Maria Elisabetta Cigognini

Maria Elisabetta Cigognini is a Researcher at Indire (Istituto Nazionale di Documentazione, Innovazione e Ricerca Educativa), where she has been working since 2014. Her research focuses on educational technologies and technology-mediated learning processes, with expertise in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), and teacher professional development.

Her institutional affiliations include:

• Researcher at Indire since 2014
• PhD in Telematics and Information Society from Università degli Studi di Trieste (2006-2009)
• Project coordinator for MENTEP (Mentoring Technology Enhanced Pedagogy)
• Researcher for NOP1 National Operational Programme

Dr. Cigognini's research examines how technology can enhance educational processes, with particular focus on social networking environments for educational purposes, BYOD implementation in learning contexts, and Personal Learning Environments. She investigates the continuum of teacher professional development from initial education through continuous development, exploring documentation and reflection practices through ePortfolios and Open Digital Badges. Her work on self-regulation strategies in technology-mediated learning environments has revealed that while educators can control external distractions, emotional regulation strategies are used less frequently.

Analysis of her recent publications shows growing emphasis on practical applications of educational technology, particularly game-based learning environments like Minecraft for remote laboratory teaching and immersive assessment methods for evaluating teachers' digital competencies. Her research consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with classroom applications, demonstrating how technology-enhanced approaches can directly improve teaching practices.

Her scientific contributions include:

• Development of the MENTEP self-assessment tool for teachers' digital skills
• Research on Minecraft as a remote laboratory for game-based distance learning
• Studies on distractions and self-regulation strategies in seamless learning environments
• Investigations into video production processes for teacher professional development
• Analysis of educational robotics for active learning in primary education

Dr. Cigognini employs mixed-methods research approaches, combining qualitative case studies with quantitative surveys to assess the effectiveness of innovative teaching approaches. Her work on the MineClass project demonstrated that teachers who participated in the experimentation reported continuing to use Minecraft for laboratory teaching even after the project's conclusion, indicating the practical value and sustainability of her research findings.