Human Computer Interaction

This Master’s thesis aims to enhance the educational platform Artemis by implementing automatic formative feedback for students and improving semi-automatic assessment for tutors. Building on the foundational work of Athena and CoFee, which use NLP and LLMs for text-based feedback, this project focuses on refining these techniques for greater accuracy, reliability, and consistency.

The initial phase will prioritize developing immediate feedback mechanisms to support students before deadlines. Following this, we will explore advanced LLM techniques like RAG, CoT prompting, self-consistency, and fine-tuning models like Llama 3 and GPT-4 with historical feedback data. Each iteration will be evaluated for accuracy, efficiency, and educational impact to ensure continuous improvement. By adopting an agile approach, we aim to deliver automated, personalized feedback that enhances student learning and reduces tutors’ workload, creating a more efficient and supportive educational environment.

In this thesis, we develop a gamification-based system to enhance the code review process by increasing participation and improving code quality. By integrating gamification elements such as points, levels, badges, and leaderboards into existing code review platforms, we aim to create a more engaging and motivating environment for developers. Our system provides real-time feedback through a user-friendly web interface, and seamlessly integrates with popular development tools to support continuous workflows. The primary contribution is a versatile framework adaptable to various code review systems, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration among developers. To evaluate the system’s effectiveness, we will conduct a comprehensive user study involving multiple development teams. This study will use both quantitative metrics, such as participation rates and review quality scores, as well as qualitative feedback from user surveys and interviews. The results will provide detailed insights into the impact of gamification on code review practices, demonstrating its potential to enhance software development processes and other collaborative environments.

In modern development workflows, the seamless integration of UML diagrams into documentation, issues, and pull requests on Git hosting services is crucial for clarity and collaboration. We can significantly enhance Apollon, a web-based UML editor, to meet these needs. This project aims to implement efficient embedding capabilities, allowing developers to embed their UML diagrams with live updates in issues, pull requests, and more. When users make changes to diagrams in Apollon, the system will automatically reflect these changes in their embedded versions, eliminating the need for manual updates. Additionally, we will introduce version management, which will enable users to capture new versions, preview changes, and revert to previous versions. Furthermore, a new structured and readable textual format for diagrams, integrated with VSCode, will facilitate developers in versioning their UML diagrams with Git for seamless documentation integration. These enhancements will improve Apollon’s usability, encouraging its adoption in development workflows.

Abstract TBA

Competency-based education gives students transparency and flexibility in their learning process. The usage can enhance motivation, especially in university settings where instructors address students with diverse backgrounds and prior knowledge together. Therefore, Artemis contains the adaptive learning system Atlas to support university teaching. To provide the best experience possible to students, it is essential to understand how students currently interact with the system integrated into Artemis and its impacts on their learning process.

The need for effective digital platforms that support pupils and educators in computer science education is rising. This thesis seeks to evaluate existing platforms, such as Code.org, CS Unplugged, and ScratchEd, based on criteria including accessibility, usability, and adaptability. It will also examine whether these platforms incorporate configurators that allow teachers to input parameters such as pupil age, class size, and lesson duration. Based on this analysis, the thesis will propose recommendations and develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of a configurator tool. The tool will be tested and refined in collaboration with educators to support the creation of tailored lesson plans and improve engagement in diverse classroom settings.

Competency-based education(CBE) enables flexible, skill-centered learning by allowing students to progress based on mastery rather than fixed schedules. Atlas already utilizes machine learning techniques to support educators; nevertheless, further improvements are required to accelerate adoption and improve quality.

This thesis proposes an interactive AI-powered agent that assists instructors in creating, refining, and maintaining competency networks through natural language. Rather than relying on static, one-shot inputs, the agent engages in a dynamic conversation—asking clarifying questions, gathering relevant context, and presenting interactive proposals. This interaction model is designed to reduce redundant AI calls, avoid naive prompting, and ensure that the resulting competency networks align closely with course objectives.

TUM lacks a unified, user-friendly platform for managing doctoral applications. Fragmented systems lead to inconsistent information, limited transparency, and accessibility barriers. Unclear navigation and outdated interfaces hinder applicants, while manual tasks burden faculty and staff. A centralized, inclusive solution is needed.

The increasing importance of computational literacy drives efforts to introduce computer science concepts early in education. However, many primary school teachers lack formal technical training, making selecting engaging, pedagogically sound activities difficult. Existing tools often lack personalization, leading to ineffective choices, while disparities in technology access highlight the need to integrate unplugged, digital, and hybrid approaches.

This thesis proposes a recommendation system to help teachers select suitable computer science activities based on age group, format, resources, and educational objectives. The system will leverage a comprehensive tagging framework grounded in pedagogical principles and compare different recommendation approaches for accuracy and scalability. This research aims to empower teachers with a personalized tool that boosts confidence in teaching computer science while enhancing student motivation and creating more inclusive learning experiences.

Doctoral application portals manage admissions and shape candidate experience. Many systems create barriers through complex interfaces and inconsistent design. TUMApply at the Technical University of Munich replaces an earlier system but lacks a clear, inclusive, and consistent interface that supports efficient task completion and equitable participation.

This thesis applies Nielsen’s usability heuristics with gender-sensitive and accessible design practices to identify and address usability barriers and inclusivity weaknesses. The primary contribution is a redesigned interface that demonstrates how doctoral application portals can better serve diverse user needs while maintaining efficiency. This work offers practical insights for building academic platforms that support usability and inclusivity, grounded in systematic analysis, iterative design, and implementation.