Al Akhawayn University’s President’s Innovation Fund backs a classroom study of Fikira

IFRANE, Morocco, June 9, 2026. Al Akhawayn University (AUI) has awarded funding from its President’s Innovation Fund, under the call for AI for Teaching and Learning Innovation, to a design-based research study of Fikira, the AI study companion developed by Frame the Change LAB.

The study is led by Dr. Amine Amar, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics and Data Science in AUI’s School of Science and Engineering, as Principal Investigator, with Dr. Jeffrey B. Matu of Stevenson University and Frame the Change LAB as Co-Principal Investigator. It runs through December 31, 2026.

What the study will do

Fikira will be used this fall in two analytically demanding courses, Statistical Analysis and Engineering Stochastic Processes. Instructors set up each course from its syllabus, confirm the course map, and give students a course code. Students then work through a study plan, flashcards, quizzes, practice tests and the Ask Fikira tutor, all tied to the course they are actually taking.

The research asks a practical question. Does structured, course-first use of AI help students engage more thoughtfully, build confidence and use AI more responsibly than open-ended chat tools do? The team will look at which setup steps instructors can follow reliably, which patterns of student use go with learning gains, and how the approach holds up in courses where the pull to hand the thinking over to AI is strongest.

Why it matters

Universities are writing AI policies faster than they are giving instructors tools that work in a real course. This study is meant to produce something instructors can use: a tested implementation guide that does not require technical expertise. Fikira runs open AI models on the student’s own computer by default, so no student has to pay for a commercial AI subscription to take part.

What comes next

Planned outputs include the implementation guide, a faculty workshop at AUI, two manuscripts for the Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education, and a presentation at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2027 conference. A follow-on study led by Dr. Matu at Stevenson University is planned so the two settings can be compared.