By: Cassidy Delamarter, USF College of Education
When it comes to the future of AI in education, the USF College of Education isn鈥檛 just part of the conversation 鈥� it鈥檚 helping define it.
Assistant Professor Bo Pei was nationally recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and learning. Pei received the 2025 Emerging Learning Technology Award from the Association for Educational Communications and Technology鈥檚 Division of Emerging Learning Technologies (DELT) for his innovative AI-powered platform for supporting learning statistical data visualization, .
Pei being recognized by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology
鈥淰isualStats is not just another tech tool,鈥� Pei said. 鈥淚t represents a new vision for how students can learn and master statistical data visualization through interactive dialogues in an increasingly data-driven world.鈥�
VisualStats is just . With a background in computer science and a research focus on AI in education, Pei鈥檚 work exemplifies the USF College of Education鈥檚 commitment to harnessing AI to improve teaching, learning and research.
Data visualization is the practice of turning raw data into visual formats, such as charts, graphics and maps, so people can quickly understand trends and patterns. It鈥檚 essential across a variety of industries, including science, government, software development and finance, yet it鈥檚 notoriously challenging for students to learn.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a core skill in today鈥檚 world because even the most intuitive analysis means nothing if people can鈥檛 make sense of the findings,鈥� Pei said.
The goal is to give every student the ability to confidently explore, analyze and communicate with data via visualizations. By unifying skills across data literacy, statistical reasoning and data visualization, the platform provides integrated scaffolding that helps students build the necessary competencies to navigate data-informed decision-making and communicate insights effectively.
VisualStats tackles those challenges head-on by engaging students in interactive, conversation-based learning practices. Instead of clicking through static menus or guessing their way through unfamiliar tools, learners can instead ask questions with AI support, receive personalized feedback and explore data with a structured, guided dialogue.
鈥淚t acts like a knowledgeable peer, encouraging students to ask questions through a series of low-stakes conversation that help them understand the rationale from the data to the visualizations, not just the physical images.
Pei has already piloted the tool in his own courses at USF, using early versions to better understand student learning patterns and refine scaffolding embedded within the platform. As the college expands its focus on AI, faculty like Pei are laying the groundwork for new innovations鈥攐nes that will shape how students learn, think and engage with emerging technologies.
As development continues, Pei aims to build teacher-facing features that allow instructors to monitor student learning behaviors, pinpoint disparities in understanding and generate targeted intervention materials. His long-term vision is a scalable platform that brings student-centered AI-powered instruction to classrooms nationwide.