We are looking for one PhD candidate for our new research topic on Artificial Intelligence in Education. Artificial Intelligence, with its many approaches covering model-based and model-free algorithms, machine learning, neural networks, sets out to impact many aspects of our daily life. In education, the use of AI is still in very early stages. Within our research, we are looking into the use of AI from two perspectives: (1) What contributions can we expect from AI towards improving learning and teaching processes? We are interested to see, if AI can support richer, individualised, meaningful learning experiences and support teachers to better understand and support struggling learners with a focus on distance education models. (2) Under which conditions can AI be best used in educational settings? Here, we specifically look into aspects of privacy, trust, reliability, and responsibility. How can AI support decision making without taking the decision? How can AI explain its recommendations? How can we prevent AI to give wrong feedback?
In this context, we are looking for a PhD candidate, who performs research along the following lines:

• survey the state of the art of AI in education and AI approaches in general to identify candidates for educational AI;
• setup of an experimental AI infrastructure to measure learner activities from various data sources (including learning activities and/or sensor data);
• classify learner behaviour (e.g. attention level);
• derive feedback to the learner, including explanations on how this feedback was derived.

The candidate will further perform experiments and studies with participants in online distance education to measure the effectiveness of chosen approaches.

Tasks

• independently conducting the PhD research project (literature synthesis, data collection and analyses, reporting) in the above mentioned field, resulting in scientific publications in international journals and a PhD thesis;
• actively participating in the joint research meetings of the project team and the research team meetings of the institute of employment;
• following courses and partaking in research school SIKS;
• teaching or development tasks within the faculty (max. 0.15 fte) may be part of this position.

• master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Learning Technologies or related fields, preferably a research master;
• ambition to collaborate with national and international partners and to stay abroad for (short) research visits in the context of the project
• ambition to develop oneself as scientific researcher;
• good social skills;
• good written and oral communication skills in English and ambition to learn Dutch
• knowledge of quantitative research methods and analyses in the social sciences;
• analytical thinking and creativity.
• Willing to learn the Dutch language

Fixed-term contract: Temporary position for 4 years.

The PhD candidate will be initially appointed for a period of 15 months. The appointment will be extended to four years when progress and performance are good. The salary is € 2.395,= gross per month in the first year and is expected to increase to € 3.061,= in the fourth year, for a fulltime appointment, contingent on satisfactory performance.

The OU provides good secondary benefits such as training, mobility, part-time employment and paid parental leave.

The Open Universiteit

Studying online anywhere in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders)
The Open Universiteit (OU) is the university in the Netherlands where students study part-time and follow online and activating education in bachelor and master degree programmes in seven fields of study. Characteristics of the education are openness, flexibility and quality. Enhancing the study success of students is an important point of focus. More than 15.000 students are studying at the OUNL and it has almost 700 employees. The OU has a network of regional study centres in the Netherlands and in Belgium (Flanders) (https://www.ou.nl/studiecentra). The head office is situated in Heerlen.

The most modern technologies and educational insights are applied in bachelor and master programmes and courses and also in projects and programmes with partners. Nationally and internationally the OU plays a key role in the innovation of higher education. Education and research are closely interrelated which guarantees that the current state of science is applied. The OU not only invests in research in the various academic disciplines, but also in research in the field of learning, teaching and technology.

Satisfied students
For several consecutive years, the OU has achieved a top position among the fourteen Dutch universities in the National Students Survey, the Dutch university guide ‘Keuzegids Universiteiten’ (in which the ratings by students and experts of the bachelor studies of the fourteen universities are compared), and the Dutch university guide ‘Keuzegids Masters’. In addition all studies score high in the rankings of the universities for these studies. All ratings are available on the OU-website   (https://www.ou.nl/rankings).