Education

• Ph.D. in Learning, Design, & Technology, The University of Georgia
• M.S. in Learning, Design, and Technology, The University of Georgia
• B.A. in Mathematics Education, Saint Louis University

 

Research

Scaffolding ill-structured problem solving, problem-based learning, case-based learning, Computational thinking, robotics education, integrated STEM education, ICAP theory.

Biography

Yingxiao (Karen) Qian received her Ph.D. degree in Learning, Design, and Technology from the University of Georgia. Before joining USC, she worked as a postdoctoral scholar in the Learning and Cognition Lab at Arizona State University. Her research interest is to design and develop various learning environments that utilize technology to enhance K-12 students’ real-world problem-solving abilities in STEM education contexts. Her research and instructional design projects have been shown in different academic journals and recognized by numerous professional awards at AECT and AERA. In addition, she has actively served professional organizations, such as AECT and AERA, in different capacities and fulfilled various leadership roles in these organizations.

Selected Publications

Qian, Y. & Choi, I. (2022). Tracing the essence: Ways to develop abstraction in computational thinking, Educational Technology Research and Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10182-0

Jiang, S., Qian, Y., Tang, H., Coven, M., J, Chao., Finzer, W., & Rose, C. (2022).  Examining computational thinking processes in modeling unstructured data. Education Information and Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11355-3

Kopcha, T. J., Ocak, C., & Qian, Y. (2021). Analyzing children’s computational thinking through embodied interaction with technology: A multimodal perspective. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 1987–2012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09832-y

Tang, H., Lin, Y., & Qian, Y. (2021). Implementing renewable assignments to facilitate K-12 educators’ acceptance of Open Educational Resources: A mixed-methods inquiry, Educational Technology Research and Development. 69(6), 3209-3232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10046-z

Hong, Y., Qian, Y., & Yang, Y. (2021). The effects of social interactions on the development of computational thinking through stem integrated robotics curriculum, Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange. 14(1), 27-42. https://aquila.usm.edu/jetde/vol14/iss1/2

Selected Awards

• Lee W. Cochran Intern, Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
• Outstanding Empirical Journal Article Award sponsored by Research and Theory Division, AECT
• Young Researcher Award sponsored by Springer Publishing, AECT
• Featured Research Award, Research and Theory Division, AECT