1.29.2024
Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year! 🎉🐍

1.14.2024
Dr. Wang was featured in a video presented during Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address. The video highlights how the Governor’s policies are making a meaningful difference for New Yorkers while showcasing the impactful work of UB’s innovative research.

1.13.2024
Dr. Wang and ECRC Associate Director, Keely Benson, presented “AI + ECE” at Fisher-Price on the 13th. Their 15-minute presentation showcased the ECRC, CELaRAI, and PlayfulAI Learning & Design Lab, highlighting innovative approaches and the potential of AI in early childhood education!

12.18.2024
At the first joint meeting of four IES-funded R&D U-GAIN centers, Dr. Wang presented Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI‘s work, and discussed its unique contributions and opportunities for collaboration with other U-GAIN centers. 

12.17.2024
As the semester came to a close, we gathered to celebrate the holiday season together. Wishing everyone a joyful and happy holiday!

12.17.2024
Dr. Wang, Joy, and Grace were invited to present a talk titled “Responsible AI in PreK-12 Education” as part of the AI + Education Learning Community Series hosted by the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo.

11.28.2024
Dr. Wang gave a keynote presentation at the inaugural conference of the Global Alliance of Educational Leaders and Department Heads (GAELDH) in Hong Kong. Read more…

11.22.2024
Our lab is featured in the cover story of the Fall 2024 issue of Learn, a biannual magazine of the UB Graduate School of Education! Check it out!

11.13.2024
Our team’s five conference abstracts are accepted by AERA 2025! Congratulations to everyone involved! See you in Denver!

10.23.2024
The University at Buffalo’s Institute for Learning Sciences recently hosted a Speaker Series event featuring Dr. Xintian Tu.  To watch her full talk, click here.

10.12.2024
Grace presented her work for the AI Institute at the Student Workshop, covering her current progress and future plans for the project.

10.11.2024
At his annual State of the University address, UB President Dr. Tripathi highlighted Dr. Wang’s newly funded national Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI. Read more…

9.19.2024
UB awarded $10 million grant to lead new national center on early literacy and responsible AI. This new national center, led by Dr. Wang, will focus on leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance early literacy instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse learners in kindergarten through second grade. Read more…

9.18.2024
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Wang’s project, CELaRAI: Innovating Beginning Reading Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners, has been awarded the prestigious IES Grant! This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize K–2 reading instruction by harnessing the transformative power of generative AI. Read more…

9.12.2024
As we approach the end of the funding year for the RAPID program, we will be wrapping up with a Briefing Paper and Presentation at the NSF Forum on January 14th, 2025. The presentation will focus on Exploring an AI Literacies Framework for Young Children: A Delphi Study. Read more…

8.22.2024
Dr. Hui Li from the Education University of Hong Kong visited our lab today and delivered a presentation titled “Get Published in High-Impact Journals–An Editor’s Perspective.” Following his talk, we all enjoyed a delicious dinner together.

8.20.2024
Welcome to the team, Shuoqi Song, a first-year Ph.D. student in CISL and UB’s doctoral presidential fellow! She obtained her Master’s degree in Teacher Education from Beijing Normal University. She is interested in the sociology of childhood, technology in ECE, and posthumanism.

8.20.2024
Welcome to the lab, Dr. Xintian Tu, a new postdoc at the UB Institute for Learning Sciences! She obtained her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Indiana University. She is interested in embodied learning, play, and assessing young children’s learning. Read more…

7.18.2024
SUNY chancellor, state lawmakers hear how UB researchers are using AI for public good. Read more…

6.14.2024
Lab ISLS Memory.

6.13.2024
Institute of Learning Science Institute was Launched at UB. This is a Special Celebration for UB ILS. Read more…

6.10-6.14.2024
Dr. Wang, co-chairing with Chris Hoadley, successfully hosted the ISLS conference in Buffalo. The conference theme is “Learning as a cornerstone of healing, resilience, and community.” Read more…

6.10-6.14.2024
Grace, serving as the student co-chair of the Volunteer Committee, coordinated the volunteers and provided crucial support during the conference. Joy and Yuya also contributed as volunteers.

6.12-6.13.2024
Grace & Joy presented their work separately at the ISLS conference. Read more… 

5.15.2024
Congratulations to Grace for being awarded to LAI Leadership Excellence Award in the LAI Award Ceremony and the End of Year party.

5.10.2024
Congratulations to Dr. Wang for being awarded the Mentorship Award from GSE. Read more… 

5.2.2024
Grace was selected to present her work on AI ethic study for the 2024 Celebration of Student Academic Excellence! 

4.15.2024
AERA Highlight Moments: Catching up with friends, enjoying lively receptions, feeling joy, and celebrating achievements! Read more… 

4.12.2024
Grace and Dr. Wang presented their work at AERA 2024 in Philadelphia. Read more… 

4.11.2024
Joy presented “Striving Fit In: A Case Study of an International Intern Teacher in a Toddlers’ Classroom” at 2024 CAERDA International Conference in Philadelphia!

4.2.2024
Schumer, NSF director say UB is ready to lead nation in AI for social good. Read more… 

3.26.2024
Joy presented “Cultivating Computational Thinking in 4-5-year-old Chinese Americans through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” at the 31st Annual GSE Research Symposium.

3.26.2024
Grace presented “Productive Multivocality in AI Development: Excavating Ethics Concerns among an Interdisciplinary Team” at the 31st Annual GSE Research Symposium.

3.14.2024
Dr. Wang and Grace collaborated with Dr. Yun Huang and her student Qingxiao Zheng at ECRC to test out the prototype AI storytelling tool. Read more… 

3.13.2024
Dr. Wang and Grace took part in the NSF Annual Site Visit for AI4ExceptionalED.

3.13.2024
Grace delivered a presentation and showcased a poster on her AI ethics study during the NSF Annual Site Visit.

ISLS Buffalo 2024

2.17.2024
Both Joy’s and Grace’s first-authored short papers are accepted by ISLS 2024. Congratulations! Read more… 

Grace, Joy, and Dr. Wang standing on a city street.

2.14.2024
Congratulations to Joy and Grace on receiving GSE student research awards to present at AERA 2024.

Dr. Li Hui gives a presentation

2.8.2024
Dr. Li Hui, a Global Researcher Scholar in Residence, gives a presentation on ECE AI Literacy. Read more…

Yuya Yamamoto

1.30.2024
Welcome Yuya!
Yuya Yamamoto is joining the Team.

A teacher, a student, a robot, and a map

1.9.2024
Dr. Wang is spearheading a new AI+Education Learning Community Series

young students playing with a yellow robot

12.6.2023
The robot party!
We are wrapping up our robot curriculum pilot. Read more…

PlayfulAI Learning & Design Lab Logo

12.2.2023
Our Lab is Funded!
We are awarded by GSE Equity-Oriented Transformative Research Labs Program.  

Young students in a group looking at a robot

11.7.2023
The “Robot Day” on the Buffalo News
Our robot curriculum is featured on the front page of Buffalo News.

Teachers and students playing with robot

10.4.2023
We are launching an 8-week robot curriculum plot at the ECRC.

A young boy holding a tablet computer

8.15.2023
Our AI Literacies Project is funded by NSF

1.9.2023
UB awarded $20 million from NSF to establish the AI Institute for Exceptional Education