News & Events

Automated creativity assessment and machine creativity in sandbox games at AERA 2025.

Two long papers examining games and growth mindset, and games and executive functions.

Although Dr. Rahimi was unable to attend AIED 2025 in Palermo, the team’s research was still presented thanks to co-author Dr. Anthony Botelho.

Dr. Rahimi gave an invited talk at the University of Idaho’s Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences—his third visit.

Dr. Seyedahmad Rahimi was honored with the B.O. Smith Research Professorship Award — a two-year professorship that supports research and scholarship at the College of Education at the University of Florida, including $20K in research support.

Former CLASS Lab member presented the paper “From Surface to Depth: A Systematic Review of Assessing Computational Thinking in K–12 Digital Learning Environments” at the AECT 2025 International Convention in Las Vegas. Co-authored with Dr. Seyedahmad Rahimi, the paper examines how digital learning environments assess computational thinking (CT) and how assessments can move beyond surface-level scoring toward deeper insights into students’ CT skills.

CLASS Lab member Salah Esmaeili and his team received an award for the SmartFlash project at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) 2025 International Convention in Las Vegas. The work, co-developed with Hai Li, Nazanin Adhami, and Hongming Li, received the Emerging Learning Technology Award, presented by the Division of Emerging Learning Technologies (DELT). The award honors innovative approaches to integrating new technologies into learning and teaching. SmartFlash is an AI-powered adaptive learning tool that transforms study materials into personalized flashcards and interactive games, helping learners study smarter and providing educators with scalable, transparent insights for adaptive learning.