Juan Zheng Receives TICL Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award

Zheng's research focuses on integrating artificial intelligence and computer simulations into science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

STORY BY Editorial Services

An assistant professor in the College of Education’s Teaching, Learning, and Technology program, Juan Zheng recently received the TICL Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award from the American Educational Research Association. With a background in both educational technology and educational psychology, her research focuses on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and computer simulations into science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM). 

Most recently, her work focuses on integrating AI into a simulated learning environment to facilitate students' engineering design. She uses think-aloud, self-report, computer trace data, facial expressions, and physiological sensors to measure students’ cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional processes. 

In his nomination, Dean William Gaudelli shared, "Dr. Zheng has continuously demonstrated the highest level of scholarship and has gained renown in the field of Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning (TICL) for her novel endeavors to develop responsive and dynamic technology-rich learning environments that use AI technology." Her approach provides real-time feedback to students, helping them manage their emotions and self-regulated learning processes, creating more effective and efficient learners. 

Zheng employs the latest and most advanced research and technology--including advanced statistics, data-mining, multi-modal approaches, self-reported data, wearable sensors, and facial expressions. She has introduced pioneering theories in each of these fields.

She has published over 40 authoritative scholarly articles and 13 conference proceedings, resulting in over 1200 citations. In addition to her strong record of publications, Zheng is a prolific collaborator, including work with the Concord Consortium, the University of Florida, Nanyang Technological University, and Indiana University.

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is a national society that strives to advance knowledge about education, encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Learn more at www.aera.net.

The College of Education’s Teaching, Learning, and Technology program enhances educational practices by integrating philosophies, practices and technologies to advance teaching and learning in instructional settings. Learn more at https://ed.lehigh.edu/academics/programs/instructional-technology.