To aid in AL-ALOE’s role as a nexus for the fields of adult learning, online education, and artificial intelligence, the Institute hosted two invitational research outreach workshops in December 2023 and January 2024. The first workshop centered on cutting-edge developments in both foundational and use-inspired AI, particularly for enhancing online occupationally-focused learning for adults. The second centered on specific ways AI can improve online learning to help the entry, upskilling, and reskilling of the next generation of American workers.
Each workshop included an overview of the AI-ALOE institute, opportunities and challenges in adult online learning, and emerging AI developments and tools. The goal of the workshops was to foster innovation and collaboration by briefing small groups (15-20) of experts in specific topics about the work of AI-ALOE, then offering participants the opportunity to become affiliated AI-ALOE Research Fellows.
The workshops resulted in AI-ALOE adding a very distinguished group of 27 Research Fellows in Artificial Intelligence and in Online Learning. They have some opportunities to participate in our events, seminars, and workshops. Additionally, a dedicated Slack channel serves the nexus for the research fellows, fostering an environment conducive to idea exchange, project exploration, and collaborative research endeavors in AI and education. Discussions with that group about mutual topics of interest are ongoing.
AI-ALOE Research Fellows

Laura Allen
University of Minnesota

Marti Cleveland-Innes
Athabasca University

Shayan Doroudi
University of California-Irvine

Effat Farhana
Vanderbilt University

Margarita Gonzalez
Georgia Tech Research Institute

DJ Jeffries
Columbia University

Juho Kim
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Rene Kizilcec
Cornell University

Amruth Kumar
Ramapo College of New Jersey

Barbara Lockee
Virginia Tech

Duri Long
Northwestern University

Allison Littlejohn
University College London

Patrick Lowenthal
Boise State University

Jennifer Ma
Harvard University

Katie McCarthy
Georgia State University

Danielle McNamara
Arizona State University

Leire Nuere Salgado
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

Mitchell Peters
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Mairead Pratschke
The University of Manchester

Rebecca Quintana
University of Michigan

Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi
Columbia University

Peter Shea
Middlesex Community College

Norm Vaughan
Mount Royal University

George Veletsianos
University of Minnesota

Elizabeth Tighe
Georgia State University

Leo C. Ureel II
Michigan Technological University

Xiaoming Zhai
University of Georgia