Michael Horn

Michael S. Horn is a Professor at Northwestern University with a joint appointment in Computer Science and the Learning Sciences. He directs the Tangible Interaction Design and Learning (TIDAL) Lab and coordinates the Learning Sciences PhD Program. His work focuses on leveraging interactive technology to design innovative learning experiences, such as tangible programming languages (e.g., Tern) and music-coding platforms (e.g., TunePad). He holds a PhD from Tufts University and has collaborated with institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Science, Boston.

Education:

• PhD in Computer Science, Tufts University
• MS in Computer Science, Tufts University
• BS in Computer Science, Brown University

Research Interests: Dr. Horn explores how emerging technologies can create engaging learning environments. His projects include museum exhibits (e.g., DeepTree, Build-a-Tree), educational tools for computational literacy (e.g., TunePad, Strawbies), and collaborative design with educators. Recent work emphasizes integrating music and coding to foster computational thinking.

Publications: His recent work addresses computational thinking in STEM education, AI-driven qualitative analysis, and hybrid music-coding practices. Themes include equitable participation, teacher professional development, and immersive AR/VR tools for learning.

Awards: Recipient of the 2018 Edith Ackermann Award for innovative work in child-computer interaction. His research has led to commercial products like Osmo Coding and Kibo Robotics.

Grants & Labs: Principal investigator on NSF grants (e.g., #1612619, #1451762) and collaborator with labs like the Center for Connected Learning (CCL) and the Collaborative Technology Laboratory (CollabLab).