Natalia Collings

Natalia Collings is a Professor in the Department of Teacher & Special Education at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses since 2006. Her academic focus spans educational psychology, cultural-historical theory, and data-driven assessment, with courses such as EDU 210: Adolescent Dev and Learning for Teachers, EDU 614: Advanced Educational Psychology, and EDU 662: Data-Driven Educational Assessment.

• Education: Ph.D. in Learning, Technology, and Culture (2006), M.A. in Teaching Russian to Non-Native Speakers (2001) from Michigan State University, and Specialist degree in Teaching Russian, English, and Literature (1999) from Volgograd State Pedagogical University, Russia.
• Research: Central to her work is cultural-historical theory (rooted in Vygotsky’s frameworks) applied to contemporary learning environments, advancing theoretical interpretations, and analyzing pedagogical tools like rubrics and feedback mechanisms.
• Professional Affiliations: Member of AERA, ASCD, and ISCAR.

Her recent publications explore rubric evolution in education, feedback strategies for hybrid/online learning, and critical reviews of Vygotsky’s foundational texts. These works reflect interdisciplinary engagement across educational psychology, assessment theory, and cultural-historical activity research.