Overview and Objectives

The Special Track on Intelligent Learning Technologies (ILTs) will be held as part of the 31th International Conference of the Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society (FLAIRS-31), which will take place from 21-23 May, 2018 at Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront in Melbourne, Florida, USA. The special track aims to provide a forum for ILT researchers to share their current projects and recent studies that identify, investigate, and (begin to) resolve issues that relate to ILTs.

A special track consists of a group of papers in a sub-discipline of artificial intelligence. Special tracks are an integral part of each FLAIRS conference: their papers are required to meet the same standards and are published in the conference proceedings, and the tracks run in parallel with the general conference. Special tracks provide researchers in focused areas the opportunity to meet and present their work, and they offer a forum for interaction among the broader community of artificial intelligence researchers.

What are Intelligent Learning Technologies?

Intelligent learning technologies include a diverse array of computer-based systems and tools designed to foster meaningful student learning. These technologies are intelligent to the extent they implement artificial intelligence principles and techniques to create teachable structure from content, analyze and model inputs from the learner, and generate personalized and adaptive feedback and guidance. Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) represent a classic example. ITSs, broadly defined, possess an “outer loop” that intelligently selects the next relevant task, or content object, for learners to complete based on prior performance, and an “inner loop” that provides iterative and intelligent feedback as learners work toward completing their tasks. However, intelligent learning technologies encompass more than just intelligent tutors. Increasingly, educational games, automated writing evaluation, virtual pedagogical agents, simulations, virtual worlds, open-ended problem solving, generative concept maps, AI-assisted authoring systems, learning content aggregation programs, and e-textbooks rely on some form of artificial intelligence to enrich the learning experience.

The ILT research community is multidisciplinary; it draws upon artificial intelligence, computer science, educational psychology, the learning sciences, human systems, linguistics, and more. The Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Educational Data Mining, Learning Analytics, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, and Affective Computing communities are all of high relevance.

What is the GOAL of the track?

The purpose of this track is to bring together an international group of scientists to present innovative empirical research, technical innovations, and well-grounded theory related to artificial intelligence in learning technologies. This track will inform attendees about recent developments in the design, implementation, and evaluation of such systems.

This track is a continuation of the 2015-2017 FLAIRS ILT tracks, which naturally emerged from the longstanding Intelligent Tutoring Systems special track. The aim of the Intelligent Learning Technologies track is to be more representative and inclusive of the diverse work being conducted with intelligent systems that support student learning.

Topics of Interest

The Intelligent Learning Technologies special track welcomes original, well-written reports on empirical evaluations of learning technologies, innovative designs and implementations, and theoretical principles that advance the field. The preference for all submissions is to include both substantive references to the existing literature and empirical data. We seek submissions that address a variety of intelligent learning technology issues including, but not limited to:

  • Adaptive scaffolding in open-ended learning environments
  • Assistive technologies for learners with special needs
  • Automated writing evaluation
  • Educational data mining and learning analytics
  • Interaction-based learner modeling from novice or expert populations
  • Effective design principles for intelligent learning technologies
  • Game-based, narrative-based, and immersive learning environments
  • Intelligent tutoring systems
  • Natural language processing to support intelligent interaction and feedback
  • Novel designs, interfaces, and scaffolds
  • Overcoming challenges within the field (e.g., gaming the system, ill-defined domains)
  • Teachable agents, learning companions, and other pedagogical agents
  • Tests of existing intelligent learning technologies
  • Efficient sampling methods for experiments in learning environments.
  • Analysis and analytics of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)

Important Dates

Paper Submission Deadline: 20 November, 2017

Acceptance Notification: 22 January, 2018

Camera-Ready Papers Due: 26 February, 2018

FLAIRS-31 Conference: 21-23 May, 2018

Author Instructions

Submitted papers must be original, and not submitted concurrently to a journal or another conference. Double-blind reviewing will be provided, so submitted papers must use fake author names and affiliations. Papers must use the latest AAAI Press Word template or LaTeX macro package, and must be submitted as PDF through the EasyChair conference system. (N.B. Do not use a fake name for your EasyChair login; your EasyChair account information is hidden from reviewers.)

There are three kinds of submissions: full papers (up to 6 pages), short papers (up to 4 pages), and poster abstracts (up to 250 words). Acceptance as a full paper entails a 20 minute presentation during a regular session, while short papers and abstracts will be required to participate in the poster session. Rejected full papers may still be accepted as short papers or poster abstracts. All posters will be presented according to space and time availability. Authors may submit up to two full papers as first author, and a maximum of one poster as full author (whether short paper or poster abstract). Author names may be changed or re-ordered after reviewing; however, for budgeting reasons, registration fees will be based on the details at the time of submission and review.

Papers must be submitted through the FLAIRS-31 EasyChair Submission Portal.

*Note: FLAIRS will not accept any paper which, at the time of submission, is under review for or has already been published or accepted for publication in a journal or another conference. Authors are also required not to submit their papers elsewhere during FLAIRS's review period. These restrictions apply only to journals and conferences, not to workshops and similar specialized presentations with a limited audience and without archival proceedings. Authors will be required to confirm that their submissions conform to these requirements at the time of submission.