Find Academic Supervisors

• Adult Literacy
• Digital Education
• Human-Technology Interaction
• +5 more

Mareike Kholin is a Researcher at the German Institute for Adult Education , specializing in the intersection of adult literacy, digital education, and human-technology interaction. Her career spans roles at the University of Bonn (2013–2019) and freelance lecturing at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences (2018–2019). She holds a doctorate in Psychology from the University of Bonn (2018) and complements her academic work with systemic coaching certifications. Education : PhD in Psychology (2018), Master of Science in Psychology (2013) from the University of Bonn. Her research focuses on digital tools for teachers , personality assessment in professional contexts, and social skills in performance evaluation . She leads projects like KANSAS, a search engine for authentic language-learning texts, and AI2TEACH, aiming to enhance digital literacy in adult education. Her recent publications emphasize personalized learning strategies, emotional intelligence, and the role of dark personality traits in leadership success. Kholin’s work has been recognized with the Award for Innovation in Adult Education . She actively develops open educational resources (OER) and evaluates digital tools to bridge standardization and differentiation in adult literacy instruction. Scientific Awards : Award for Innovation in Adult Education. She collaborates on systemic coaching initiatives and contributes to policy discussions on literacy and globalization’s impact on labor values. Her empirical studies explore how self- and peer-assessments predict workplace performance, integrating psychological frameworks with educational technology.

• Educational Psychology
• Media Psychology
• Digital Learning
• +3 more

Martin Merkt is a Research Fellow at the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) in Bonn, Germany, specializing in the Teaching and Learning research area. Since 2024, he has served as a research associate, building on prior leadership of DIE's junior research group 'Audiovisual Knowledge and Information Media' (2018–2023) and extensive experience at the Leibniz Institute for Knowledge Media in Tübingen. Education Doctorate in Psychology (Dr. rer. nat.), University of Tübingen (2012) Diploma in Psychology, University of Tübingen (2009) Merkt's research centers on optimizing audiovisual media for learning, with emphasis on learner heterogeneity and critical digital media discourse. His work bridges formal education and informal settings like museums, examining how video design elements—such as instructor presence, pauses, and cueing—affect cognitive processing. Key methodologies include eye tracking, experimental design, and learning analytics to investigate multimedia principles in digital environments. His publication record (2021–2025) reveals consistent focus on video-based learning dynamics, particularly how structural features influence attention, comprehension, and knowledge retention. Recent studies dissect instructor embodiment effects, VR cueing efficiency, and mind wandering triggers, demonstrating evolving sophistication in isolating variables within complex digital learning ecosystems. Merkt actively contributes to professional communities including the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), German Society for Psychology (DGPs), and Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF). He currently participates in DIE's NOVA:ea project while advancing research on equitable digital learning design.

• Educational Technology
• Artificial Intelligence in Education
• Learning Analytics
• +5 more

Niels Pinkwart is a Professor at Humboldt University of Berlin within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Institute of Computer Science, serving as Member of the Faculty Council. His research group focuses on Computer Science and Society and Computer Science Didactics, developing AI-driven educational solutions for diverse learning contexts including vocational training, language acquisition, and autism support. His research centers on human-centered AI in education, with emphasis on adaptive learning systems, creativity assessment in programming environments, and inclusive technologies. Recent work examines physical embodiment in educational robots, bias mitigation in assessment algorithms, and neural engagement patterns in VR learning for neurodiverse populations. He investigates how multimodal feedback systems and LLM integration can enhance language learning while maintaining pedagogical alignment. Current publications reveal a strong trend toward practical AI implementation in real-world educational settings, particularly in vocational contexts and global health education. His team develops deployable tools like the AI Campus 2.0 platform and Zirkus Empathico 2.0 game, with increasing focus on ethical AI deployment and cross-cultural applicability as evidenced by Nigeria-based healthcare studies. The research consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with classroom-ready applications. Professor Pinkwart supervises doctoral candidates including Heinrich Mellmann, Kerstin Wagner, Gregor Wrobel, and Michael Piechotta, with disputation dates scheduled through late 2025. His work receives funding through collaborative projects like the Verbundprojekt KI-Campus 2.0, where HU Berlin leads the platform development component. The research group maintains strong industry and international healthcare partnerships, particularly in digital transformation initiatives for resource-constrained environments. He directs development of specialized educational technologies including sound-driven robot quiz systems with fair responder detection and multimodal feedback, alongside serious games for social-emotional development in autism. Current lab activities focus on scaling bias-mitigated exam assembly tools for vocational education while expanding VR-based cognitive engagement metrics across neurodiverse populations.

