Dr. Matthias Ehlenz
Computer Scientist · RWTH Aachen University · Head of Operations, MediaLab Lehramt
Extended reality only unfolds its potential for education once the technology becomes accessible to those who create the content: teachers, trainers, and domain experts.
Research, teaching, and transfer as one cycle
I am a computer scientist (Dr. rer. nat., RWTH Aachen University) and a trained teacher of computer science and chemistry. For more than ten years I have been working at the intersection of computing and education — from collaborative learning games on interactive tabletop displays and multimodal learning analytics infrastructures to accessible authoring tools for immersive 360° learning environments.
At the Teacher Training Center (Lehrerbildungszentrum) of RWTH Aachen University I built the MediaLab Lehramt, which I now lead operationally; following a very positive evaluation by the rectorate, it was made permanent in 2026 with two tenured positions. I see teaching, research, and transfer not as separate duties but as one cycle: research produces tools, tools drive courses and teacher training — and their use raises new research questions.
(DELFI, LAK, MuC)
(LTI Lab, MediaLab)
How do immersive learning environments become accessible, collaborative, and evidence-based?
My research follows this guiding question in three interlocking strands — connected by learning analytics and data-driven evaluation as a cross-cutting theme.
Accessible XR authoring tools
Teachers and domain experts across all disciplines should be able to create immersive content themselves. I address this gap with the open-source project 19squared, a collaborative authoring tool for interactive 360° learning environments — usable from desktop and tablet to VR headset.
Social & collaborative XR
From my doctoral research on computer-supported collaborative learning I bring a deep methodological understanding of how people learn together at and in shared interactive environments — from collaborative authoring to social simulations such as the VR classroom simulation Teach-R.
XR & artificial intelligence
Generative AI is changing both the creation and the experience of immersive environments: LLM-based agents supporting educators in authoring (LAK 2026), AI-supported panorama generation, and RAG-based learning companions in VR — AI as a tool that makes XR more accessible and adaptive.
Learning analytics & evaluation
Building on open standards (xAPI) and privacy-aware architectures, I make construction and usage processes in immersive environments visible — from saliency maps of visual attention in 360° scenes to dashboards for educators. All results are consistently released as open source or OER.
Selected projects
19squared
Collaborative authoring tool for interactive 360° learning environments with integrated learning analytics — initiated and substantially developed by me. Presented internationally at LAK 2025/2026, nationally at DELFI, and in 2025 at LEARNTEC in Karlsruhe. → Repository (RWTH GitLab)
MediaLab Lehramt
Teaching-and-learning lab for digital media as a cross-cutting theme in teacher education at RWTH Aachen — conceived, built, and operationally led by me, made permanent in 2026. Broad XR portfolio from Pico and Meta Quest to Valve Index; immersive learning scenarios created with biology, English studies, mechanical engineering, chemistry, ergonomics, technology, and physics. → MediaLab website
D4MINT
Competence center for digitalization in STEM education — a consortium of the universities of Aachen, Gießen, Oldenburg, and Potsdam. Project coordination plus development of authoring tools and teacher training on collaborative learning games; successfully completed in 2025.
Teach-R user hub
User hub for the VR classroom simulation Teach-R at MediaLab Lehramt: connecting developers and practitioners across the teacher-education region, third-party funding acquired for major extensions, co-host of the 2025 developer and user meeting in Aachen.
Learning Technologies Innovation Lab
Multimodal laboratory for learning technologies research at RWTH Aachen — eye trackers, depth cameras, microphone arrays, and VR systems, connected by a sustainable multimodal learning analytics infrastructure of my design.
AI training for teachers
Winner of a Stifterverband ideas competition: design and delivery of AI-related professional development formats for teachers — currently in progress.
Selected publications
- Ehlenz, M. (2026). 360°-Medien für konstruktivistisches Lernen mit VR. journal für lehrerInnenbildung (jlb), 26(1), 174–184.
