Simon Knight

Associate Professor Simon Knight is a member of the University of Technology Sydney Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS), which he founded and directs. He holds the position of Associate Professor at UTS TD School and is a 2023 Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (ARC DECRA) Fellow. His academic work spans multiple institutions, including honorary positions at University College London (2023-2026) and previous visiting roles at New York University, UCL, and Cambridge.

• PhD, The Open University (2012-2015)
• MA (Philosophy of Education), UCL Institute of Education (2009-2011)
• MPhil (Educational Research Methods), University of Cambridge (2011-2012)
• BSc (International Honours, Philosophy and Psychology), University of Leeds (2004-2008)
• Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, UTS (2018-2020)

Dr Knight's research focuses on how people learn to navigate uncertainty, disagreement, and evidence in digital environments, with particular attention to the mediating role of technology. His work explores data as evidence, design for learning toward epistemic and ethical reasoning, and the intersection of critical thinking with information problem solving in the age of misinformation and generative AI. He has made significant contributions to the field of learning analytics, particularly in understanding epistemic cognition and its relationship to information seeking behaviors.

His recent publication trends reveal a strong focus on AI ethics, critical information navigation, and the development of tools to support students in complex information landscapes. Knight's work increasingly addresses the challenges posed by generative AI in educational contexts, with multiple 2025 publications examining how learners can develop critical thinking skills when interacting with AI systems and navigating conflicting information sources.

• 2023 Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (ARC DECRA) Fellow
• UTS 2020 Early Career Research Excellence Award
• UTS 2023 Medal for Excellence in Research and Teaching Integration
• Multiple UTS teaching awards

As Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Learning Analytics (2015-2022) and active participant in numerous scholarly conferences, Dr Knight has significantly shaped the learning analytics field. He has secured research funding through his ARC DECRA fellowship and other grants, focusing on how technology can support evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking. His professional activities extend to serving on editorial boards, acting as an ARC Assessor, and contributing to policy development through submissions to government inquiries on digital transformation and civics education.

Dr Knight leads the Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS) at UTS, which serves as the primary hub for his research activities. His work involves close collaboration with researchers across disciplines and institutions, including partnerships with UCL Knowledge Lab, KTH Digital Futures, and various Australian universities. The INFO-NAVIGATE project represents a key current initiative, developing tools to support critical thinking in complex information environments.