Charting New Paths for AI & Emerging Tech for Learning

At The TRAILblazer Lab, we like to explore the intersection of automation and play! We conduct applied R&D on how artificial intelligence, digital personalization, game-based learning and other emerging technologies can be used for teaching, learning, and technology skills development. We are also focused on how computing can be used to represent human knowledge and cognition to inform the design of responsible AI and robotics systems, so that AI systems are transparent and understandable to humans. In all our systems we design, we strive to use technology as an amplifying technology while remembering to center people in interactions (not machines), build for human needs and ethics, and align with evidence-driven principles of how people learn, think, and communicate.

We like to explore the possibilities of emerging technologies like generative AI, AI agents, robotics, automation, the metaverse, and social networks…and whatever will come our way next. We want to be trailblazers for productive, but responsible use of technology to support all learners in skill development and for everyone to be successful in today’s workforce.

Experienced Team

We are a group of scholars and students who are excited about new technologies and new ways of interacting, but always are mixing in a bit of play and fun in the things we design for learning. We have several combined decades of experience in research and development of educational technologies and teaching digital skills to people of all ages. See our team page for more info.

Cutting-Edge Research

Our lab regularly initiates new projects to ask groundbreaking questions about how new technologies can be effectively used for teaching, learning, and research. See our projects page and software page for more info.

Teaching & Learning Insights

We share the results of our studies and projects in hope that we can encourage productive, yet responsible development of technologies and approaches for learning. See our news page, software page, and publications page for more info.