Katrina Falkner

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.