VNUIS Innovation and Digital Transformation Research Group - Elearning System

Today, I am here to share my thoughts after a short trip to Taiwan and attending the ICLT 2025 conference.

The trip to Taiwan in 2025 was a truly unforgettable memory for me. It was my first time setting foot in a foreign country, and everything felt so new and different. Yet, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be. I approached this journey with the mindset of going on a work trip rather than a vacation, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about being in an unfamiliar place. To make matters worse, the trip got off to a rocky start due to my carelessness, and I ended up spending a large amount of money on a short detour before even boarding the plane. It was indeed a costly lesson about being more careful.

It was also my very first experience at an airport. Even though my professor was there with me, I still felt nervous about the procedures. Luckily, everything was clearly indicated with signs, making it easy to follow the steps. And to my delight, I got a window seat on my first-ever flight! Seeing the country from above, gazing at the clouds and the endless sky, ... It was so breathtaking!

One of my first impressions upon arriving in Taiwan was the sky. It was as if I had stepped into a scene from a comic book. The clouds floated in beautiful, distinct shapes that could easily be admired with the naked eye. I could see sunlight streaming through the gaps, casting shadows on the ground that mirrored the shapes of the clouds.

And it wasn’t just from the plane. While driving on the highway with my professors, I could still clearly see those living, moving clouds. As we traveled, we chatted along the way. I had always assumed that professors’ conversations would be formal or academic, but they were surprisingly down-to-earth and full of humor. It felt amazing to see people from different countries connect through a common language. It even made me want to go home and study English seriously! 😊 That evening, I shared a meal with the professors, exchanging stories and learning about our cultures together - A dinner I’ll never forget. If only I could drink, perhaps the experience would have been even more enjoyable.

The next day was the first day of the conference at the National Changhua University of Education. I was immediately touched by the thoughtful welcome gifts: a backpack, universal power adapters, a power bank (so practical for our devices!), and even a reusable set of cutlery to avoid disposable utensils. Honestly, I felt as though I didn’t need to worry about anything even if I had forgotten my suitcase, I would have been fine!

At the conference, I met a lot of famous professors and scholars from all over the world. Everyone was warm, approachable, and highly professional. I had no doubt that they weren’t just friendly, they were also brilliant.

I also had my first experience presenting my own paper in front of these distinguished scholars. Despite my prior experience with public speaking in large classrooms, I froze as soon as I stood before them. My hands were trembling, and my mind went completely blank. I was so embarrassed! I can only hope that next time (if I’m lucky enough to have another chance), I’ll be more confident and do better.

What I learned the most from ICALT, however, was from listening to the professors’ presentations during the various sessions. It was eye-opening to see how they structured their talks, delivered their ideas, and engaged their audience. One moment that particularly stood out to me was the closing keynote by Professor Kinshuk, the founder of the ICALT conference itself. His talk gave me a broader perspective on cutting-edge technologies and the vast world beyond my own experiences. It made me realize just how small my current knowledge is, and it sparked a deep desire in me to keep learning and pushing further along the academic path.

Beyond the conference sessions, I also had time to explore Taiwan’s culture and landmarks. One of the highlights was visiting the Baguashan Temple, where I admired the towering 22-meter-tall Great Buddha statue and walked along the elevated pathways.

Looking back, this trip was both meaningful and unforgettable. I had the chance to learn, explore, and experience so many new things. I’m deeply grateful to Professor Thọ for giving me the opportunity to attend ICALT this year. It’s truly an experience that money can’t buy. I hope that in the future, I’ll be able to attend ICALT again - and this time, through my own efforts.

On April 8, the Scientists Club (VISL), Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Innovation and Digital Transformation Research Group, International School – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), jointly organized a scientific seminar with the topic “Artificial Intelligence, Ontology, and Philosophy”, both in-person and online.

The main speaker of the program is Prof. Dr. Riichiro Mizoguchi - Expert at Japan Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (JAIST) and Associate Researcher, ISTC-CNR Laboratory for Applied Ontology, Trento, Italy. The discussion session is moderated by Prof. Dr. Ho Tu Bao - Scientific Advisor, Expert of International School.

Prof. Mizoguchi discusses the topic “Artificial Intelligence, Ontology, and Philosophy”.

