Julia Diederen

Julia Diederen is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research, where she contributes to engineering education and digital learning innovation. Her work spans educational design, laboratory skill development, and competency assessment in higher education, particularly within food technology programs.

• Academic Role: Lecturer
• Department: Food Chemistry
• Institution: Wageningen University & Research
• Research Focus: Engineering Education, Digital Learning, Virtual Labs

Her research interests center on enhancing student learning through innovative educational tools and environments. She investigates how digital platforms, such as virtual experiments and interactive protocols, can foster meaningful learning and self-regulated behavior. Her work emphasizes the alignment of learning materials with intended outcomes and the role of student guidance in scientific reasoning.

Julia's recent publications reveal a strong trend in applying data mining and educational design to improve laboratory and scientific education. Her work integrates technology with pedagogical theory, focusing on how students engage with digital tools, regulate their learning, and develop higher-order competencies. Topics include sequential pattern mining, virtual experiment environments, and competency-based curricula.

She has contributed to advancing engineering education through funded research projects focused on teaching and assessing competencies in food technology. Her collaborative work includes supervising PhD candidates and presenting on emerging topics such as generative AI in student learning.

• Project: Improving teaching and assessing competencies in Food Technology bachelor programme
• Project: Fostering students' higher order laboratory research skills using digital educational games

Julia Diederen is also active in academic discourse, having delivered oral presentations and contributed expert commentary in the media on educational challenges, including student resits and the integration of AI in education.