The departments’ research program revolves around learning processes and instructional design.
The core focus here is on technology-enhanced learning environments for inquiry learning. Examples of such environments include serious games, educational simulations, and computer modeling environments. These environments serve as platform for empirical works on the cognitive processes of inquiry and scientific reasoning, the difficulties people experience when engaging in these processes for the purpose of learning, and the design of (software) supports to help reduce these learning obstacles (e.g., cognitive tools, software agents). Most of the research is experimental by nature, but more design-based investigations are being conducted as well. The target audience is rather broad and ranges from elementary school children to young adults.
The department coordinates a large number of research projects that are funded by national and international agencies such as NWO, Kennisnet, and the European Commission.
A complete overview of our current and recently concluded research can be found at our Projects website.