New Episode: Prof. Roman Rietsche on Rethinking Learning with AI

This week on Born & Kepler, we’re joined by Prof. Dr. Roman Rietsche, Lecturer at Bern University of Applied Sciences and a leading voice in digital learning systems. With a background in computer networking, a Ph.D. in educational technology from the University of St. Gallen, and hands-on experience designing AI-powered learning tools, Roman is perfectly positioned at the intersection of tech, teaching, and transformation.

In this wide-ranging episode, we dive into the future of learning in an AI-driven world—what stays, what changes, and what absolutely must not be forgotten.

“We’re at a tipping point. If students don’t understand the basics, they can’t tell when the machine is wrong.” – Prof. Dr. Roman Rietsche

🎧 Listen now:

🔗 Spotify 🔗 Apple Podcasts

Topics we explored:

1. From Peer Feedback to Digital Coaching Roman explains how feedback—often seen as a one-way street from teacher to student—is evolving. He shares his work designing scalable peer-feedback systems that leverage AI to enhance student reflection and ownership.

2. Motivation in the Age of AI With digital tools now integral to both academic and workplace learning, motivation is a bigger challenge than ever. Roman reveals how real-time interventions and goal-setting strategies, inspired by coaching models like GROW, can help learners stay on track.

3. Learning the Basics vs. Relying on AI While tools like ChatGPT are powerful, Roman emphasizes the importance of foundational knowledge. Without it, students may not recognize when an AI system “hallucinates” or delivers incorrect feedback—leading to misplaced confidence and weak decision-making.

4. Human-Centered, AI-Based Learning Design At the Bern AI Lab, Roman and his team explore how conversational agents can support learners not just during a lecture, but before and after—with pre-assessments, personalized recommendations, and feedback loops across the learning journey.

5. Reflecting with AI: The Reflect Project Roman is also involved in Reflect, a Swiss startup using structured reflection prompts to help learners develop so-called Inner Development Goals. These soft skills—like trust, self-awareness, and critical thinking—are crucial for long-term success, and the AI helps guide learners through reflective writing processes without judgment.

Why This Matters

As universities and companies alike wrestle with how to integrate AI into their learning strategies, Prof. Dr. Rietsche’s insights are both timely and essential. His research shows us that AI is not just about automation—it’s about augmentation. The future of learning is human-centered, feedback-driven, and intelligently personalized.

Whether you're an educator, technologist, or lifelong learner, this conversation is packed with takeaways that will reshape how you think about feedback, learning systems, and digital motivation.

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