The UTA College of Education STEM-E(RC)² Professional Development & Workshops are designed to support educators in enhancing their skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. These sessions emphasize research-based strategies, equity, and real-world classroom application to improve student learning outcomes. Participants engage in hands-on activities, collaborative learning, and innovative teaching practices tailored to diverse learning environments. The program aims to empower teachers to create inclusive, effective, and engaging STEM experiences for all students.
Atharva Atul Dange, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT (dange98@mit.edu)
Title: AI in Education: Chatbots, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and the Future of Learning
Abstract: The growing integration of AI into university instruction has underscored the importance of tools that provide course-aligned, pedagogically structured support. Quantitative and qualitative evidence from recent deployments, like the UTA Study Buddy bot and JBot, shows that chatbots carefully integrated into coursework can supply feedback, scaffolding, and peer–like interaction. In classes like nursing, physics, and history, these systems have been used to rehearse or receive feedback on exams, organize written work, and reintroduce a collaborative dynamic: often absent in online-only environments. Usage statistics, engagement logs, and survey responses indicate that these tools can operate effectively within existing instructional workflows, with minimal disruption. Evaluations of structured AI tutoring systems such as aiPlato show that high engagement with stepwise feedback in open-ended physics homework is associated with stronger course performance, consistent with controlled studies indicating that well-designed AI tutors can achieve learning gains comparable to or exceeding those of “traditional” active-learning pedagogies. Together, these developments point toward emerging agentic AI capable of supporting personalized learning, adaptive guidance, and course-aware academic assistance. Signaling a significant shift in how university learning may soon be designed and delivered.
Bio: Atharva Dange received his Honors B.S. in Physics and Mathematics (with a minor in Philosophy) from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) in 2020, completing an Honors Thesis in space physics. He has received numerous awards for his work including the UTA President’s Charter Award, an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) research grant, and multiple departmental scholarships for academic excellence. In 2023, he received the prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship to conduct high-energy neutrino physics research at CERN, Switzerland, working on the ProtoDUNE experiment. He earned his PhD in Physics from UTA in 2025. Atharva is a member of the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where his research focuses on educational technology and AI-enhanced learning in physics.
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Dr. Lauren Weisberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation (TAP), UTA College of Education (lauren.weisberg@uta.edu)
Title: Shaping Tomorrow’s Classrooms: Designing Meaningful Technology-Enhanced Learning in K–12 Education
Abstract: The rapid evolution of technology has made digital literacy essential for success in today’s world. Yet students’ experiences with digital tools in K–12 classrooms vary widely, with technology often used for passive or routine tasks rather than deeper learning. In this talk, I share how my interdisciplinary research examines ways to strengthen technology integration by supporting teachers in designing engaging, innovative, and instructionally meaningful technology-enhanced learning experiences. I highlight work focused on teacher preparation and professional learning in computing and STEM education, with an emphasis on helping educators move beyond basic tool use toward approaches that foster critical thinking, problem solving, and creative application. This work aims to better prepare students for learning, work, and participation in a technology-rich society.
Bio: Lauren Weisberg is an assistant professor at UTA whose research sits at the intersection of teacher education and educational technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida in 2024 after spending more than a decade teaching STEM and visual arts courses at the secondary and college levels. In projects funded by NSF, IES, and Google, her work has helped broaden participation for K-12 students in computing and STEM education. She has also designed microcredentials and teacher professional learning focused on meaningful and innovative technology integration. Her current work focuses on expanding AI literacy for K-12 teachers and students through integrated approaches that connect AI concepts to real-world contexts.
RSVP