On 26 June, MindSpin representatives met the higher education interoperability workgroup, including experts and representatives from 24 European University alliances, gathered for a workshop organised by the European Digital Education Hub (EDEH).
The participants explored key components for
- interoperable virtual learning campuses
- flexible learning paths
- seamless mobility within and between alliances
Their work on the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework aims to fulfil the shared vision presented in the Higher Education Interoperability Manifesto [pdf]
Explainable AI (also referred to as XAI) in education refers to AI systems that reveal how certain decisions and recommendations are made in educational contexts. Unlike traditional AI, which can be a ‘black box’ with hidden processes, XAI reveals its decision-making steps.
This transparency helps students, educators and administrators to better understand the AI’s reasoning. By making AI decisions more transparent, XAI can support fairer, more effective, and inclusive educational experiences.
Aims of the Workshop
- review the analysis of existing solutions and the extent to which they meet the requirements of the current use cases for interoperability
- prioritise use cases and topics to address to help European University alliances’ work
- co-create the framework to ensure that it meets the needs of European University alliances and to provides a solid basis for further work
- discuss expectations and ideas on how guidelines might be produced
The discussions covered
- the regulatory framework of the AI Act
- the importance of ethics
- the need for AI literacy
and were followed by proposals such as
- developing an AI literacy framework
- adapting the EU’s SELFIE tool to measure AI transparency
Highlights and insights
The participants highlighted the need for
- common terminology
- standards
- a clear, concise narrative
to make the virtual higher education campuses interoperable.
To ensure seamless learner journey and data exchange among institutions, the framework for higher education interoperability needs to be practical. Ways of making this happen could be compiling an implementation toolkit and a prescriptive solution architecture blueprint on which to base development and implementation decisions.
Participants agreed that it would be good to have a platform for sharing good practices and discussion between higher education institutions and alliances.
Feedback from the workshop will support the framework that will be published in February 2025.