UNIZGUniversity of Zagreb
Faculty of Organization and InformaticsEduTech Lab

EDUTECH LAB

Technology that
improves how we
teach and learn.

We research, design, build and evaluate technologies that make learning more intelligent, inclusive, personalised and effective.

Our work connects research with real educational practice and meaningful impact.

CURRENT RESEARCH

What we are working on now

Our current research explores how artificial intelligence, educational robotics and learning data can be transformed into practical, evidence-based technologies for teaching and learning. We develop research prototypes, deploy them in authentic educational environments and study how students and educators interact with them.

01
NAO humanoid robot interacting with learners in the My Robot My LearnMate project

AI & Educational Robotics

NAO · Misty II · AI Avatar · Generative AI

We develop and evaluate AI-enhanced educational interaction, programming environments and research prototypes around physical and virtual embodied agents. Our work focuses on multilingual interaction, contextual conversations, conversational memory and teacher-defined behaviour.

NAO

A humanoid robot used in educational scenarios and international school pilots, extended with generative AI and multilingual conversation.

Misty II

A social robot and development platform for programming, simulation, sensor-based interaction and conversational AI.

AI Avatar

A virtually embodied educational agent for speech interaction, contextual conversation and teacher-defined behaviour.

  • Generative AI
  • Embodied Agents
  • Human–AI Interaction
  • Classroom Integration
Explore AI & Robotics →PROJECT: MyRobot MyLearnMate ↗
02

AIVA — AI Virtual Advisor

Generative AI · Learning Analytics · Self-Regulated Learning · Moodle

Developed with GTN Solutions, AIVA is a pedagogically grounded AI advisor integrated into Moodle. Unlike a generic chatbot, it combines teacher-defined course rules, authorised student data and generative AI to provide personalised, context-aware guidance.

It helps students understand where they currently stand, what they still need to complete, which options are available and what they should focus on next.

  • Personalised guidance
  • Decision support
  • Moodle integration

Available through the Moodle Plugins Directory.

Explore AIVA →Moodle Plugin ↗
03

Universal Design for Learning

Higher Education · Inclusive Teaching · Adoption

We study how educators understand, accept and implement Universal Design for Learning and how universities can create the institutional conditions required for sustainable inclusive teaching.

Current research focuses on higher education and international contexts, including partner universities in Asia.

  • UDL adoption
  • Institutional support
  • Cross-cultural differences
PROJECT: DIGITAsia ↗
04

Understanding Learners

Learning Analytics · Student Profiles · Technology Acceptance

We combine survey data, learning-management-system data and interaction logs to investigate relationships between learner characteristics, engagement, behaviour and technology adoption.

This work helps us design for actual learner behaviour rather than assuming that everyone interacts with technology in the same way.

  • Learner profiling
  • Interaction logs
  • Technology acceptance

RESEARCH AREAS

Long-term fields of expertise

01

Artificial Intelligence in Education

Generative AI, intelligent agents and pedagogically meaningful support for students and educators.

02

Educational Robotics

Humanoid and social robots as accessible, teacher-friendly educational tools.

03

Learning Analytics & Personalisation

Educational data, learner modelling and adaptive learning experiences.

04

Inclusive Learning & Universal Design for Learning

Educational environments that respond to diverse learner needs.

05

Digital Education & Transformation

Sustainable digital capabilities for institutions, educators and learners.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Research behind our work

Selected peer-reviewed publications reflecting the laboratory's work in artificial intelligence in education, educational robotics, learning analytics, digital education and technology-enhanced teaching and learning.

  1. 012025

    NAO Robot in School Education: Insights from the European Survey and Design of Teacher Training

    Igor Balaban et al.

  2. 022025

    Adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Humanoid Robots in Education: Educators' Motivation and Readiness in Croatia

    Igor Balaban et al.

  3. 032024

    The use of social robots as teaching assistants in schools: implications for research and practice

    Igor Balaban et al.

  4. 042024

    Explaining and Predicting Students and Teachers Intentions to Reuse Digital Educational Resources

    Goran Hajdin et al.

  5. 052023

    Post hoc identification of student groups: Combining user modeling with cluster analysis

    Igor Balaban et al.Education and Information Technologies

  6. 062022

    From Teachers' Perspective: Can an Online Digital Competence Certification System Be Successfully Implemented in Schools?

    Igor Balaban et al.Applied Sciences

More publications on CroRIS ↗

PROJECTS

Selected projects

MyRobot MyLearnMate

Develops inclusive classroom scenarios that connect educational robotics, AI and STEM learning, alongside practical teacher preparation for working with humanoid and social robots.

Erasmus+2024–2026

DIGITAsia

Builds higher-education capacity for digital transformation and Education 5.0 across partner institutions in South Asia, with attention to inclusive digital education.

