nagashima [at] cs.uni-saarland.de

NEWS 🎉

(Sep 2023) Won the PRESTO (“Sakigake”) grant! (€300K) We will work on participatory design research with school students and teachers in Germany and Japan to design an intelligent system with a focus on student agency.

(Aug 2023) Echo has joined the lab as a postdoc from ASU! Learn more about her.

(Apr 2023) Starting a new role as a Visiting Professor at Hokkaido University in Japan!

(Mar 2023) Gave a talk at CAIS in Bochum

(Feb 2023) Gave a talk at ETH Zürich (FLI Colloquia)

(Dec 2022) Launched the “Future+Learning” working group with Lis Sylvan and Sandra Cortesi @BKC Harvard

(Nov 2022) Moved to Germany to start my TT position at Saarland University!

(June 2021) Our ISLS paper was nominated for Best Design Paper!

(April 2021) We were at the ED Games Expo! Here’s our entry.

(Dec 2020) Won the Fred Mulder Open Education Practice Award!

(Nov 2020) Gave a talk at Keio Univ.

(Nov 2020) Won an AECT award!

(Nov 2020) Presented at OpenEd20

(Oct 2020) Made a tape diagram template (available under CC-BY-NC)

Team

My lab (lab name being brainstormed..) is growing! We are an interdisciplinary lab working in Human-Computer Interaction, the Learning Sciences, and Cognitive Science to advance the understanding of how people learn and how we can best support human learning by working with community members. Wanna join the lab? Please email me (nagashima[at]!cs.uni-saarland.de)!

Hi! I’m Tomo and I’m the head of this lab. I’m originally from Japan — after working as an instructional designer at a university in Japan, I lived and studied in the US before coming to Germany in 2022.  When not working, I’m mostly playing with my two little kids 🙂 

Hello! My name is Man Su. I also go by Echo. Currently, I am a postdoc at Tomo’s lab. My research interest is to investigate ways to support students of diverse backgrounds to understand complex STEM concepts using computer simulations and other emerging technologies (e.g., intelligent tutoring systems, AR/VR games). I believe that good education should be equitable and accessible to all learners. I’ve spent the past 8 years studying and working in the US. I received my Ph.D. in Learning, Literacies, and Technologies from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in bilingual and bicultural education from Columbia University. In my free time, you can find me playing the guitar and piano, hiking, and doing archery.

Hello everyone! My name is Katharina, and I’m writing my Master’s thesis in computer science with the lab. I strongly believe that education is key to unlocking opportunities and achieving one’s dreams. Therefore, I’m excited to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of mathematics learning. In my free time, you’re likely to find me either buried in a book or tending to my ever-growing collection of plants. Moreover, I’m a big fan of game nights with friends and will never say no to a table tennis match. 

My name is Justin Gole. I am in my second semester as an Educational Technology Master’s student here at the University of Saarland. I graduated with my Master’s Degree in secondary education from Pittsburg State University in the USA in 2021 and have three years experience as a middle school classroom teacher. I am very passionate about finding new ways to help students achieve academically! During my spare time you will find me playing my guitar, riding my bike, doing yoga, and playing Dungeons and Dragons! 

Hello there! My name is Helena Kilger. I am currently studying Educational Technology at Saarland University. Before that I got my bachelor’s and master’s in Psychology and worked as a researcher (and teacher) in the Social Psychology lab. I always enjoyed didactically preparing learning content. By presenting complex content in a way that is easy to understand, I want to give people the opportunity to easily gain new knowledge. I believe that technology is a chance to make learning more fun, stimulating, and individualized, and it could be a step towards global educational equity. In my free time you will most likely find me playing board or video games, playing the guitar, or trying out some new sports courses. 

My name is Shintaro Sato. I am a student of Educational Technology at Saarland University. I have experience working as a teacher in a Japanese elementary school as well as a Japanese school in the U.S. for a total of four years. I am interested in how technology can support learners and assess learning outcomes. Currently, I am also learning computer programming to get skills to create digital educational materials. My hobby is short-distance sprinting (100m-200m). 

Hi, my name is Narek Shamamyan. I am a first-year Educational Technology graduate student from Armenia. I have a background in Computer Science, but I have worked in the Education field for the past 7 years. I strongly believe that my life mission is to contribute to the education system in my country and all over the world. Hence, I try doing my best to be up to date with the technological developments in education and get involved in the development of new technologies. During my free time, I like going out with friends, playing board games, and traveling as much as possible.  

Hello! My name is Mareike, I also go by Mara, I am studying Educational Technology at Saarland University and I am currently writing my thesis with the lab. I have a background in Business Information Systems and practical experience in creating and organizing in-service training for employees in companies. I am interested in combining my IT experience with the field of psychology to create useful and exciting educational resources for children and adults. During my spare time I love to go hiking and camping, read and spend time with my family and friends.

Hi, I’m Niklas! I’m a first-year undergraduate in computer science at Saarland University. Starting at this lab, I am looking forward to gaining more scientific experience. In the last years, I have been really interested in psychology and computer science, which is why I started at this lab to be able to combine these two passions. My goal for the future is to expand my knowledge in the area of Human-Computer-Interaction. In my spare time, I really enjoy working out, listening to all different kinds of music and also volunteering at bigger sport events. 

Hi! My name is Martina Vincoli, I am a Human-Computer Interaction student at the University of Trento (Italy). I am currently doing my internship in this lab to complete my studies. I am a super curious person and I love to learn new things, and that is what got me into this field: bringing together technology, psychology and design towards a common goal. I firmly believe that these kinds of studies can improve the learning environment both on a human level and on an efficacy one! Investing time and resources in educational technologies will bring the possibility to create a positive and safe environment for both students and teachers. In my free time, I like to do any kind of activity that can boost my creativity: playing the guitar, singing, cooking or lettering, even better if with some friends. I am always down to try out new hobbies! 

In addition, we also have several wonderful secondary-school students (Gymnasium students) who work in the lab as interns 🙂 !