Tech-Augmented Co-Creativity Lab (TACCL)

led by Dr. Jianwei Zhang at the University at Albany, State University of New York

Dr. Jianwei Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice (ETAP), University at Albany. His research explores how students work as knowledge builders to address authentic challenges facing the local and global communities, leveraging creative knowledge processes and technologies.

He is a Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) and served as co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Learning Sciences(2021-2024). In collaboration with computer scientists and school partners, his team currently explores designs of human-AI partnerships for enhancing students’ knowledge-building inquiry and collaborative discourse.

A suite of technology tools (e.g., Idea Thread Mapper) have been created to enable more dynamic classroom configurations and interactions. Email: jzhang1(at)albany.edu.

👥 Graduate Students and Research Assistants

   * Deb Byrne  
   * Jiyeon Lee  
   * Katherine Espinosa  
   * Thomas Underwood  
   * Dongni Guo  
   * Jenny Waligory-Lee  
   * Lei (Dora) Ding  
   * Alae Sherafat  
   * Aya Isaac
   * Ying Kong  
   * Tracy Lescault
   * Weiting Qi
   * Ruixin Xue

🎓 Recent Alums and Graduate Research Assistants

Dr. He (Anna) Zhou Breunig Social Emotional Engagement in Knowledge Building in Grade 5 Science Classrooms. Defended in December 2023.

Dr. Simona Pesaresi, KU Leuven Institute for the Future Regulation of a Shared Focus in Open-Ended Collaborative Inquiry. Presidential Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award (2022).

Dr. Hyejin (Jiny) Park, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) Responsive Scaffolding of Knowledge Building Discourse with Ongoing Analytics Support. Presidential Distinguished Dissertation Award (2021).

Dr. Guangji Yuan, NTU Singapore Cross-Community Collaboration Among Knowledge Building Communities. Presidential Distinguished Dissertation Award (2019).

Dr. Dan Tao, Beijing Normal University Reflective Structuration of Knowledge Building Practices. Presidential Distinguished Dissertation Award (2019).

Dr. Jingping Chen, Chengdu University Dissertation: Formative Assessment for Collaborative Knowledge Building. (2015)

Dr. Derya Kıcı, former RA at OISE/UT; now at Ryerson University Data Science Lab.

Sarah Naqvi, RA and MA graduate, University of Toronto.

Pei-Hsuan Lin, MS CDIT graduate, UAlbany

Mengxin Song, MS CDIT graduate, UAlbany

Tianran Xiao, MS CDIT graduate, UAlbany

Heather Hoff, MS CDIT graduate, UAlbany

Annette DiGuiseppi, MS CDIT student, UAlbany