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Abstract

Newcomer students in the Netherlands complete the Intensive Dutch Language (ISK) programme yet continue to face prolonged social isolation upon entering mainstream education. This paper investigates the structural and cultural barriers that prevent genuine peer connection and proposes an AI-mediated matching framework — TeenX — that pairs ISK graduates with Dutch peers based on shared interests, learning styles, and cultural backgrounds. Drawing on interviews with 40+ students and educators across Utrecht and Amsterdam, the research identifies three core friction points: language anxiety, cultural reference gaps, and the absence of low-stakes social entry points. The proposed system uses multi-dimensional interest vectors, adaptive language scaffolding, and gamified community missions to bridge these gaps. Preliminary validation at Ithaka ISK Utrecht demonstrated measurable improvement in cross-cultural peer engagement within six weeks of deployment.

Abstract

The proliferation of misinformation has eroded public trust in media at a structural level. This paper argues that centralised editorial gatekeeping is insufficient to address this crisis and proposes a decentralised alternative: Real News Community (RNC), a blockchain-powered platform where citizen journalists, OSINT researchers, and expert validators collaborate to surface and verify authentic news. The research analyses incentive misalignments in existing fact-checking models and introduces a token-based reward mechanism — Real-News-Coin (RNC) — distributed via smart contracts proportional to contribution quality. Expert interviews conducted as part of the VERITI research project (VPRO, 2024) confirm that decentralised provenance anchoring makes story suppression structurally impossible. The paper proposes a governance model in which RNC holders vote on content policy, validator eligibility, and platform development, removing any single point of editorial control.

Abstract

Environmental awareness campaigns consistently fail to translate knowledge into lasting behaviour change. This research investigates whether gamification mechanics — specifically competitive challenges, social leaderboards, and tangible impact metrics — can bridge the intention–action gap in sustainability behaviour among 16–35 year olds. Green Game Studio is proposed as a live platform where players participate in structured environmental challenges (reduced carbon footprint, waste sorting, energy saving) with outcomes tied to real-world measurable impact. Drawing on self-determination theory and behavioural economics, the paper designs a challenge architecture that leverages intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic reward alone. Pilot data suggests that players who compete in social cohorts sustain behaviour changes 3.2× longer than those acting in isolation, and that CO₂ offset transparency per session significantly increases long-term retention.