AI and XR in focus as new PUMA projects develop teaching
How can students not only use AI but also learn to think with it in a critical way? And how can engineering students gain a better sense of complex machine design by stepping into a virtual lab? Two new projects at the department, funded through the PUMA educational development grants, will explore these questions.
The PUMA grants are awarded annually by the Vice-Chancellor to support pedagogical innovation and renewal. This year, special attention is given to projects addressing educational challenges connected to AI.
Thinking with AI – not just using it
In the project Generative AI in Higher Education, Simon Okwir, Lecturer at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, together with Matthew Davis, investigates how generative AI can become part of students’ academic skill set. The project focuses on developing AI literacy – the ability to use AI tools critically, ethically, and creatively.
– “AI is rapidly transforming education, and with it, the very concept of learning is also changing. In this project, we aim to contribute a framework that helps learners not merely use AI tools, but learn to think with them—critically, ethically, and creatively. In this way, we do not suppress new ideas from our own minds, but rather cultivate deeper reflection, originality, and intellectual growth in partnership with AI,” says Simon Okwir.
Through two experiments, students will test structured and ethical ways of working with language models, where AI is not a shortcut but a tool for inquiry and deeper reflection.
Simon Okwir, Lecturer at Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering
Machine design in 3D
The second project, Educating Machine Design with Extended Reality, is led by Kaveh Amouzgar, Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, in collaboration with Mahmoud Mousavi, Associate Professor at the Department of Materials Science. Here, an XR-based learning environment is being developed to allow students to study mechanical components in a virtual lab.
– “Designing and understanding mechanical components like gears and shafts requires more than just equations — it requires spatial intuition. By extending HoloMech to the machine elements course, we’re giving students the ability to interact with these systems in 3D space, helping them grasp how things move, connect, and fail. XR allows us to bring the invisible into view, making engineering concepts more accessible, more engaging, and ultimately more meaningful,” says Kaveh Amouzgar.
The aim is to reduce cognitive load while increasing understanding of design principles. XR is also expected to raise student engagement and make engineering education more intuitive.
Kaveh Amouzgar, Associate senior lecturer/Assistant Professor at Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering
Innovative approaches for future teaching
Both projects show how the PUMA grants can serve as a platform for pedagogical renewal. By combining technology, creativity, and subject-specific pedagogy, they contribute to the development of teaching at Uppsala University – preparing students for a future where both AI and XR are integral parts of learning and professional life.