- Frank, S. & Ehlenz, M. (2026). Supporting Educators through AI: Human-AI Collaboration in Authoring Immersive 360° Learning Experiences. Companion Proceedings, 16th International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge (LAK26).
- Ehlenz, M., Maquet, F. & Heinemann, B. (2025). 19squared: A Collaborative Authoring Tool with Learning Analytics for Immersive 360° Educational Experiences. Companion Proceedings, 15th International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge (LAK25).
- Heinemann, B., Ehlenz, M. & Schroeder, U. (2025). Didaktische Konzepte fürs Onboarding und Tutorials in VR-Lernanwendungen. DELFI 2025 — 23rd Conference on Educational Technologies, German Informatics Society (GI).
- Ehlenz, M., Heinemann, B. & Schroeder, U. (2022). Open Research Tools for the Learning Technologies Innovation Lab. International Journal of Online and Biomedical Engineering (iJOE), 18(14). doi:10.3991/ijoe.v18i14.35077
Teaching by conviction
My teaching philosophy is constructivist: students learn best with and from each other, in activating, project-based settings. The heart of my teaching are project courses with real target groups — my students have built learning games, authoring tools, and XR applications for schools, teachers, and research labs: software that is still in use today.
Since 2015 my teaching has ranged from foundational courses to disciplinary and subject-didactics teaching, seminars, lab courses, and research focus classes — in German and in English. I have supervised more than 60 theses, most recently predominantly on 360° learning environments, web-XR infrastructures, and AI-supported authoring.
Ongoing courses
Lab course “Smart Offline Caching for Immersive 360° Learning Environments” and seminar “AI as Co-Teacher? Opportunities and Challenges of Generative AI in Schools” (both in English, RWTH Aachen University).
Teacher training portfolio
- Virtual 360° field trips
- Game-based learning & gamification
- PersonalGPTs in education
- Hybrid & self-paced formats
Career
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Since 08/2025
Assistant to the Managing Director, Teacher Training Center, RWTH Aachen University
Permanent position; also head of operations of MediaLab Lehramt.
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Since 11/2021
Founder & head of MediaLab Lehramt, RWTH Aachen University
Conception and realization of a teaching-and-learning lab for digital media in teacher education; made permanent in 2026 after a positive evaluation by the rectorate.
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2023 – 2025
Project coordinator, D4MINT (BMBF initiative lernen:digital)
Competence center for digitalization in STEM education, consortium of four universities; successfully completed.
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08/2023
Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in Computer Science, RWTH Aachen University
“A Sustainable Research & Development Ecosystem for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning with Interactive Tabletop Displays” — magna cum laude, advised by Prof. Dr. Ulrik Schroeder.
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2015 – 2021
Research associate, Learning Technologies (Computer Science 9), RWTH Aachen University
Research on CSCL, multimodal learning analytics, game-based learning, and open science; built the Learning Technologies Innovation Lab.
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04/2015
First State Examination / Dipl.-Gyml. (Computer Science & Chemistry), RWTH Aachen University
Teaching degree for grammar and comprehensive schools, grade “very good”.
Engagement in the research community
Networks & committees
- XR-Learning working group of the GI special interest group on educational technologies — workshops and network proposals
- DELFI (Conference on Educational Technologies): program committee member since 2023, demo chair & organizing team 2023
- Reviewer: LAK, EC-TEL, DELFI, ITiCSE, and the AVRiL competition for outstanding VR/AR learning scenarios
- Co-initiator of the “VR in Higher Education” exchange at RWTH Aachen
- Member of the German Informatics Society (GI) and the ACM
Awards
- Best Demo Award — DELFI 2022, Karlsruhe
- Best Demo Award — LAK 2021
- Best Demo Award — DELFI 2019, Berlin
- Best Demo Award — DELFI 2018, Frankfurt
- Best Demo Award — Mensch und Computer 2016, Aachen
Get in touch
Research collaboration, talks, teacher training, or XR projects — I am happy to hear from you at mail@matthias-ehlenz.de.