• Generative AI
• Large Language Models
• Computer Vision
• +4 more

Manuel Brack is an Applied Research Scientist at Adobe Firefly in San Jose, USA, with an adjunct research affiliation at hessian.AI in Darmstadt, Germany. His academic foundation includes a Ph.D. from TU Darmstadt's Machine Learning Lab where he specialized in generative AI systems. He co-founded the Occiglot research collective focused on open-source LLM development. Brack's research centers on large-scale generative models at the intersection of natural language processing and computer vision. His work addresses critical challenges in monosemanticity measurement , multilingual data curation , AI safety frameworks , and text-to-image generation ethics . He has pioneered techniques for bias mitigation in multilingual systems and developed novel architectures for memory-efficient language modeling. His publications reveal significant trends toward neuro-symbolic integration (DeiSAM), privacy-preserving mechanisms (CLIP identity attacks), and community-driven open science (Occiglot/Community OSCAR). The research consistently bridges theoretical innovation with practical deployment considerations for generative systems. Best Runner-Up Paper Award RBFM Workshop at NeurIPS 2024 (LlavaGuard) Best Paper Award at DPFM 2024 (Homoglyphs research) Brack actively contributes to open-source initiatives including Community OSCAR (345+ TiB multilingual dataset) and Occiglot (open LLM development). His work emphasizes ethical deployment through frameworks like Fair Diffusion for bias attenuation and Safe Latent Diffusion for content moderation, demonstrating commitment to responsible AI advancement.

Catherine HardyView profile

Associate Professor

• Cybersecurity Governance
• Data Governance
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• +4 more

Catherine Hardy is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School, specializing in Business Information Systems. She is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Koblenz's Enterprise Information Management research group. Her research focuses on complex socio-technical change, cybersecurity governance, data governance, and risk compliance systems. Catherine holds a PhD from UNSW, an MEc from UNE, and a BBus from RMIHE, alongside CPA certification. Her research explores how new information infrastructures impact governance systems, with four core projects: (1) big data and analytics in organizational control, (2) IoT scalability challenges, (3) cyber security governance failures, and (4) regulatory frameworks for nanoparticles. She teaches courses like Data Science in Business and Data Governance and Technology Assurance. Catherine has advised student Johnny TANG-EAR on the project Governance at the Edge of Realism: Empirical and Theoretical Explorations of Deepfake Phenomena . Her work spans over two decades, with publications in journals such as NanoImpact and European Management Journal , and contributions to conferences like the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. She has also led initiatives like the 2013 Enterprise Information Management Survey. Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, addressing challenges in digital transformation, risk management, and policy design across public and private sectors.

Paul PrinslooView profile

Research Professor

• Learning Analytics
• Open and Distance Learning
• Student Success
• +3 more

Paul Prinsloo serves as a Research Professor in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) within the College of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of South Africa (Unisa). His multidisciplinary background spans theology, art history, business management, online learning, and religious studies, positioning him at the intersection of educational technology and distance education innovation. His research critically examines learning analytics through ethical collection and analysis of student data to enhance educational outcomes in distance contexts. Key focus areas include digital identity formation in online environments, student success interventions for at-risk learners, and modern curriculum development methodologies. He actively contributes to graduate supervision while advocating for responsible data practices in educational ecosystems. Through his blog Open Distance Teaching and Learning and Twitter presence (@14prinsp), Professor Prinsloo disseminates insights on educational technology trends and policy implications, though specific grant funding details remain undocumented in available sources.

