Mike Carbonaro

Mike Carbonaro is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education. He holds multiple advanced degrees including a Ph.D. (Educational Psychology), M.Sc. (Computing Science), and interdisciplinary credentials in Education. His research focuses on educational technology integration, robotics in K-12 education, computational thinking, and interprofessional health sciences education. He pioneered Canada's first university-level course on LEGO robotics for K-12 and contributed to a major simulation-based healthcare training grant. He co-developed the ScriptEase project and collaborated on GRAND initiatives like BELIEVE and HLTHSIM.

Education:

• Ph.D. Educational Psychology, University of Alberta (1997)
• M.Sc. Computing Science (AI focus), University of Alberta (1993)
• B.A. Computer Science, York University (1991)
• M.Ed. Educational Psychology, University of Alberta (1988)
• B.Ed. Secondary Biological Sciences, University of Alberta (1984)

Research Highlights: Dr. Carbonaro's work bridges technology and education across multiple domains. Key areas include:

• Blended learning models
• Health sciences interprofessional training
• Indigenous education technology integration
• Computational thinking curriculum development

He has led projects integrating robotics and digital games into school curricula, and co-developed the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP) with Blue Quills First Nations College.

Teaching & Leadership:

• Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology
• Teaches courses like EDCT 400 (Lego Robotics) and EDU 210 (Technology in Education)
• Developed new blended delivery models university-wide

Grants & Collaboration: Over $1M in funded projects, including simulation-based healthcare training and interprofessional education initiatives. Collaborations span computing science, health sciences, and Indigenous education sectors.

Future Work: Focus on K-12 computational thinking integration, health sciences simulation development, and technology equity in Indigenous education contexts.