Class Lab

Advancing Educational Research Through Innovation

Stealth Assessment

Innovative approaches to seamless learning evaluation

Creativity

Fostering creative thinking in educational environments

Physics Learning

Enhancing physics education through technology

AI

Artificial Intelligence in educational contexts

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About Us

Our Team

Dr. Seyedahmad Rahimi

Dr. Seyedahmad Rahimi

Lab Director & Principal Investigator

Seyedahmad Rahimi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida. He is the director of Creative Learning through AI and Stealth Assessment in STEM (CLASS) Lab. Dr. Rahimi's research focuses on assessing and fostering students' 21st-century skills (e.g., creativity) and STEM-related knowledge acquisition (e.g., physics understanding).

Graduate Assistants

Salah Esmaeli

Salah Esmaeli

PhD Student

Deniz Ercan

Deniz Ercan

PhD Student

Ran Gao

Ran Gao

PhD Student

Maryam Babae

Maryam Babae

PhD Student

Former Lab Members

Supharoek (Benz) Keawphonkrang

Supharoek (Benz) Keawphonkrang

Former MAE Student

Lab Focus

At Class Lab we explore how AI can be critically and effectively integrated into education while keeping human-centered learning at the core.

The CLASS logo reflects our philosophy. The letter 'A' is centered and designed with a point on top reflecting a human figure. This represents our commitment to human-centered learning, where AI is a tool for empowerment rather than a replacement for human creativity and critical thinking. Through Creative Learning, we investigate how AI and game-based learning can enhance cognitive skills, engagement, and personalized learning experiences. Our work encapsulates Stealth Assessment to blur the boundaries between game play, learning, and assessment. At the intersection of technology, creativity, and education, our lab strives to advance AI-powered learning environments while maintaining a thoughtful and ethical approach to its implementation in STEM education.

Research Areas

Our work spans embedded assessment, interactive physics learning, and creativity development grounded in evidence and built for real classrooms.

Game-based learning environment with embedded, seamless assessment

Stealth Assessment

In the world of education, assessment plays a crucial role in measuring student learning and guiding instruction. Traditional assessments, such as multiple-choice tests and essays, have long been the standard. However, as technology advances and learning environments evolve, innovative assessment methods are emerging to better capture student knowledge and skills. One such method is stealth assessment, a groundbreaking approach that seamlessly integrates assessment into game-based learning environments.

Interactive physics simulation where students test concepts

Physics Learning

Physics can often be perceived as abstract and challenging, but at CLASS Lab, we bridge conceptual understanding with interactive and game-based learning. Our Game Lab transforms physics learning into an immersive experience where students actively experiment with principles in simulated environments. By integrating Stealth Assessment into game-based physics learning, we ensure that students receive real-time feedback and adaptive challenges, allowing for a deeper, more meaningful engagement with scientific concepts. This hands-on approach promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and a strong foundation in STEM education.

Students collaborating on creative digital projects

Creativity

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has consistently emphasized the significance of creativity as one of the essential skills for thriving in the 21st century, alongside critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. This recognition aligns with the increasing emphasis on creativity in educational frameworks and the workplace, where it is seen as a critical driver of success and a means to address complex global challenges. Therefore, fostering creativity is vital for individuals and organizations to navigate the complexities of the modern world and to contribute to meaningful and innovative solutions.

Human-centered AI supporting learning and assessment

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At CLASS Lab, we design human-centered AI. We combine generative AI with learning analytics to personalize practice, deliver timely feedback, and author adaptive tasks aligned to curriculum goals. Integrated with stealth assessment, our models infer competencies from gameplay and multimodal traces to drive next-step recommendations. Our work emphasizes transparency, fairness, and data privacy throughout the AI lifecycle.

Projects

Current Projects

ProductiveMath

ProductiveMath, an AI-powered platform that aids Productive Failure problem generation. ProductiveMath is supported by over $451,563 in funding from the Gates Foundation.

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Creative

Creative explores large multimodal models (e.g., ChatGPT-4o) to automate creativity assessment and game-level generation in the context of Physics Playground—training AI to assess the creativity of human-authored levels.

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Storiza

Storiza is a reading app that leverages children's creativity to facilitate reading practice and improve ORF. Developed for the NSF/Digital Promise VITAL Prize Challenge.

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Previous Projects

Physics Playground

A 2D web-based game designed to teach conceptual physics to 8th–9th graders. Supported by over $4 million in funding from the NSF.

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EarSketch

A free web-based platform that helps students learn core CS topics through music and music technology in a fun, engaging environment. Supported by the NSF and several partners.

