XU College of Computer Studies (CCS) alumnus Julian Eymard Janubas (BSCS ‘24) presented his group’s undergraduate AI research on 29 November at the 32nd International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2024), organized by the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE) and hosted by the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, where he also received the APSCE Excellence Scholarship Award.
Julian Eymard Janubas receives award from Committee Chair Jazihan Mahat of Universiti Putra Malaysia
at Hyundai Hall, Areté Ateneo. Photo courtesy of the Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences
With the theme “Educational Technologies: Empowering Minds from Diverse Contexts,” ICCE 2024 was held from 25 to 29 November and featured papers on educational initiatives catering to the different needs, traits, and situations of learners, with seven theme-based sub-conferences aimed at building strong research communities in the vast field of Computers in Education and Educational Technology.
These themes included Artificial Intelligence in Education and Intelligent Tutoring Systems (AIED/ITS), Computer-supported Collaborative Learning and Learning Sciences (CSCL), Advanced Learning Technologies and Learning Analytics (ALT), Technology Enhanced Learning for Mobility of Learners and Learning Experiences (TEML), Educational Gamification and Game-based Learning (EGG), Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL), and Practice-driven Research, Teacher Professional Development, and Policy of ICT in Education (PTP).
Janubas, alongside Josiah Jose Deysolong (BSCS '24), Hanz Lucas Estopia (BSCS '24), Karl Mykell Tabbay (BSCS '24), and their adviser Jun Rangie Obispo, authored the research paper titled “Development of a Chatbot and Evaluation of Its Effects on Learning and Intrinsic Motivation of Spanish Language Learners in a Public Secondary School,” which was accepted as a short paper in the main conference under the TELL theme.
The Kinaadman Student Research Award (KSRA) recipients and their thesis adviser at the Research Awards Night
organized by the Kinaadman University Research Office (KURO)
Their research involved developing an AI chatbot on Facebook Messenger to supplement learning by providing interactive experiences to a Spanish language class in a public secondary school in Cagayan de Oro, evaluating both the learning and changes in intrinsic motivation among students before and after the chatbot intervention.
Janubas is one of eight—out of 24 who applied—and the only one from the Philippines who received the APSCE Excellence Scholarship Award (ESA), aimed at recognizing and supporting outstanding students in the Asia-Pacific region who contributed to the research community and participated at the ICCE 2024.
“It was an honor to present our research on the international stage, showcasing the potential of AI in Education,” Janubas reflected on his ICCE experience. “Instead of fearing this technology, we must embrace it and explore innovative ways to harness its capabilities in learning because it will never go away anytime soon.”
He also expressed hope for greater participation from XU CCS students and stronger institutional support in future conferences, emphasizing that such involvement can advance the University in global rankings.
Janubas, alongside Session Chair Leung Ho Philip Yu The Education University of Hong Kong and
Alex Wing Cheung Tse of The University of Hong Kong
Notably, papers presented at the conference will be published in proceedings submitted to Elsevier for inclusion in Scopus and to Thomson Reuters for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings Citation Index, further enhancing the institution's academic reputation.
After holding the conference last year in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, and this year in Manila, Philippines, APSCE is set to organize ICCE 2025 in Chennai, India from 1 to 5 December 2025, and will be hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.