Research Staff

Dr. Kui Xie (he/him) is Red Cedar Distinguished Professor and Chairperson of Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education at Michigan State University. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Division 15 Educational Psychology. Prior to MSU, he was Ted and Lois Cyphert Distinguished Professor and director of Research Laboratory for Digital Learning at Ohio State University. His research investigates areas related to motivation and engagement in digital learning, K-12 technology integration and teacher professional development, technology intervention and learning environment, learning analytics and research methods. He focuses on building translational research in partnership with K-12 schools. He has published extensively in flagship journals in crossover fields of Educational Technology, Educational Psychology, and others. His work has been highly visible to the general public appearing in The Conversation, U.S. News, NPR Radio, TIME, etc. Xie serves as the Editor-in-Chief for The Internet and Higher Education.   

Graduate Research Associates

Mike Frazier (he/him) is an educator, teacher leader, and researcher with experience teaching English, writing, and educational technology in public and private K-12 and higher education institutions in both the United States and South Korea. His current research efforts focus on the intersections of human and machine cognition in formal and informal learning environments, studying the impact of using generative Artificial Intelligence tools for learning and writing tasks for undergraduates and pre-service teachers, as well as teacher and faculty professional development related to AI literacy.

Jingwen (she/her) is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Assessment and Evaluation and a Bachelor’s degree in Education Management and Policy from Beijing Normal University. Prior to joining Michigan State University, Jingwen received the University Fellowship at The Ohio State University and served as a statistical consultant at the Quantitative Methodology Center. Her research centers on the social-emotional aspects of feedback, with a particular focus on student-teacher relationships, autonomy support, motivation, and the use of advanced methodologies such as data mining, experience sampling methods, and video analysis to measure engagement. She also explores AI-facilitated assessment and evaluation to enhance educational practices. Jingwen has extensive teaching experience in educational psychology theory and quantitative methodology and is currently seeking faculty opportunities in Education Technology, Education Psychology and Measurement fields.

Qiyang (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University. She is interested in the interaction between learning and technology. How cognitive processes influences knowledge application in new contexts? How do technologies, such as games, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and virtual reality (VR), influence learning and teaching? Her research also seeks to enhance motivation and self-regulated learning skills. She wants to know strategies that optimize learning experiences in these digital realms, ensuring that learners are not just informed, but also adaptable in their knowledge application.

Garam Lee is a 6th-year Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University. Her research centers on understanding the factors that drive self-discovery and goal alignment. She is particularly interested in motivating individuals to pursue goals that resonate with their core identities and contribute positively to the world, exploring the connection between identity formation and prosocial life purpose. As a result, in one line of her research, Garam emphasizes creating practical methods to help people clarify their identities, values, and goals while staying motivated to achieve meaningful aspirations. She also examines how generative AI and real-time analytics can create personalized pathways for personal growth and motivation. Integrating insights from psychology, education, and technology, ultimately, her goal is to empower individuals to lead purposeful, fulfilling lives.

Lab Alumni

Zilu Jiang – Post doctoral researcher at John Hopkins University

Zilu Jiang is an OSU alumna, who completed her doctoral work in 2023. She is currently working as a post doctoral researcher at John Hopkins University. Her research focuses on instructional design and development, technology integration in teaching and learning. technology-enhanced language learning, and learner’s motivation and engagement in the digital environment. 

Mitchell Shortt – Postdoctoral Scholar at Arizona State University  

Mitchell Shortt is an OSU alumnus, who completed his doctoral work in 2022. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Arizona State University. His research interests include student motivation in digital environments, teaching strategies, game-based learning, and computer-assisted language learning. 

Margaret Bowman – Assistant Visiting Professor at Miami University

Margaret Bowman is an OSU alumna, who completed her doctoral work in 2021. She is currently working as an assistant visiting professor at Miami University. Her academic interests include  the role of technology and technology integration into K-12 education, professional development needs for technology integration, and gender biases in learning technology. 

