Research Areas
Q&A with METALS Students about AIED Experience
Peng and Sutton Share Their Conference Perspectives
A group of researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute recently returned from the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2025), held in Palermo, Italy. This year, the AIED conference celebrated more than 25 years of innovative, high-quality research about how people and computers can work together to improve education.
For some HCII students, going to AIED marked their first time attending and presenting at a major academic conference. This question-and-answer style interview offers a personal look into two students’ experiences and how the opportunity shaped their perspectives on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
**
Hello, students. Can you please introduce yourselves?
Michael Sutton (MS): Hi! My name is Michael Sutton, and I am METALS class of 2025! I’m originally from Virginia, but I did my undergrad in Computer Science at MIT. I am really interested in educational technology and exploring ways that technology can foster student motivation and self efficacy.
Cindy Peng (CP): Hi everyone! This is Cindy Peng. I hold a B.S. in both Human-Computer Interaction (Interaction Design) and Business Psychology from UC San Diego, as well as an M.S. in METALS, having just graduated in 2025. My interests span HCI research, UI/UX design, and project management. Fun facts: I’ve taken the MBTI test at least five times and consistently landed as an INFJ, and I have a cat named Husky whose personality is more dog-like than feline!
What did you present at AIED 2025? Can you tell us more about that?
MS: We had the opportunity to present our paper, “PromptPair: A Personalized Multi-Agent Learning System for Developing Prompt Engineering Literacy in K-12 Educators,” at the 26th International Conference on AI in Education (AIED) in Palermo, Italy. What started as a class project from 05-840: Tools for Online Learning became my first in-person academic presentation, kicking off the inaugural Workshop on AI Literacy Education For All.
CP: Yes, PromptPair began as a class project in Tools for Online Learning with Steven Moore and has now evolved into an active research line. We also submitted a Demo Paper to the Interactive Events Track: “PromptPair: Scaffolding Prompt Engineering for K-12 Educators Through Guided Discovery Learning and Multi-Agent Feedback.”
Did you have any personal takeaways from presenting at the AIED conference?
MS: Presenting at a conference was both challenging and rewarding. It was cool to see the growing, passionate community committed to making AI in education more accessible. I also found that a lot of the informal conversations I had often led to the deepest insights I gained from the event. For me, this conference helped me realize that I don't dislike research as much as I thought. I used to think I wasn’t a “research person,” but this conference changed that – seeing what people are working on (and sharing my own work) was pretty fun!
CP: Presenting in both demo and workshop formats really emphasized how important it is to match the technical depth to your audience. I noticed that short, live demos often sparked more questions and engagement than just sharing static slides. Listening to how other teams are measuring AI literacy outcomes also gave us some great ideas for improving our own study design and assessment tools for the next round of research. Finally, sharing our work with such a diverse, international audience challenged us to clarify our thinking and consider our project from a broader perspective.
AIED was co-located with two other learning-focused conferences, creating a unique concentration of ed tech researchers in one place. How was your experience networking with many other students, professors, and professionals?
MS: The co-location created an incredible concentration of ed tech expertise from around the world. I had engaging post-presentation discussions and connected with mentors like Professor John Stamper and Steven Moore over dinner. I also had the opportunity to meet with Evan Simpson, a full-stack data scientist at Mrs. Wordsmith, my capstone client. Throughout the summer, I worked with Mrs. Wordsmith as a data scientist for an efficacy study and as a developer for a diagnostic test prototype on their educational technology platform. Evan had been our main point of contact, but this was actually our first time meeting in person.
CP: I had the chance to connect with a lot of researchers and practitioners during lunch and at the demo reception, which helped me expand my LinkedIn network quite a bit. I also caught up with LearnLab colleagues, including Stamper and his students Steven Moore and Ruiwei Xiao, who shared valuable feedback and some great ideas for possible next steps with our project.
What did you learn from attending your first academic conference?
MS: Hearing about global initiatives in AI and education gave me new perspectives on equity, personalization, and the future of AI literacy. It was especially insightful to see how others are designing tools for diverse learning contexts. I thought it was especially cool hearing how researchers from around the world are applying AI in language learning contexts, another interest of mine.
CP: AI in education is quickly moving from theory to practice, with more real-world classroom pilots and teacher-driven projects than ever before. Equity and access came up again and again, with many presenters sharing strategies to make AI-powered learning more inclusive for underserved communities. I really enjoyed attending talks that highlighted the growing recognition that AI tools need to prioritize transparency and user agency, not just efficiency or performance.
Do you have any advice to share with the next cohort of METALS students?
MS: My biggest piece of advice is to explore classes outside your comfort zone! What makes METALS unique is that while it has a strong learning science foundation, it's housed in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute within the School of Computer Science. This gives you access to fascinating courses spanning psychology, computer science, and human-centered design. It's incredibly rewarding to see how these different fields converge to create products that genuinely benefit people.
I'd also strongly encourage getting involved in research. There are numerous exciting HCI projects actively seeking research assistants, and you can earn degree credits while contributing to cutting-edge work. These research experiences could even lead you to present at conferences like AIED, an amazing opportunity to share your work with the broader research community. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is truly its strength, so embrace the chance to learn from multiple perspectives and apply that knowledge to real-world challenges.
CP: I would highly recommend taking full advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you! Read class syllabi and descriptions, and don’t hesitate to reach out to faculty to see which courses align with your expectations and career or personal growth aspirations. Many classes are not only practical but they also open doors to collaborative projects that can turn into future startup products or publishable research. Try to get involved with ongoing studies or join a research group early; hands-on experience will help you build valuable connections. METALS is generous enough to fund students who are interested in attending academic conferences, so why not take this opportunity? Next year, you might get to visit someplace even cooler than Sicily, Italy :D The METALS program moves quickly; before you know it, you’ll be graduating, so make the most of every chance to learn and grow!
**
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us, Cindy and Michael.
For a full recap of CMU work presented at the three co-located conferences in Italy, visit the story What’s Next for AI and Education.
