Sadhana Puntambekar

Sadhana Puntambekar is the Sears-Bascom Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education, directing the Interactive Design and Learning Lab (ILDL). She specializes in Learning Sciences, focusing on scaffolding methodologies, Design-Based Research, and the integration of technology in education. Her work emphasizes collaborative learning environments and the effective use of physical/virtual labs in science education.

Education: PhD in Cognitive and Computing Sciences (University of Sussex, 1996); MA and BA in Psychology and Philosophy (Osmania University, 1983 and 1981). Recipient of the Vilas Associate Award (2020), ISLS Fellowship (2018), and multiple academic accolades from Osmania University.

Research interests include epistemic scaffolding, AI-driven educational tools, and fostering inquiry-based learning. Over 30 years, she has led federally funded projects and published extensively in journals like the Journal of the Learning Sciences and Instructional Science. Her recent work explores automated assessment systems to improve science writing equity and real-time scaffolding in classrooms.

Awards & Honors:

• Vilas Associate Award (UW-Madison, 2020)
• Fellow, International Society of the Learning Sciences (2018)
• Early CAREER Award (NSF, 2000)
• Gold Medalist distinctions from Osmania University (1981-1983)

Lab & Grants: Leads the ILDL, focusing on designing innovative educational technologies. Served as PI on NSF grants exploring collaborative learning and science inquiry tools. Developed frameworks like SimSnap for reconfigurable simulations in biology classrooms.

Publications Trends: Recent articles highlight AI-human partnerships in science writing, comparative studies of physical/virtual labs, and automated feedback systems. Her work bridges cognitive science with practical classroom applications, emphasizing equity and scalable educational solutions.