• Data Warehousing
• Adaptive E-Learning Systems
• Big Data Management
• +2 more

Laila Niedrite is a Professor at the University of Latvia 's Faculty of Computing, actively contributing to data warehousing, adaptive e-learning systems, and big data management since 2001. She leads collaborative research with key partners Darja Solodovnikova, Aivars Niedritis, and Guntis Arnicans. Specializes in performance measurement frameworks and evolution management of heterogeneous data sources Develops personalized adaptive e-learning architectures with implemented learning path recommendations Advances cross-domain data integration including social media analytics and institutional research evaluation Research Trends: Recent work focuses on indoor environmental quality monitoring during pandemics (2022), institutional research analytics (2017), and big data requirements (2018). She bridges academic performance analysis with technical implementations of scalable data systems. Collaborative Network: Maintains long-term collaborations with researchers at the University of Latvia, particularly with Darja Solodovnikova (16 co-publications) and Natalija Kozmina (12 co-publications), contributing to both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations.

Ute SchaichView profile

Professor

• Early Childhood Education
• Gender Studies
• Migration and Diversity in Education
• +5 more

Ute Schaich is a Professor in Early Childhood Education at the College of Social Work and Health, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. Her work spans teaching, research, and supervision with a focus on gender dynamics, migration contexts, and group processes in early childhood institutions. Education: PhD in Early Childhood Education (Philipps-Universität Marburg, 2011), MA in Educational Sciences (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, 1987), BA in Educational Sciences (Universität Regensburg, 1981) Professional Experience: Since 2016, she has led research and teaching initiatives at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, including founding the research-oriented children's house. Prior roles include supervisory leadership in adult education and social work in migration contexts (1988-2000). Her research interests center on gender construction in early childhood, professionalization in early education, and prevention of psychosocial risks. She employs ethnographic and depth-hermeneutic methodologies to analyze institutional reproduction of inequality, group dynamics, and cultural factors in transitional experiences. Recent publications examine gender identity formation, migration impacts on education, and STEM engagement in young children. She has conducted funded projects on gender differentiation in nurseries (2020-2022, Hessen Ministry) and diversity in early education (2017-2018). Affiliated with major academic organizations including the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) and the German Society for Supervision (DGSv), she integrates group-analytic practices into educational and social work contexts.

Amos van GelderenView profile

Professor

• Language Acquisition
• Language Education
• Reading Comprehension
• +4 more

Dr. Amos van Gelderen is a Professor in Language Acquisition and Development at the School of Education, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, since January 1, 2010. His work centers on language education across primary, secondary, and higher education, with a focus on Dutch language acquisition, foreign language didactics, and the intersection of language with business education. Supervises externally funded projects (e.g., Onderwijsbewijs, RAAK-PRO) and internal doctoral projects Project leader for "Literacy development of at-risk adolescents in multilingual contexts: A Tale of Three Cities" Member of the Meijerink Expert Group for continuous learning Chairman of the annual HSN conference on Dutch language in education His research emphasizes empirical methods, particularly advanced quantitative analysis, while also incorporating qualitative approaches. Key themes include reading comprehension, vocabulary development, curriculum design, and bridging language gaps between home and school environments through family literacy programs. Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary trends in writing-to-learn strategies, reciprocal teaching implementations, peer response mechanisms, and vocabulary knowledge impacts on low-achieving adolescents. These works demonstrate expertise in both theoretical and practical applications of language acquisition principles. The lectorate he leads operates under the Research Centre Urban Talent's "Optimization of Learning Processes" program, focusing on multidisciplinary approaches integrating psychological, educational, linguistic, and sociological insights.