During the program, Prof. Mizoguchi deeply analyzed the impact of large language models (LLM) and generative AI on modern society. He emphasized that besides outstanding advantages, such as the ability to support content creation and process automation, these technologies also have notable limitations, especially the risk of over-reliance on AI tools. The speaker encouraged attendees to develop scientific curiosity and independent thinking to maximize the potential of AI. Prof. Mizoguchi also addressed fundamental philosophical questions and explained the role of ontology in helping AI understand and interpret the world through logical concepts.

The seminar attracted the attention of many lecturers, students, and researchers.

In particular, Professor Mizoguchi emphasized the importance of scientific curiosity and independent thinking in the AI ​​era, encouraging people not to rely entirely on tools like ChatGPT. The professor shared his experience in using AI to improve his English and affirmed that it is necessary to balance AI and personal thinking to achieve success. In addition, Professor Mizoguchi shared 14 tips for conducting effective research. The speaker encouraged researchers to aim for lofty goals and persevere in pursuing their research path.

Prof. Mizoguchi shares 14 tips for conducting effective research.

Researchers and Prof. Mizoguchi participated in asking questions, discussing and answering questions from participants in person and online. During the discussion, Prof. Dr. Ho Tu Bao highly appreciated Prof. Mizoguchi's research advice, emphasizing the practicality and significance of 14 pieces of advice. Workshop participants discussed the balance between academic research and practical application, as well as the role of critical thinking when approaching scientific articles.

The seminar was a great success, students and young researchers attending were inspired by the rich experience of Prof. Mizoguchi and Prof. Ho Tu Bao in the fields of AI, Ontology and Philosophy, and were encouraged to develop independent thinking and scientific curiosity - key factors for success in the digital age.

On February 18, 2025, the Faculty of Applied Sciences, International School - Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) organized a scientific seminar with the theme "Reflective Practices in an Analytics-driven Educational Ecosystem: Introducing the LA-ReflecT platform" in both in-person and online formats. The speaker of the program was Assoc. Prof. Rwitajit Majumdar - Institute of Research and Training on Semiconductors and Informatics, Kumamoto University, Japan.

Assoc. Prof. Rwitajit Majumdar presented on Learning Analytics.

On December 27, 2024, the Faculty of Applied Sciences, International School - Vietnam National University, Hanoi organized a scientific seminar with the theme "Future of careers and education in the era of artificial intelligence". The program attracted the participation of leading experts in the fields of AI and education, along with a large number of lecturers, students, teachers and high school students attending in person and online.

Sharing about career opportunities in the AI ​​era

Opening the discussion, Dr. Pham Tan Hoang Son - Head of the Research Department of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Education, Nha Viet Institute, Massachusetts, USA - presented the opportunities and challenges that AI brings to the labor market in Vietnam and the world. He emphasized that in the next 5 years, industries such as manufacturing, customer service and logistics will be greatly influenced by AI, requiring workers to improve their skills and adapt to new technologies. The speaker shared 5 career trends in the AI ​​era in the US and around the world, as well as 6 steps to better prepare for the AI ​​era, including: identifying a position, choosing a direction, continuous learning, building a network, planning, periodic assessment, and practicing positive thinking.

Dr. Pham Tan Hoang Son – presented on the opportunities and challenges that AI brings to the Vietnamese and global labor markets.

Trends in educational technology and AI applications in learning and teaching

Continuing the program, MSc. Nguyen Hoang Nam - PhD student in Artificial Intelligence in Education at Harvard University and Lecturer at Boston University, Massachusetts, USA - shared about current trends in educational technology. MSc. Nguyen Hoang Nam especially emphasized the role of AI in personalizing learning, supporting lecturers in designing lectures and assessing learning outcomes. MSc. Nam also shared his teaching experience at Boston University, where AI is integrated into the teaching and learning process, helping to improve educational effectiveness.

MSc. Nguyen Hoang Nam – shares about current educational technology trends.

Open discussion and connection

The final part of the seminar was an open discussion, moderated by Dr. Pham Duc Tho - Head of the Innovation and Digital Transformation Research Group, Quoc Truong. The questions focused on what teachers need to do to avoid being replaced by AI, and what skills students should develop to study and work effectively in the digital age. Also in the discussion, Dr. Tran Duc Quynh, Head of Training Department, Quoc Truong, emphasized the importance of adjusting output standards and course content to meet new requirements from the labor market, when new-age skill requirements gradually replace previous skills.

