Iris Backfisch

Iris Backfisch is the managing director of the Tübingen Center for Digital Education (TüCeDE) at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, a position she has held since April 2023. She is affiliated with the Tübingen School of Education and the Department of 'Lehren und Lernen mit digitalen Medien in den Fachdidaktiken'. Her work involves developing operational workflows, managing projects, and serving as a contact point for young scientists and public relations. She collaborates closely with the co-directors and steering board of TüCeDE.

• Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in 2020, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
• Master of Arts in Educational Science - Teaching and Learning, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (2014–2016)
• Bachelor of Arts in Educational Planning and Instructional Design (major), Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology (minor), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (2011–2014)

Her research focuses on the cognitive and motivational prerequisites for teachers to effectively use digital media, professionalization strategies for digital teaching, and teaching-learning research in meaningful digital integration. She investigates how teachers' professional knowledge and motivation influence their use of technology in the classroom, particularly through the lens of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Her work emphasizes utility-value interventions, knowledge integration, and the design of adaptive learning environments. She also explores the structural aspects of TPACK and its development in both pre-service and in-service teachers.

The analysis of her recent publications (2020–2024) reveals a strong thematic consistency centered on TPACK, teacher motivation, digital media integration, and professional development. Her research employs both empirical and theoretical approaches, often in collaboration with leading scholars such as Prof. Dr. Andreas Lachner and Prof. Dr. Katharina Scheiter. The studies span various educational contexts, including adaptive teaching, flipped classrooms, and community school upper secondary education. Methodologically, her work includes experimental interventions, meta-analyses, longitudinal studies, and conceptual modeling, published in high-impact journals such as Computers & Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Learning and Instruction.

• Reviewer for Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (since 2019)
• Reviewer for American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference (since 2019)

Iris Backfisch advises young scientists and is actively involved in research mentoring and public engagement. She has not received explicitly mentioned scientific awards, but her extensive publication record and leadership role indicate significant scholarly impact. She has secured involvement in multiple research projects, including 'Digital media in adaptive teaching' and 'tabletBW meets science'. She has delivered invited lectures at institutions such as the University of South-Eastern Norway and FH Nordwestschweiz, and has participated in symposia at EARLI and GEBF conferences.

She is involved in several research projects focused on digital education, including 'Learning through technology-enhanced explanation' (Flipped Classroom), 'Digital media in adaptive teaching in upper secondary schools', and the 'tabletBW' initiative. These projects are conducted in collaboration with the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien and other partners, forming an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to advancing digital teacher education.