In a wide range of industries and academic fields, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent. AI models are taking on more crucial decision-making tasks as they grow in popularity and performance. Although AI models, particularly machine learning models, are successful in research, they have numerous limitations and drawbacks in practice. Furthermore, due to the lack of transparency behind their behavior, users need more understanding of how these models make specific decisions, especially in complex state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms. Complex machine learning systems utilize less transparent algorithms, thereby exacerbating the problem. This survey analyzes the significance and evolution of explainable AI (XAI) research across various domains and applications. Throughout this study, a rich repository of explainability classifications and summaries has been developed, along with their applications and practical use cases. We believe this study will make it easier for researchers to understand all explainability methods and access their applications simultaneously.

The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated mental health crises worldwide, with social isolation and economic instability contributing to a rise in suicidal behavior. Suicide can result from social factors such as shame, abuse, abandonment, and mental health conditions like depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorders. As these conditions develop, signs of suicidal ideation may manifest in social media interactions. Analyzing social media data using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can help identify patterns of suicidal behavior, providing invaluable insights for suicide prevention agencies, professionals, and broader community awareness initiatives. Machine learning algorithms for this purpose require large volumes of accurately labeled data. Previous research has not fully explored the potential of incorporating explanations in analyzing and labeling longitudinal social media data. In this study, we employed a model explanation method, Layer Integrated Gradients, on top of a fine-tuned state-of-the-art language model, to assign each token from Reddit users' posts an attribution score for predicting suicidal ideation. By extracting and analyzing attributions of tokens from the data, we propose a methodology for preliminary screening of social media posts for suicidal ideation without using large language models during inference.

Information about the paper titled "EXPLAINABLE AI FOR DATA DRIVEN LEARNING ANALYTICS: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ENGAGE ADVISORS IN KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY" at IATED Digital Library

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning (RL) transformed the educational landscape for hands-on Computer Science courses. This paradigm shift accelerated the transition from traditional in-person programming labs to decentralized student-provided resources. Even as students returned to in-person learning, many continued to rely on their personal computers rather than embracing university-provided labs. However, this shift to decentralized, heterogeneous environments introduced a variety of information technology and instructional challenges. The recent emergence of lightweight, container-based virtualization presents a unique opportunity to address these challenges by offering standardized environments on decentralized platforms. To investigate this opportunity, we implemented lightweight virtualization for three undergraduate computer science courses with a total enrollment of 188 students. To understand the challenges and successes of implementing these environments, we surveyed 42 students before, during, and after the three courses. Our survey responses identified that 84% of students adopted our standardized environments, with 75% indicating it contributed to their success. We believe that sharing our experience will prove valuable for instructors who wish to explore adopting container-based virtualization to reduce student anxiety in the modern classroom.