Our Research

We investigate new methods to measure and develop interpersonal skills, like teamwork. Our foundational work centred on the Teamwork Skill Simulator, an original virtual (rule-based) simulation we developed and validated through multiple studies. Though now archived, this tool laid the groundwork for our current LLM-powered assessments.

Key insights from our published research:

  • AI-driven simulations can assess teamwork skills with accuracy comparable to human experts (Kotlyar & Krasman, 2022; Kotlyar, Sharifi, & Fiksenbaum, 2023).
  • Students respond positively to chatbot-based simulations, particularly when scenarios and virtual teammates feel authentic and relatable (Kotlyar, Krasman, & Fiksenbaum, 2021).
  • While learners often prefer feedback from humans, thoughtfully designed AI feedback—incorporating credibility and empathy—can significantly narrow this preference gap (Kotlyar & Krasman, 2025).
  • Cross-cultural comparisons reveal notable differences in how students engage with simulation assessments, including variations in communication styles and perceptions of virtual teammates (Kotlyar, Pearse, & Krasman, 2024).

Our ongoing work explores how advanced AI, including large language models, can make skill assessment more effective and equitable across diverse global contexts.

Kotlyar, I., & Krasman, J. (2025). Student reactions to AI versus human feedback in teamwork skills assessment. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 22 (57). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00555-9

Kotlyar, I., Pearse, N. J., & Krasman, J. (2024). Understanding cross-country differences in assessment simulations: insights from South African and Canadian students. Discover Education, 3(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00125-7

Kotlyar, I., Sharifi, T. & Fiksenbaum, L. (2023). Assessing Teamwork Skills: Can a Computer Algorithm Match Human Experts?. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 33(4), 955-991. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-022-00318-x

Kotlyar, I., & Krasman, J. (2022). Virtual simulation: New method for assessing teamwork skills. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 30(3), 344-360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12368

Kotlyar, I., Krasman, J., & Fiksenbaum, L. (2021). Virtual high-fidelity simulation assessment of teamwork skills: How do students react?, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 53:3, 333-352, DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2020.1783401

Our research has been supported by the following contributions

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant, “Exploring Methods for Evaluating Interpersonal (Teamwork) Skills”

Teaching Innovation Fund (TIF), Ontario Tech University

Career Ready Fund, Ontario Tech University

Next steps

We are now extending our research program by experimenting with new LLM-based simulations for use in teaching and research

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