PhD Position in Computer Sciences

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in educational technologies to support and enhance learning and teaching. Examples include adaptive learning trajectories, automating feedback, and detecting students with additional needs. Despite these promising evolutions, educational stakeholders’ interactions with these technologies are currently suboptimal due to a lack of transparency and control with regards to underlying AI models. To give insights into AI outcomes and model behaviour, many explainable AI techniques have been developed. These can be communicated in the form of visualisations, for example, in visual analytics dashboards. However, different contexts and target groups require different explanation methods and modalities. This motivates why human-centred approaches are necessary to make explanations effective. Similarly, there exist different AI control approaches where either people or the AI system takes the initiative or there is a mixed initiative. It is yet unclear which paradigms should be adopted when and for whom and how they can be operationalised in education.

In this PhD project, you will contribute to tackling the transparency and control challenges above. Specifically, you will co-design explanation and control interfaces with educational stakeholders in human-centred design processes and evaluate these interfaces in lab or real classroom settings using a broad range of measurements (e.g., model understanding, trust, learning, motivation, reliance). As this is an inherently multidisciplinary project, you will combine technical skills (e.g., data science, algorithm-centred explainable AI, training AI models), design skills (e.g., visualisation, front-end development), human-centred skills (e.g., conducting user studies, human-centred explainable AI), and education-specific skills (e.g., assessment design, applying educational frameworks).

You bring the following qualifications to contribute effectively to this PhD project:

• a recently completed or close to completing a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related discipline that prepared you for conducting the research outlined in this project;
• demonstrable interest (and preferably experience) in education-related research and topics relevant for this project;
• demonstrated experience with quantitative methods (e.g., data science, statistics, randomised controlled trials) and qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, thematic analysis, focus groups);
• fluency in spoken and written English (C1 level);
• motivation to develop teaching skills and coach students.

Our offer

We offer:

• a PhD position for four years;
• a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Working at the Faculty of Science means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together, we work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn and discover how you can become part of our community.

The Department of Information and Computing Sciences is nationally and internationally known for its research in computer science and information science. The department provides and contributes to the Bachelor's programmes in Computer Science, Information Science, and Artificial Intelligence and a number of research Master's programmes in these fields. It employs over 200 people, working in four divisions: Algorithms, AI & Data Science, Software and Interaction. The atmosphere is collegial and informal.

You will join the Human-Centred Computing group of the Interaction division. The Human-Centred Computing group studies how people use computerised systems in their everyday lives. Our research areas include, amongst others, personalized and adaptive systems, user modelling and recommender systems, and persuasive technology. You will be working closely with other members in this research group, other research groups within and outside of the faculty of Science, and collaborators from outside of Utrecht University.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

If you are enthusiastic about this position, just apply via the 'Apply now' button. Please enclose:

• scans of your BSc and/or MSc certificates (incl. grade lists), with a certified translation in English if the degree qualification is not in Dutch, French, or English;
• your MSc thesis (if not available, then BSc thesis or a course paper you are proud of – if none of these are in Dutch, French, or English, please add a short abstract or summary in English);
• Optional but encouraged: the names, and email addresses of at least two referees;
• Optional: a portfolio of your work related to this position (e.g., a personal website);
• your motivation letter (max 2 pages), in which you address the following questions:
• What do you hope to learn or achieve during your PhD to further your academic or professional development?
• What aspects of this PhD project excite you, and how do they relate to your academic interests and future research goals?
• Which skills and knowledge gained during your Master's studies will be most helpful for this research project?
• Briefly describe a research challenge you faced during your Master's thesis or coursework. How did you resolve it?

If this specific opportunity isn’t for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

The application deadline is 3 February 2025.