As online education scales globally, many learners still wrestle with disjointed feedback, limited emotional resonance, and scarce support for complex reasoning. This project presents an AI-based mentoring system integrating GNN-RAG (Graph Neural Network-enhanced Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and AdaICL (Adaptive Information-Centric Learning) within an emotionally responsive avatar, designed to enhance both cognitive and affective dimensions of learning. GNN-RAG combines structured reasoning via Graph Neural Networks with Large Language Models to enable multi-hop reasoning and generate context-rich answers. AdaICL dynamically selects diverse and uncertainty-rich examples to tailor learning paths to individual strengths and challenges in real time. The 2D avatar, rendered with OpenGL, interacts empathetically in real time. It detects emotional states through multimodal cues, including facial expressions and vocal signals, using transformer-based speech emotion recognition. By synchronizing adaptive reasoning with emotional responsiveness, the avatar fosters trust and collaborative learning. Learners are guided through a narrative-driven onboarding that builds a dynamic learner model combining biographical, cognitive, and affective inputs. This model informs personalized content delivery, tracks progress via a Learning Record Store (LRS), and protects privacy through federated learning. Rather than acting as a directive tutor, the avatar functions as a reflective companion supporting the co-construction of knowledge, anchored in socio-constructivist pedagogy. Concepts like epistemic inclusion and relational agency frame the project’s theoretical foundation. A formative study with 20 university students will assess the system’s impact on emotional resonance, trust, and learning satisfaction through surveys and interaction analysis.
The study is hosted within the Junior Research Group “Situating AI-Based Mentoring” at ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig.

Authors:
Gitanjali Wadhwa, Dresden University of Technology, Germany
Sandra Hummel, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Mana-Teresa, Donner, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Syed Hur Abbas, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

About the Presenter(s)
Gitanjali Wadhwa is a Research Associate at ScaDS.AI, TU Dresden. Her interests include machine learning, deep learning, and AI mentoring. She is working on AI-based mentoring in education using large language models.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gitanjali-wadhwa-87628611b/

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