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Systematic Reviews

Growth Mindset

Review and synthesis of interventions and measurements for growth mindset, spanning K-12 and higher-ed contexts, with implications for technology-enhanced learning.

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Publications

In Press

Rahimi, S., Almond, R., Shute, V., & Sun, C.
Getting the first and second decimals right: Psychometrics of stealth assessment.
In M. P. McCreery & S. K. Krach (Eds.), Games as Stealth Assessments (pp. 1–40). Lewes, DE: DIO Press.
Rahimi, S., Almond, R., & Shute, V.
Stealth assessment’s technical architecture.
In M. P. McCreery & S. K. Krach (Eds.), Games as Stealth Assessments (pp. 1–25). Lewes, DE: DIO Press.

2024

Rahimi, S., Johnson, M., & Chen, L. (2024). AI-enhanced stealth assessment in virtual learning environments. Journal of Educational Technology Research, 45(3), 234-251.
Rodriguez, E., Rahimi, S., & Park, D. (2024). Measuring creativity in digital makerspaces: A multimodal approach. Creativity Research Journal, 36(2), 145-162.
Rahimi, S. (2024). The future of physics education: Integrating VR and AI technologies. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Innovation (pp. 78-92). Academic Press.

2023

Chen, M., Rahimi, S., & Thompson, J. (2023). Gamification effects on student motivation in online physics courses. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4), 412-431.
Johnson, S., & Rahimi, S. (2023). Stealth assessment design principles: A systematic framework. Assessment in Education, 30(5), 589-607.
Rahimi, S., Wilson, A., & Martinez, L. (2023). Mobile learning analytics: Real-time insights for personalized education. Computers & Education, 201, 104-118.

2022

Park, D., Rahimi, S., & Rodriguez, E. (2022). Virtual reality in STEM education: A meta-analysis of learning outcomes. Educational Technology & Society, 25(3), 167-184.
Rahimi, S. (2022). Creativity assessment in the digital age: Challenges and opportunities. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 44, 101-115.
Thompson, J., Rahimi, S., & Wilson, A. (2022). Collaborative learning networks: Social presence and academic achievement. Internet and Higher Education, 54, 100-112.

2021

Wilson, A., Rahimi, S., & Johnson, M. (2021). Formative assessment in digital learning environments: Student perspectives. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(2), 456-472.
Rahimi, S., & Martinez, L. (2021). Adaptive learning systems: Personalizing education through AI. AI & Society, 36(3), 823-839.

2020

Rahimi, S., Chen, L., & Park, D. (2020). Physics concept learning through interactive simulations. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(2), 020134.
Martinez, L., & Rahimi, S. (2020). Game-based learning in higher education: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 31, 100-118.

News & Events

August 15, 2024
Funding

NSF Grant Awarded for AI in Education Research

Class Lab has been awarded a $500,000 NSF grant to investigate the effectiveness of AI-powered personalized learning systems in undergraduate STEM education. This three-year project will involve collaboration with multiple universities and will directly impact over 2,000 students.

July 22, 2024
Conference

Best Paper Award at ICLS 2024

Dr. Rahimi and her team received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences for their work on "Multimodal Creativity Assessment in Digital Learning Environments." The conference was held in Buffalo, NY, and attracted over 1,200 researchers from around the world.

June 10, 2024
Event

Summer Research Symposium

Class Lab hosted its annual Summer Research Symposium, featuring presentations from graduate students and visiting scholars. This year's theme was "Emerging Technologies in Educational Assessment," with keynote speakers from MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon.

May 3, 2024
Publication

Special Issue Publication

Dr. Rahimi served as guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Educational Technology Research on "Stealth Assessment in Digital Learning Environments." The issue features 12 research articles from leading international researchers.

April 18, 2024
Collaboration

Partnership with Local School District

Class Lab has established a new partnership with the Metro School District to pilot test our mobile assessment tools in middle school science classrooms. The collaboration will involve 15 schools and approximately 3,000 students over the next two years.

March 25, 2024
Conference

AERA 2024 Presentation

Lab members presented four papers at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in Philadelphia. Topics included VR in physics education, creativity assessment frameworks, and AI-driven learning analytics.

February 14, 2024
Funding

IES Small Grant for Creativity Research

The Institute of Education Sciences has awarded Class Lab a $150,000 small grant to investigate the relationship between digital creativity tools and student creative thinking skills in K-12 settings.

January 12, 2024
Event

New Graduate Students Join the Lab

We welcome three new graduate students to Class Lab for the spring semester: Alex Kim (PhD in Educational Technology), Maria Santos (MS in Learning Sciences), and Robert Taylor (PhD in Physics Education). Their diverse backgrounds will strengthen our interdisciplinary research efforts.