Ulrike WohlwenderView profile

Professor

• Piano Pedagogy
• Music Physiology
• Musicians' Medicine
• +3 more

Ulrike Wohlwender serves as Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart since 2010. A founding member of the Zurich Center for Musicians' Hands (2009) and leader of the SIRIUS 6.0 initiative (2020), she bridges artistic practice, scientific research, and pedagogical innovation in musician health and piano education. Her educational foundation includes a double degree in Piano and Elementary Music Pedagogy from Mannheim, studying under Prof. Helmut Vogel (piano), Prof. Maria Rebhahn (EMP), and Prof. Barbara Fry (KA piano). Early influences include Basel music experiences and Jugend musiziert competitions. Wohlwender's research pioneers intersections of pianistics, music physiology, and musicians' medicine. She investigates skilled performance mechanics, sound balance, and musculoskeletal injury prevention—particularly through ergonomic solutions like SIRIUS 6.0's adaptive piano design. Her work emphasizes physiological well-being for diverse hand sizes and abilities, transforming traditional pedagogy through scientific validation. Recent publications reveal evolving focus from foundational methods (1 2 3 PIANO for multihand playing) toward physiological innovation (SIRIUS 6.0 series) and injury prevention (Risky angles). Themes consistently address inclusive design, biomechanical optimization, and evidence-based teaching strategies across 30+ years of scholarship. She co-founded the Zurich Center for Musicians' Hands (2009), establishing interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and musical professionals. Current leadership of SIRIUS 6.0 drives research into piano design adaptations that accommodate physiological diversity, with international applications in performance science and injury prevention.

Theresa SummerView profile

Professor

• Foreign Language Pedagogy
• Global Citizenship Education
• Sustainable Development Education
• +13 more

Prof. Dr. Theresa Summer is a leading academic at the Department of English Didactics, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg. Appointed as a Jr.-Professur in 2021 and promoted to full Professor in 2025, she specializes in technology-integrated language pedagogy, sustainable education, and critical approaches to taboo topics. Her work bridges theory and practice through interdisciplinary seminars and global collaborations. Key Research Themes : Global Citizenship Education, Virtual Reality/AI in ELT, Pop Culture Literacy, Mental Health Integration, Critical Environmental Literacy, Grammar Instruction. Leadership Roles : Speaker of ZLB (Center for Teacher Education), Co-Leader of DiSo-SGW project (digital sovereignty in teacher education), Co-Editor of Englisch 5-10 journal. Academic Contributions include 15+ recent publications on immersive technologies, taboo topics in ELT, and eco-pedagogy. Notably, she co-edited Mental Health in English Language Education (2024) and Taboos and Controversial Issues in Foreign Language Education (2023). Her ELT Survey project compares learner perspectives across Germany, Norway, and Poland. Scientific Honors : Recipient of the Bildungsforschungspreis (2012), Hochschullehre certificate (2018). Teaching Philosophy : Focuses on multimodal texts, pop culture, and grammar instruction, emphasizing theory-practice integration. Interdisciplinary Collaborations span digital literacy, environmental justice, and social-emotional learning. She leads symposia on taboo topics and co-organizes international conferences like WorldCALL2023 and the TEFL Lecture Series . Her SchulPrax project (with Prof. Barbara Drechsel) redefines practical teacher training in Bavaria.

Martin BauerView profile

Professor

• Educational Management
• Vocational Training
• Curriculum Development
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Martin Bauer is a Professor at Allensbach University, where he heads the MA Business Education program. He holds a doctorate from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, earned part-time with a thesis on "Failure of Complex Innovation Processes." With decades of leadership experience across universities, vocational schools, and adult education institutions in Austria and the EU, he specializes in accreditation, curriculum development, and educational innovation. Research Focus Bauer's research spans: Educational management and organizational development Vocational training methodologies for adult learners Curriculum design for commercial education Media didactics including e-learning and hybrid models Entrepreneurship education frameworks His work bridges academic theory with practical applications in diverse educational settings. Awards and Honors Recognized for excellence in education: State Prize for Adult Education (Austria) Styrian Children's Rights Prize Federal Ministry of the Interior Award Professional Impact Bauer established the University of Graz's continuing education division (UNI for LIFE), growing it into Austria's largest provider with 70+ postgraduate programs and 3,000+ annual participants. He has taught at institutions including the University of Graz, FH Wiener Neustadt, and Ferdinand Porsche FernFH, covering business education, organizational behavior, and management.

