Skills and Strategies for Successful AI Integration in Educational Settings: AERC Director Prof Therese N. Hopfenbeck as Keynote Speaker at 2025 AARE Conference

AERC Director, Professor Therese N. Hopfenbeck, will deliver a keynote address titled “Skills and Strategies for Successful AI Integration in Educational Settings” at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). The conference will take place from 30 November to 4 December at the University of Newcastle City Campus.

As artificial intelligence increasingly transforms educational landscapes—from primary schools to higher education—the successful integration of AI tools requires a fundamental shift in how teaching and learning are approached. In this presentation, Professor Hopfenbeck will examine two critical competencies for educators and students in AI-enhanced educational environments: self-regulated learning and critical thinking.

Drawing from recent research at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford, the keynote will offer six evidence-based recommendations for educational institutions:

1. Leveraging AI for feedback assistance in large-scale settings.
2. Actively promoting self-regulation skills among students.
3. Emphasising ethical AI practices in teaching and learning.
4. Maintaining essential teacher guidance roles to support AI use.
5. Fostering collaborative research partnerships to advance AI integration.
6. Recognising educators’ responsibilities as facilitators of AI-enhanced learning environments.

Further information is available on the official AARE 2025 Conference website.