Innovative Research Projects Awarded 2025 CREDS Research Sprint Funding

Three cutting-edge projects have been selected as the recipients of the 2025 CREDS (Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society) Research Sprint Funds. These projects tackle some of the most urgent questions in the intersection of education and digital technology, with a focus on AI, transdisciplinary learning, and digital literacy.

The winning projects span diverse educational contexts and demonstrate CREDS’ commitment to fostering rapid, impactful research that addresses challenges in contemporary digital education.

1. Understanding the Impact of AI Tutoring on Female Students’ Engagement and Learning Outcomes

Led by Camille Dickson-Deane (Senior Lecturer, UTS, CREDS Full Member), Amara Atif (Lecturer, UTS, CREDS Associate Member), Gary Liang (Founder & CEO of Bloom AI, CREDS Associate Member), and Joanne Villis (Director of Technology Enrichment, St Dominic’s Priory College), this project investigates how female students interact with Bloom AI Tutor.

The team will use a mixed-methods approach, combining usage data analysis with surveys and interviews, to assess how AI tools influence female students’ confidence in STEM, emotional wellbeing, and academic success over time. This study aims to close a key gap in existing AI education research by focusing specifically on female students and examining real-world classroom implementations.

2. Transdisciplinary Learning in Conventional Education: Leveraging Activity Theory and Change Laboratory Approaches for Technology-Enhanced Student Agency

This project, led by Lauren Knussen (Lecturer, UTS, CREDS member) and Annie Agnew (Senior Lecturer, UTS, CREDS member), explores the integration of digitally-mediated transdisciplinary learning in traditional school environments.

Using a Change Laboratory methodology, the research will engage teachers in collaborative professional learning workshops to design and implement new transdisciplinary learning practices. The project emphasizes digital tools that capture student thinking and track learning trajectories, supporting real-time assessment and student agency. Outcomes will include frameworks and resources for educators looking to embed cross-disciplinary, real-world inquiry into their teaching.

3. AI Literacy Support

The third funded project is a collaborative effort by Damian Maher, Keith Heggart, and Don Carter—all experienced educators and researchers with ties to CREDS. Their work focuses on how artificial intelligence can support literacy learning for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The research will involve classroom observations and interviews to examine how AI tools can be meaningfully integrated into everyday teaching. The goal is to provide actionable insights into how educators can use AI to better meet the diverse literacy needs of students, especially in under-resourced settings.

These projects exemplify the dynamic and interdisciplinary approach at the heart of CREDS’ research vision. By supporting short, high-impact studies, the CREDS Research Sprint Fund enables scholars to respond quickly to emerging issues in education technology and pedagogy.

“Each of these projects tackles a real-world challenge in innovative ways,” said Keith Heggart. “They reflect our commitment to inclusive, digitally enhanced education that supports both learners and educators in a rapidly evolving digital society.”

Stay tuned for updates as these projects unfold and contribute to the future of digital learning.