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Vialab is led by Dr. Christopher Collins at Ontario Tech University.
In addition to this site, visit our Github for software and our Blog for approachable reports of our innovations.

Research Blog

  1. AI Meets the Piano: How LLMs Are Transforming Sight-Reading Practice

    by Fareeha Malik

    Learning to play the piano is a deeply rewarding journey, but it comes with a notoriously steep hurdle: sight-reading. Sight-reading is the ability to read and play a piece of sheet music fluently on the first look, much like reading a book out loud in your native language. While essential  ...Read More


More from our blog

  1. Visualizing the Journey: Mapping Literature with GeoMapper

    by Fareeha Malik

    Readers often find themselves lost in the sprawling geography of a great novel. While authors use real-world locations to set the scene, following a story that jumps between cities or across continents can be a challenge for even the most attentive reader. As Franco Moretti discusses in his work  ...Read More

  2. Beyond Word Clouds: Exploring Your Car’s Problems in 3D

    by Fareeha Malik

    When your car makes a strange rattling sound, you might head online to see if others have had the same issue. But if you’ve ever waded through thousands of consumer complaint reports, you know the frustration. You’re often met with long, dry lists of text or simple “word clouds” that lack context.  ...Read More

  3. How to Evaluate Guidance in Visual Analytics: A Dual Perspective

    by Fareeha Malik

    Visual Analytics pairs human reasoning with computational power to explore massive, complex datasets. Yet, because communication between people and software is rarely seamless, users often spend valuable time in frustrating trial-and-error analysis loops. To bridge these knowledge gaps, modern  ...Read More

  4. Rethinking the Search Bar: How “Slow” Visual Interfaces Help Scholars Explore the Humanities

    by Fareeha Malik

    We all take the single-line search bar for granted. You type in a few keywords, hit enter, and instantly get millions of results. But this familiar model relies on a major assumption: it presumes you already know exactly what you are looking for. For researchers in the humanities and social  ...Read More

  5. Transforming Language Learning Through AI Comics: Meet LingoComics

    by Fareeha Malik

    Anyone who has tried learning a new language on an app has likely memorized phrases like “The apple is red” or repeated drills until their eyes glazed over. Conventional language learning platforms (such as Duolingo and Memrise) have seen massive adoption, but they typically rely on pre-determined  ...Read More

  6. Guiding University Success: How AI and Smart Visuals Are Transforming Student Advising

    by Fareeha Malik

    Navigating university can be overwhelming. Between picking prerequisites, balancing demanding course loads, and adjusting to campus life, many students find themselves in academic jeopardy. While academic advisors play a crucial role in keeping students on track to graduate, their time is limited  ...Read More

For more posts from our research blog, check out our Medium Page.

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