Lin Lu – Postdoctoral Scholar at University of Nevada Las Vegas

Lin Lu is an OSU alumna, who completed her doctoral work in 2021. She is currently working as a postdoctoral scholar at University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her academic interests include student motivation and engagement in online learning, online collaborative learning, analytics-supported virtual learning environment building, and technical supports and improvement for qualitative studies. 

Nathan Hawk – Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas A&M University

Nathan Hawk is an OSU alumnus, who completed his doctoral work in 2021. He is currently an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, College of Education, at Texas A&M University. His research interests include the role of technology and technology integration into K-12 education and online learning, STEM, technology professional development, the role of technology for at-risk students and the role of instructional technology in charter schools. 

Mike Nelson – Associate Staff at Cleveland Clinic

Mike Nelson is an OSU alumnus, who completed his doctoral work in 2020. He was a research associate in the lab between 2019-2020. He is currently an associate staff member in the Cleveland Clinic Education Institute, where he will have an academic appointment as an assistant professor through the Lerner College of Medicine. His research interests include technology in teacher education, teacher beliefs, and project-based learning. 

Vanessa Vongkulluksn – Assistant Professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas 

Vanessa Vongkulluksn was a postdoctoral research and school-based research led in our lab from 2016-2020. She is currently an assistant professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her research focused on motivation and engagement, technology-based environment, and information literacy. 

Sheng-Lun Cheng – Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State University

Sheng-Lun Cheng is an OSU alumnus, who completed his doctoral work in 2019. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Library Science and Technology, College of Education, at Sam Houston State University. His research focuses on technology integration and teacher education and self-regulation in online learning. 

Zhiru Sun – Assistant Professor at University of Southern Denmark  

Zhiru Sun is an OSU alumna, who completed her doctoral work in 2015. She is currently working as an assistant professor at University of Southern Denmark. Her research focuses on students’ self-regulation in online learning and flipped classrooms. She also applies complex and advanced statistical techniques in research. 

Joni Tornwall – Associate Clinical Professor at Ohio State University  

Joni Tornwall is an OSU alumna, who completed her doctoral work in 2019. She is currently Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing and Co-Director of the Academy for Teaching Innovation, Excellence, and Scholarship in the College of Nursing at OSU. Her research focuses on technology integration in nursing education and practice. 

Min Kyu Kim – Assistant Professor at Georgia State University

Dr. Min Kyu Kim was a postdoctoral researcher in the lab from 2015 to 2016. He currently works as an assistant professor in the Learning Technology Division at Georgia State University. His research interest is to design learning technologies to create equitable and productive learning opportunities. 

Sheng-Bo Chen

Sheng-Bo Chen is an OSU alumnus, who completed his doctoral work in 2019. He is currently an IT specialist at OSU. 

Jinju Duan  

Jinju Duan was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2018-2019. She is an associate professor in Faculty of Computer and Information Science at Southwest University. 

Xiaoying Li

Xiaoying Li was a visiting scholar the academic year 2018-2019. She is currently a doctoral student at East China Normal University. 

Xing Li

Xing Li was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2018-2019. She is currently a doctoral student at Central China Normal University. 

Gennaro Di Tosto

Dr. Gennaro Di Tosto was a postdoctoral researcher in the lab from 2016 to 2018. He currently works in the Medical Center at OSU. 

Young Suk Cho

Young Suk Cho was a data scientist in the lab from 2015 to 2017. He is currently working as a senior engineer at Samsung Inc. 

Serkan Izmirli

Dr. Serkan Izmirli was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2015-2016. He is an associate professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Turkey. 

Ozden Sahin Izmirli 

Dr. Ozden Sahin Izmirli was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2015-2016. She is an associate professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Turkey. 

Bo Liu  

Dr. Bo Liu was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2014-2015. He is an associate professor at South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China. 

Guijuan Gao  

Dr. Guijuan Gao was a visiting scholar for the academic year 2014-2015. She is an associate professor at Tongji University, Shanghai, China.