#71: AI as a Collaborative Partner: EMPA’s Role in Supporting Reflective Teamwork Learning

Teamwork requires students to reflect on their practices, yet individualized mentoring is often limited. While AI tutoring systems increasingly support learning, most position AI as external evaluator rather than collaborative partner. We present EMPA, an AI-based collaborative partner that scaffolds teamwork learning through case studies, activities, and videos. Grounded in Schön’s reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action, EMPA encourages students to adapt strategies during tasks and analyze experiences afterwards. Students engage with scenarios and activities while EMPA prompts real-time reflection, then receive personalized summaries and complete surveys that consolidate learning. Early deployment with undergraduates shows EMPA’s potential to help learners examine assumptions, recognize cultural dynamics, and develop strategies for improving collaboration. This study operationalizes Schön’s framework via AI-supported mentoring, positioning AI as a reflective partner to scale practice and strengthen teamwork.