Erasmus+2024–2027

Teach4Edu4

Advanced Education 4.0 through innovative teaching, learning and assessment approaches and professional development for higher-education educators.

Erasmus+2020–2023

AMED

Strengthened higher-education capacity in the Maldives through sustainable e-learning development, digital education and institutional cooperation.

Erasmus+2019–2022
Explore projects →

PRACTICE & TRAINING

From research to educational practice

We translate research and technological expertise into educator training, capacity building and reusable resources that help educational institutions put emerging technologies and new approaches into practice.

01

Professional Development

We design and deliver workshops, training programmes and hands-on activities for educators and institutions, covering digital education, artificial intelligence, learning technologies and educational robotics.

  • AI in teaching
  • LMS & online teaching
  • Digital competences
  • Inclusive education & UDL
  • Educational robotics
02

Resources for Educators

We develop reusable resources that allow knowledge and practices to extend beyond individual workshops and project activities.

  • Self-paced courses
  • Training modules
  • Guidebooks
  • Teaching scenarios
  • Toolkits & good practice

Overlapping areas of expertise that continue to inform our work.

01

Education 4.0

Teach4Edu4

Practical approaches and resources for innovative learning design, collaborative teaching and evidence-informed educational practice.

  • Education 4.0
  • Learning Design
  • Collaborative Teaching
  • Learning Data
02

Education 5.0

DIGITAsia

Training, capacity building and practical resources for human-centred, inclusive and digitally enhanced higher education.

  • Education 5.0
  • UDL
  • Learning Analytics
  • Course Quality
03

AI & Educational Robotics

MyRobot MyLearnMate

Practical resources that help educators understand and meaningfully integrate educational robots and artificial intelligence into teaching.

  • Educational Robotics
  • NAO
  • AI
  • Teacher Training
  • Teaching Scenarios

PEOPLE

Our team

LAB MEMBERS

Portrait of Igor Balaban

Full Professor

Igor Balaban, PhD

Head of Lab

  • AI in Education
  • Learning Analytics & Personalisation
  • Educational Robotics
  • Digital Education & Transformation
  • Adaptive Learning & Assessment
Profile ↗
Portrait of Goran Hajdin

Associate Professor

Goran Hajdin, PhD

Lab member

  • Digital Education & Transformation
  • Educational Technology
  • Learning Design & Digital Resources
Profile ↗
Portrait of Miran Zlatović

Senior Lecturer

Miran Zlatović, PhD

Lab member

  • Adaptive Learning & Assessment
  • Learning Analytics
  • E-learning Technologies
Profile ↗
Portrait of Marko Matus

Master of Informatics

Marko Matus

Lab member

  • Learning Analytics
  • AI in Education
  • Educational Robotics
Profile ↗
Portrait of Danijel Filipović

Master of Informatics

Danijel Filipović

Associate member

  • Software & Technical Support
  • Data Processing
  • Systems Integration
Profile ↗

DOCTORAL RESEARCH

Research developed through doctoral work

Doctoral research developed within or in close collaboration with EduTech Lab, reflecting the Lab's role in advancing research and developing emerging researchers in educational technology.

Aleksandra Sobodić

Research focusDigital competence assessment systems

  • Digital Competence
  • Usability
  • Technology Acceptance
  • Technology Continuance

ThesisThe Impact of Usability Factors on Continuance Intention to Use the System for Acquisition and Evaluation of Digital Competences in the Domain of Education

Ivana Ružić

Research focusHumanoid robots in school education

  • Educational Robotics
  • Student Motivation
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Humanoid Robots

ThesisThe Analysis of the Effects of Using a Humanoid Robot on Student Motivation and Learning Outcomes in Computer Science Education

Related project: MyRobot MyLearnMate

Ahmed Sharif

Research focusUniversal Design for Learning in digital education

  • Universal Design for Learning
  • Inclusive Digital Education
  • Technology-Enhanced Learning

Related project: DIGITAsia

Marko Matus

Research focusAI-based learning support in LMS environments

  • AI in Education
  • Learning Support
  • Learning Management Systems

ThesisDesign and Evaluation of an AI-Based Virtual Advisor for Learning Support in an LMS Environment

Related project: AIVA

ABOUT

Research grounded in educational practice

EduTech Lab is the Laboratory for Advanced Technologies in Education at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Organization and Informatics. We connect research, technology development, classroom deployment and empirical evaluation with hands-on training, professional development and reusable resources for educators and educational institutions.

Mission

To advance education through responsible use of technology by creating, testing and sharing solutions that empower educators and learners.

Vision

Educational environments where technology supports every learner through intelligent, inclusive and evidence-based practice.