معرفی
Professor Marcus Specht serves as Member of the Executive Board and Head of the research professorship "Learning Science in Higher Education" at CATALPA Research Center, FernUniversität in Hagen. He holds dual academic appointments as Chair of Learning Science at FernUniversität and Chair of Digital Education in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at TU Delft. Additional affiliations include Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences) and Leiden University (Institute for Advanced Computer Science).
With an interdisciplinary background spanning cognitive psychology and computer science, Specht's research focuses on the intersection of learning sciences and technology. His work emphasizes personalized knowledge and competency development through Learning Analytics, Artificial Intelligence for Education, Digital Skills, and Computational Thinking. Current research directions include developing methods to support educators and learners in utilizing generative AI, creating prompt templates for educational applications, and designing collaborative learning environments that integrate peer-review with AI support.
Specht's recent publications reveal a strong focus on AI-driven educational technologies, particularly conversational agents for goal-setting interventions, computational thinking assessment, and learning analytics applications. His work bridges theoretical learning science with practical educational technology implementations, with increasing emphasis on mixed reality and hybrid learning environments. The publications demonstrate consistent collaboration with international researchers across European institutions.
Specht holds leadership positions in major educational technology organizations including President of the European Association of Technology-Enhanced Learning (EATEL) and membership on scientific advisory boards for the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education and Goethe Universität Frankfurt's Zukunft Lehre initiative.
His career trajectory shows progressive leadership in educational technology, having previously directed the 4TU Centre for Engineering Education (2020-2024), served as Scientific Director of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Center for Education and Learning (2019-2024), and held professorial positions at Open Universiteit Nederland (2008-2020). His interdisciplinary approach integrates psychology, computer science, management sciences, and pedagogy to advance educational innovation.
At CATALPA, Specht leverages the unique environment of 70,000 learners as a real-world laboratory for developing and implementing innovative distance learning methods across schools, colleges, and universities throughout Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia.
