Educational Leadership: Innovative Pedagogy
Dr. Abdallah Mohamed
Associate Professor of Teaching, Computer Science
Reimagining Teaching and Learning for a Changing Digital Landscape
As programming and artificial intelligence (AI) become embedded in post-secondary education across disciplines, educators face a growing challenge: how to support students with widely different levels of experience while creating meaningful and personalized learning opportunities.
Dr. Mohamed engages with undergraduate and graduate students as they advance research projects under his mentorship, highlighting hands-on learning and collaboration.
Dr. Abdallah Mohamed is addressing this gap by developing open, course-aware platforms designed to reduce barriers and improve student success. His work focuses on creating tools that adapt to the structure and goals of individual courses, helping students build confidence while engaging with complex materials.
“I feel very lucky to be a computer science professor. This allows me to build technology that addresses the learning gaps I see in my own classrooms. Whether it’s helping students focus on problem solving instead of syntax or giving them responsible AI support tied to their course materials, the goal is the same: reduce barriers so every student has a real chance to succeed.” — Dr. Abdallah Mohamed
Building Strong Foundations for Programming Learning
A central focus of Dr. Mohamed’s work is helping students move beyond surface-level learning. Many first-year learners struggle to distinguish core programming concepts from language-specific syntax. When they encounter a new programming language, they often feel as though they are starting from zero.
Dr. Mohamed emphasizes concept-first learning. His approach helps students identify what remains constant across programming environments, making it easier to transfer knowledge and build long-term understanding.
Two years ago, Dr. Mohamed released LearnCoding as an open educational platform that involves flexible learning materials along with supporting tools, such as code visualizers and structured exercises, that provide immediate targeted feedback, facilitating comprehension rather than memorization.
LearnCoding is developed around Parallel Courseware approach, delivering aligned content across multiple programming languages and application domains. This design allows students to clearly see what changes between languages (syntax) and what remains consistent (underlying concepts).
With more than 270 module variants and over 1,700 users to date, LearnCoding is a free open educational resource available to educators worldwide.
Introducing EduAI: A Course-Aware Approach to AI in Education
In response to the rapid rise of generative AI in education, and the associated concerns around equity, academic integrity and access, Dr. Mohamed and his student team are developing a second platform, EduAI that integrates AI into teaching and learning in a structured and responsible way. EduAI builds on Dr. Mohamed’s earlier work on AI-powered learning tools for higher education.
EduAI is designed to work directly within the context of a course. By grounding AI tools in actual course materials, it ensures that student support is accurate, relevant and aligned with instructional goals. The platform is hosted on UBC servers, prioritizing privacy and data security, and is planned to integrate seamlessly with Canvas to streamline course delivery.
Key features include:
- Controlled AI tutoring aligned with course content
- Automated question generation to support practice and assessment
- Simplified course setup for instructors
- Secure, institutionally hosted infrastructure
- Designing for Equity, Access and Inclusion
A defining principle of Dr. Mohamed’s work is that equity and accessibility must be built into educational technology from the outset.
Both EduAI and LearnCoding reflect a design philosophy grounded in equity and accessibility. The platforms are designed to be openly available and extend learning opportunities beyond institutional boundaries. They are also built using Universal Design for Learning principles to support a wide range of learners. Platform development follows a continuous, evidence-based cycle of testing and refinement, ensuring the platform evolves in response to real classroom needs. This approach ensures that diverse learners, regardless of background or prior experience, can meaningfully engage with course material.
Transforming the Student Experience at Scale
EduAI is currently being developed and refined through ongoing research and collaboration. The platform is scheduled for an initial pilot launch in September, providing an opportunity to gather feedback from students and instructors and further enhance its capabilities.
Interest in EduAI has already emerged from several departments and faculties, reflecting a growing demand for structured, course-aware approaches to AI-supported learning. As development continues, the platform is expected to expand access and support a broader range of courses and disciplines.
By translating classroom challenges into scalable, research-informed solutions, Dr. Mohamed’s work has the potential to reshape how programming and AI are taught. The long-term vision is to help students engage more confidently with complex material, strengthen conceptual understanding and access consistent support throughout their learning journey, while providing instructors with tools that can be implemented effectively.
Key Capabilities and Impact Areas
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Collaborative Research and Development
The EduAI Lab, led by Dr. Abdallah Mohamed, brings together a collaborative team of faculty and student researchers. Co-leads Dr. Mostafa Mohamed, Dr. Ramon Lawrence and Dr. Fatemeh Fard work alongside undergraduate researchers who actively contribute to the design and development of tools that support teaching and learning in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.