Quant Hub: Using AI in classroom video research to better understand nonverbal and verbal social-emotional interactions in class
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly expanded the possibilities for educational research, especially in analyzing complex social interactions within classroom environments more efficiently. In my talk, I focus on AI-based approaches for classifying teachers’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Specifically, I highlight the use of computer vision techniques to analyze nonverbal immediacy, and the application of large language models (LLMs) to assess motivational messages delivered by teachers. I will also discuss the potential and limitations of these AI-driven methods, along with their ethical implications and relevance for educational practice. The talk provides an overview of our research conducted at the Science of Intelligence research center (2019–2025; www.scienceofintelligence.de) as well as ongoing work in my research group, Research on Instruction and Schools, at the University of Potsdam, within the new DFG-funded project Motivate! (www.uni-potsdam.de/en/dfg-projekt-motiv)

Teams-link: teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDYwMTY0ZmQtNjkzYS00NjFlLWEzNzgtNWYzMTkzNzQ1YmM2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b33f55d8-6202-46f8-a141-737715faff88%22%7d
Date: 13 October 2025, 12:45
Venue: 15 Norham Gardens, 15 Norham Gardens OX2 6PY
Venue Details: Seminar Room E (Department of Education) and MS Teams
Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Lazarides (Universität Potsdam, Germany)
Organising department: Department of Education
Part of: Quantitative Methods Hub Seminars
Booking required?: Not required
Cost: Free
Audience: Public
Editors: Hannah Freeman, Heather Sherkunov, Kristina Khoo