Author: Daniele Di Mitri

Daniele Di Mitri is a professor of Multimodal Learning Technologies at the German University of Digital Science. At the German UDS, he leads the research group "Augmented Feedback" and coordinates the master's in Advanced Digital Realities.  He is an associated researcher at the DIPF - Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education and a lecturer at the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany. Daniele Di Mitri received his PhD in Learning Analytics and Wearable Sensor Support from the Open University of the Netherlands. His current research focuses on developing AI-driven, multimodal learning technologies to enhance digital education. It aims to create innovative, responsible solutions that improve learning experiences through advanced feedback systems and ethical integration of technology. He is a "Johanna Quandt Young Academy" fellow and was elected "AI Newcomer 2021" at the KI Camp by the German Informatics Society. He is a member of the CrossMMLA, a special interest group of the Society for Learning Analytics Research, and the chair of the special interest group on AI for Education of the European Association for Technology-Enhanced Learning.
CategoriesDigital learningEducation

What Duolingo taught me

Posted on 12/18/2015by Daniele Di Mitri

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I consider Duolingo he best learning application available on the market to date. I have been using for quite almost 4 months and I thought it is useful to write down the reasons why I consider it to be an outstanding mobile-first learning app. I think all educational developers and instructional designers should take inspiration from Duolingo much as possible.  The reason is the combination of some important elements.

  • It's a mobile native application: it's thought as a mobile-first application, it offers also a desktop web version although 80% of users are mobile.
  • It uses gamification elements: it uses a structured learning plan divided into several learning stages which the user has to unlock progressively. For each level completed experience points are awarded. The app allows to compare the experience points collected periodically with other friend users.
  • It's free of charge and is ad-free.
  • It's fully adaptive to the learner. A opening test at the beginning of each course determines the level of expertise in the language. That influences the entire course.
  • Reinforces learning: it uses strength bars which decrease without constant training. In this way it encourages the user not to give up and learn more.
  • The GUI is well designed: the options are minimalistic and seamless.
  • It uses crowdsourcing: to earn money it asks the users to translate documents and review other translations. Crowd translation is not only a smart business model but is also the most reliable way to elicit ground truth.
CategoriesDigital learningEducation

Will this Revolutionize Education?

Posted on 12/15/2015by Daniele Di Mitri

Yesterday I stumbled upon this video concerning the role of technology in Education. I found it particularly interesting because it validates what has been always my claim. Whichever educational technology we pick, which enhances or supports learning, that will be never part the learning-core, the sphere where the magic happens. The latter is a complex system of purely human dynamics: the learning process always boils down to the relationship among the teacher and the learner, and among the learner and his or her peers.