Andreas RauschView profile

Professor

• Workplace Learning
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Competence Diagnostics
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Andreas Rausch is a Professor of Business Education at the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Mannheim , holding the Chair of Business Education – Learning in the Work Process. His academic work bridges vocational education, simulation-based learning, and process-oriented data analysis. Research Focus: Workplace learning, non-cognitive factors in problem-solving, simulation-based training environments, and professional competence diagnostics. Methodologies: Diary studies, log data analysis, eye-tracking, and N-gram modeling for behavioral prediction. Recent publications highlight his contributions to OECD’s PISA-VET framework, adaptive LUCA Office Simulation design, and AI-driven analysis of learning patterns. Collaborations include international experts like Professor Deutscher and Professor Seifried, with notable work in teacher resilience studies and automated feedback systems. His educational background combines vocational training as a bank clerk with academic credentials from Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg (PhD in Business Education, 2011; Habilitation on non-cognitive problem-solving facets, 2017). The chair he leads, previously held by Sabine Matthäus until 2016, continues a 45-year tradition in vocational pedagogy.

Tijs BolzView profile

Professor

• Special Education
• Emotional and Social Development
• Student-Teacher Relationships
• +4 more

Dr. Tijs Bolz is an academic researcher specializing in Special Needs Education with a focus on Emotional and Social Development. He has held professorial positions at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, where he administered a W3 professorship in the Department of Pedagogy and Didactics of Emotional and Social Development from October 2023 to March 2025. Previously, he served as an acting W2 university professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen from October 2022 to September 2023. His institutional affiliations also include Leibniz University Hannover's Institute for Special Education. His academic background includes: Doctorate in Special and Rehabilitation Education from Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (December 2021), with dissertation titled "Student-teacher relationships from an attachment theory perspective with a focus on emotional and social development" Master of Education in Special Education/History from Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (2013-2015), specializing in "Education for Behavioral Disorders – Impairments in Emotional and Social Development" and "Education for Learning Impairments" Dr. Bolz's research primarily focuses on student-teacher relationships, particularly with students exhibiting behavioral problems. His work examines diagnostics, prevention, and intervention strategies for impairments in emotional and social development, with special attention to intensive educational issues. He investigates internalizing behavior problems in school settings and explores the connections between attachment theory and emotion regulation in childhood and adolescence. His research often employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to understand the complex dynamics between teachers and students with special educational needs. Analysis of Dr. Bolz's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of attachment theory, emotional regulation, and special education. His work frequently examines teacher-student relationships from multiple perspectives (teacher and student), with particular attention to students with emotional and social development challenges. There's a clear trend toward multi-method research, including systematic reviews, qualitative interviews, and quantitative analyses, often conducted in collaboration with international research teams across Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Dr. Bolz actively collaborates on multiple research projects: Adaptation and validation of the Students Perception of Affective Relationship with Teacher Scale (SPARTS) (2019-2025) Adaptation and evaluation of the relationship-promoting intervention Banking Time including qualification concept (2023-present) Conceptual support and evaluation of the intensive educational program U-turn (2024-2026) Scientific monitoring and evaluation of special educational support for children and adolescents at risk in the district of Görlitz (2024-2025) Designing sensitive teacher-learner relationships to promote school-based educational processes (2024-2026) His scholarly contributions appear in prominent journals including Empirical Special Education, Frontiers in Psychology, and European Journal of Special Needs Education, demonstrating his significant impact on the field of special education research.

• Computer Science Education
• Educational Technology
• Learning Analytics
• +6 more

Katrina Falkner is a Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Adelaide, Australia, with an extensive research portfolio spanning computer science education, learning analytics, and natural language processing applications. Her work bridges theoretical computer science with practical educational implementations, with particular expertise in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and innovative teaching methodologies for K-12 computer science education. Dr. Falkner's research interests include analyzing learner confusion through linguistic patterns, developing mental health support systems using conversational agents, detecting cyberbullying through natural language processing, and applying robotics to wildlife conservation. Her interdisciplinary approach has yielded significant contributions across education, healthcare, and environmental domains. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear progression in her research focus, moving from foundational work in computer science education to more complex applications of artificial intelligence in mental health support and conservation technology. Her work on the EmoMent corpus represents important cross-cultural research in mental health, while her ConservationBots project demonstrates practical applications of computer vision in environmental monitoring. Principal Investigator on multiple Australian Research Council grants Key contributor to the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum development Active participant in international computer science education research collaborations Dr. Falkner has mentored numerous graduate students who have become established researchers in their own right, with several appearing consistently as co-authors on her publications. Her collaborative approach extends to interdisciplinary partnerships across computer science, education, psychology, and environmental science fields.