. The study uses a dynamic response evaluation model informed by these surveys, and the organizational distinction between development teams and lecturing staff enables the framework to scale effectively.
The findings demonstrate that VR can improve student engagement and comfort with emerging technologies, making it an important tool for resource-constrained environments. This framework provides a method for continuous improvement, quantifying the long-term impact of VR on engineering education curricula. By enabling adaptable, scalable learning experiences, it helps prepare students for complex engineering challenges and future technological changes, offering a valuable contribution to the ongoing evolution of engineering education
The Importance of Diverse Economic Contexts in African Student Success
Get PDFExisting research into student success may not be useful to develop interventions which can improve outcomes for engineering students in Africa, since they fail to account for diversity in local contexts. In our larger project we are using Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) to investigate student success in African engineering education, interpreted through the experiences of educators. This phase of the project aims to understand better what is meant by “student success” in African engineering education, and to articulate the contexts which impact student success. We recruited participants who had at least five years’ experience in engineering education in African institutions. We conducted a focus group with three participants, and individual semi-structured interviews with four participants. The seven participants are from six African countries and include lecturers as well as academic leaders. Our findings in this paper focus on national and institutional economic contexts. National policies governing funding of university studies, as well as historic funding strategies, contribute significantly to contextual diversity. Institutional contexts include the physical and staffing resources available, whether the institution is private or state-funded, and the socio-economic status distribution of the student body. Based on our analysis of the data, we propose a model in which economic factors are understood as emerging from interactions between national, institutional and personal context.