On 27 November 2025, the HITS consortium met at the University of Maribor for a full day of work dedicated to the future of AI-driven tutoring systems in higher education.
Among methodological updates, impact assessment discussions, ethical frameworks and outreach strategies, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly the co-design workshop with Informatics students.
Co-Designing the Next-Generation Chatbot-ITS
In the afternoon, mixed teams of students and project partners collaborated to design prototypes of future Intelligent Tutoring Systems.
Together, we explored:
• UX ideas for more intuitive and transparent AI tutors
• Ethical behaviours for student-centred chatbot interactions
• Approaches to integrating explainability and fairness into system design
• Early drafts of interfaces and user journeys, later showcased in a final pitch session
The students’ creativity, technical insight and critical thinking provided invaluable input for the next development phase of HITS.
Why it matters
This workshop demonstrated the value of involving students directly in shaping AI tools that will impact their learning experience. Their contribution will help us build solutions that are not only innovative, but also ethical, inclusive and aligned with real user needs.
A huge thank you to the Univerza v Mariboru / University of Maribor for hosting us, and to all students and partners who made this intense and inspiring day possible.