Online and in-person attendees take souvenir photos together. 

The speakers emphasized the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills, creativity and lifelong learning ability, and recommended that schools and educational institutions in Vietnam should actively apply educational technology, along with improving training on academic ethics and AI ethics for students to keep up with global trends. The questions from the attendees were specifically answered by the speakers, providing many practical perspectives.

The seminar ended successfully, opening up many directions for research and application of AI in education, while providing valuable information for students and lecturers on preparing for future careers in the era of artificial intelligence.

Original post: https://www.is.vnu.edu.vn/toa-dam-tuong-lai-nghe-nghiep-va-giao-duc-trong-ky-nguyen-tri-tue-nhan-tao/

From November 25-29, 2024, Dr. Pham Duc Tho - Head of the Innovation and Digital Transformation Research Group, and IEEE Computer Society member, attended as a special guest at the 32nd International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2024) at Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.

ICCE is a prestigious annual conference organized by the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE), attracting over 260 delegates from 21 countries and territories this year.

Dr. Pham Duc Tho presents his research at the conference.

As a special guest, Dr. Pham Duc Tho received full funding from APSCE to attend the conference. APSCE also invited Dr. Tho to speak at the annual executive board meeting. APSCE particularly recognized Dr. Tho's contributions in researching IT applications in education, actively connecting the international community, and developing digital transformation solutions for APSCE, contributing to the community's development.

Dr. Pham Duc Tho presents digital transformation solutions for the APSCE community at the APSCE executive board's annual meeting.

At the conference, Dr. Pham Duc Tho presented his research "PERS: A Personalized Recommender System for Student-Generated Questions in Programming Courses". The research focuses on developing an intelligent system to support students in learning programming by suggesting personalized questions based on student-generated data.

Dr. Pham Duc Tho moderates and poses questions to authors at the conference.

On the sidelines, Dr. Pham Duc Tho, as Head of the Innovation and Digital Transformation Research Group, successfully established joint research teams with prestigious international research partners from Canada, Singapore, Japan, and more.
Dr. Pham Duc Tho's active participation and achievements at ICCE 2024 not only affirm the growing position of International School scientists in the international academic community but also contribute to the School's development in the trend of international integration.

Original post: https://www.is.vnu.edu.vn/giang-vien-truong-quoc-te-tham-du-hoi-thao-quoc-te-icce-2024-tai-philippines/

We are thrilled to announce a new research collaboration with the VIP Research Group from Athabasca University, Canada. This partnership connects us with one of the leading research teams in educational technology and digital transformation.

About VIP Research Group

The VIP Research Group at Athabasca University is renowned for developing innovative solutions in educational technology and digital transformation. The group has established itself as a pioneer in several key research areas:

Flagship Projects and Technologies

• MEGA World (Multiplayer Educational Game for All)
  • A comprehensive web-based educational gaming platform
  • Supports multiple languages and external resource integration
  • Enables teachers to create virtual worlds and learning activities
  • Features various quest types for different learning objectives
• Ask4Summary System
  • AI-powered content summarization platform
  • Processes multiple document formats (PowerPoint, Word, PDF)
  • Generates contextually relevant summaries
  • Integrates with learning management systems
• Behaviour Analytics and LORD
  • Advanced Moodle plugins for learning analytics
  • Tracks and visualizes student learning patterns
  • Measures relationships between learning objects
  • Supports personalized learning paths

Research Excellence

The group has demonstrated consistent research excellence through:

• Over 250 published papers in prestigious journals and conferences
• Multiple best paper awards at international conferences
• Successful deployment of educational technologies worldwide
• Strong industry and academic partnerships globally

Scope of Collaboration

Our collaboration with VIP Research Group will focus on:

1. Technology Development
   • Integration of AI and machine learning in educational platforms
   • Development of new digital transformation solutions
   • Enhancement of existing learning analytics tools
2. Research Initiatives
   • Joint studies in educational technology
   • Shared projects in learning analytics
   • Collaborative work on AI applications in education
3. Knowledge Exchange
   • Access to research infrastructure
   • Sharing of technical expertise
   • Joint workshops and training sessions

Expected Outcomes

Through this collaboration, we aim to:

• Advance the development of smart learning environments
• Create innovative solutions for digital education
• Strengthen our research capabilities in educational technology
• Contribute to the global educational technology community

We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration brings and look forward to working closely with the VIP Research Group team.

