Research

Smart computation and data can be used to improve education. They enable studying the behavior of online learners in ways that were not possible before, which can be used to inform the design of better learning environments, and to develop tools and mechanisms for  personalized teaching and learning. That’s the focus of my research, which combines science education, artificial intelligence, data science, and human-computer interaction. Main keywords that are associated with this type of research are educational data mining, learning analytics, and artificial-intelligence in education. In addition, I am interested in computer science education.

Quality and Accessibility. Online learning has also the potential of scaling education while reducing its costs. Thus, by improving the pedagogy of online-learning environments, I hope to contribute to making quality science education more accessible and affordable.

Key Research Directions. Our lab centers on a few research directions. Among them i) Empowering teachers with AI-based personalized-learning technology;  ii) Data-driven, scientifically-based research for better pedagogy in online and blended science education environments; iii) NLP and ML for assessment  in science education; iv) CS and ML education for high-school.

Application domains. The application domains on which I focus range from blended-learning environments for K-12 science education, through Intelligent Tutoring Systems designed to teach specific concepts, to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Interdisciplinary research. My research spans across science education, computational approaches, statistical modeling, AI, and programming. I conduct applied research that is directly applicable to real learning environments, and collaborate with disciplinary science education researchers, teachers, and designers to brings measurable pedagogic value to local and global learners.

Join my team! I am always looking for bright students, with background in Computer Science (Algorithms, Machine Learning, AI), Cognitive/Behavioral/Educational Sciences, and hands-on programming experience (preferably in R/Python).

Community involvement. In addition to my research activity, I work with local schools and NGOs. Contact me if you have an important educational/environmental initiative and you think I can help you!