Applied AI in Education (A^2E) Lab

Welcome to the Applied AI in Education (A^2E) Lab. Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially Generative AI, is not just a new tool; it's a new reality actively reshaping how we learn, teach, and create. This transformation has created an urgent need for research-based guidance , but a critical gap exists in the empirical understanding of how educators are actually using these new technologies. 

Our lab serves as a vital regional hub for educators in K-12 and higher education who want to fill that gap—moving beyond speculation to start leading.

We are dedicated to:

• Conducting applied research to understand the real-world practices and needs of educators.

• Fostering instructional innovation and translating our findings into practical, data-driven guidance.

• Promoting the responsible, effective, and ethical integration of AI in education.

Join us as we build the future of education.

To establish Wichita State University as a regional leader and nationally recognized center of excellence in the field of applied AI educational research.

The A^2E Lab serves as a hub for innovative research and the practical application of Artificial Intelligence in education. Our core mission is threefold:

• To conduct and disseminate applied research on AI-related teaching, learning, and assessment—with a strategic initial focus on Generative AI—translating findings into practical guidance for the classroom.

• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration among WSU faculty, local school districts, and external partners to support ethical and equitable AI adoption.

• To provide professional development opportunities for local teachers, including workshops and stackable micro-credentials, that prepare them to integrate AI responsibly, effectively, and ethically.

Our lab brings together experts, partners, and emerging scholars dedicated to educational innovation.

• Director
  • JaeHwan Byun, Ph.D., School of Teaching and Learning
• Faculty Fellows
  • Mara Alagic, Ph.D., School of Teaching and Learning, Wichita State University
  • Kyoungnae Lee, Ph.D., Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wichita State University
  • Our lab is actively looking for WSU faculty members from across disciplines who are interested in conducting research related to GenAI/AI in educational settings. If you are interested in joining in the lab, please contact Dr. Byun at jaehwan.byun@wichita.edu.
• Graduate Student Fellows
  • We provide graduate students in WSU with the opportunities to participate in research activities of the lab. In the future, when the lab secures external funds, research assistant position will be available. Please check back for future opportunities.
• Undergraduate Student Fellows
  • Evander Davis, School of Teaching and Learning, Wichita State University
  • Urshitha Chakka, College of Engineering, Wichita State University
• Advisory Board
  • An advisory board of key leaders from the College of Applied Studies and Wichita-area public school districts provides strategic guidance for our programming and partnerships.

Ongoing Projects

• Effects of AI-Generated Scaffolding on Learning Science
• Dialectics of Learning with Generative AI: An Auto-ethnographic Inquiry into the Engine of Critical Reflection
• Students' Perception on GenAI-Generated Instructional Materials
• Generative AI in the K-12 Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Study of Teacher Adoption and Needs, University Research/Creative Projects Award (URCA), Wichita State University,

Publications and Presentations

The work of this lab is built on a foundation of rigorous academic inquiry. This section showcases research contributions from our director and affiliated fellows—including publications, presentations, and projects—on topics related to GenAI in educational contexts.

• Byun, J. (2026, October). Beyond AI Detection: Fostering Epistemic Responsibility in the Classroom. Faculty Professional Development. College of Education. Wichita State University 
• Byun, J. (2026, Aug). Instructional Design Strategies for Epistemic Responsibility in the Age of AI. Faculty professional development session at the Pan Asia, Africa, & America Universities Association Members Meeting, Seoul, Korea (Virtual). 
• Byun, J. (2026, April & July). Educational Applications and Assessments of Human–Generative AI Collaboration: Scenario-Based Cases and Vibe Coding Projects. Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea. 
• Byun, J. (2026, July). Learning with generative AI: From dialectical autoethnography to practical strategies for verification, revision, and synthesis. Presented at the Summer Institute on Distance Learning and Instructional Technology (SIDLIT) 2026, Emporia, KS.

• Byun, J., & Alagic, M. (2026, July). Generativism: Defining a new learning paradigm in the age of generative AI. Presented at the Summer Institute on Distance Learning and Instructional Technology (SIDLIT) 2026, Emporia, KS.

• Byun, J. & Alagic, M. (2026, June). Generativism: Exploring a New Learning Paradigm for the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Presented at the Paris Conference on Education 2026 (PCE). Paris, France (Virtual).

• Joung, E., & Byun, J. (2026). A systematic review of generative AI research in mathematics education. MathAMATYC Educator, 17(3), 79–93.

• Byun, J., & Alagic, M. (2026). Generative artificial intelligence as a transformative catalyst for a learning paradigm shift. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC), 19(2).

• Alagic, M., & Byun, J. (2026). Transformative learning in the age of generative AI: Educators’ perspectives on a paradigm shift. In D. Guralnick, M. E. Auer, & A. Poce (Eds.), Creativity and new technologies in learning for the workplace and higher education (TLIC 2025). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-09905-1_3

• Joung, E. & Byun, J. (2026, April) Rethinking Research Priorities in GenAI Mathematics Education Through Systematic Review Analysis. Presented at the 2026 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. 
• Byun, J. (2026, Jan & May). A new learning paradigm in the era of Generative AI: Practical teaching methods using GenAI in higher educational settings. Seoul Women's University, Seoul, South Korea. 
• Alagic, M. & Byun, J. (2025, May). Transformative Learning in the Age of Generative AI: Educators' Perspectives on a Paradigm Shift, In Proceeding of The Learning Ideas Conference 2025, New York, NY.
• Byun, J., & Alagic, M. (2025). AI as Design Material: Crafting New Learning Paradigms. presented at The Annual Summer Institute on Distance Learning and Instructional Technology (SIDLIT), Wichita, KS.
• Alagic, M. & Byun, J. (2025). Transformative Learning in the Age of Generative AI: Educators' Perspectives on a Paradigm Shift, presented at The Learning Ideas Conference 2025, New York, NY.
• Byun, J. & Alagic, M. (2024). Generative AI in Education: A Transformative Learning Perspective on Educators' Adoption and Adaptation, presented at the Online Educa Berlin 2024. Nov. 2024. Berlin, Germany
• Byun, J. & Alagic, M. (2024). Equipping Educators for the AI Revolution: Challenges and Approaches. presented at 2024 Institute of Creative Human Resource Development (ICHRD) Global Convergence Conference: Key issues of education in the era of sharing and coexistence. Jan. 2024. Dankuk Universitry, Seoul, Korea

Check here for the latest updates on our research, upcoming workshops, new partnerships, and publications from the A^2E Lab.

• Rethinking Learning with GenAI, (2026, Aug 3), NPR Podcast Academic Minutes. 
• October 2025: The A^2E Lab is officially launched.
• (Upcoming)

Partnerships

We are actively seeking to build formal partnerships with local school districts, industry collaborators, and external scholars. If your organization is interested in collaborating on research or professional development, please contact us.

If you are interested in becoming a Faculty Fellow, School District Partner, Industry Collaborators, or Graduate Research Assistants, please email Dr. Byun. jaehwan.byun@wichita.edu