Stay tuned for updates on our joint initiatives and developments!

For more information about VIP Research Group's projects and publications, visit their research portal at VIP Research Group. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vipresearchgroup/videos

We are excited to announce the establishment of the Innovation and Digital Transformation (IDT) research group at Vietnam National University's International School. This milestone marks a significant step forward in our commitment to advancing digital innovation and transformation in Vietnam's academic and business landscape.

Our Vision

IDT emerges as a dynamic space where innovation meets practical implementation in the digital age. Our group brings together experts across technology, economics, and education, creating a multidisciplinary environment that fosters breakthrough solutions in the digital transformation journey.

Core Research Areas

Under the leadership of Dr. Pham Duc Tho, IDT focuses on four strategic pillars:

1. Digital Process Enhancement
   - Developing digital solutions to optimize business processes and systems
   - Creating innovative approaches to streamline operations

2. AI and Machine Learning Applications
   - Implementing AI solutions for business optimization
   - Developing real-time decision-making systems based on big data

3. Blockchain Technology
   - Creating transparent and immutable data management systems
   - Innovating blockchain applications for various sectors

4. Educational Technology
   - Developing personalized learning platforms
   - Enhancing teaching and learning experiences through digital innovation

World-Class Advisory Team

Our research group is privileged to have guidance from distinguished international experts:

- Prof. Ho Tu Bao - A renowned AI expert and Data Science Director at VIASM
- Dr. Wong Lung Hsiang - Senior Education Research Scientist at Nanyang Technological University
- Prof. Maiga Chang - Associate Dean at Athabasca University and IEEE Senior Member
- Dr. Son T. H. Pham - Educational technology expert from Stephen F. Austin State University

Our Commitment

IDT is dedicated to:
- Publishing high-impact research in international journals
- Organizing workshops and seminars to foster knowledge exchange
- Building strong connections between academia and industry
- Supporting young researchers and students in digital innovation
- Creating practical solutions for real-world challenges

Looking Forward

As we launch this initiative, we invite collaborators, researchers, and industry partners to join us in shaping the future of digital transformation. Our group provides a unique platform where academic excellence meets practical implementation, creating opportunities for groundbreaking research and innovation.

For collaboration inquiries or more information about our research activities, please contact us through the International School, Vietnam National University Hanoi.

Together, we're not just studying digital transformation – we're actively shaping its future.

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The IDT research group is officially established under Decision No. 1159/QĐ-TQT of VNU International School

On November 5, 2024, the Innovation and Digital Transformation (IDT) Research Group at VNU International School hosted a hybrid academic seminar on "Authorship Forensics". The keynote speaker was Professor Maiga Chang from Athabasca University, Canada, who also serves as an advisor to the IDT Research Group. As Associate Dean of Research & Innovation and Distinguished Professor at Athabasca University, Professor Chang is a leading expert in educational technology, serving as Editor-in-Chief of prestigious journals including Educational Technology & Society (Q1, IF 4.595) and has published over 260 research papers.

In his presentation, Professor Chang introduced a novel approach combining Statistical Natural Language Processing (SNLP) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to distinguish between human and AI-generated content. This innovative method achieves over 96% accuracy with remarkably short training times - under one minute for the two-class model (human/ChatGPT) and seven minutes for the three-class model (human/ChatGPT 3.5/ChatGPT 4). The approach uniquely focuses on analyzing grammatical structures in 200-250 word abstracts, proving more consistent across different disciplines compared to content-based methods.

During the engaging Q&A session, Professor Chang shared his progressive views on AI integration in academia. Rather than restrictions, he advocated for embracing AI as a collaborative tool while emphasizing the importance of redesigning assessment methods to focus on in-class interactions and demonstrations of understanding. Professor Chang also highlighted his commitment to developing free, open-source research tools, prioritizing community benefit over commercialization.
The seminar, which marks the beginning of IDT Research Group's academic series, concluded with Dr. Pham-Duc Tho presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Professor Chang. This successful event promises to open new avenues for international research collaboration in the future.