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Professor Michael J. Jacobson

Professor and Chair, Education

Co-director, Centre for Research on Computer Supported Learning and Cognition (CoCo)

Deputy Director, Institute for Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education

Email:

Phone: +61 2 9036 7671

Fax: +61 2 9351 2606

Building.Room: A35.243

Research interests

Learning sciences; psychology of education

  • Learning technologies and new media
  • Learning, cognition and motivation

Keywords

design of learning technologies, intelligent agent augmented virtual worlds, learning about complex systems, theoretical & methodological implications of complexity, knowledge transfer, conceptual change, agent-based modeling, computational social science


Professional biography

Michael J. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a Professor and Chair of Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. He also is the Co-director of the Centre for Research on Computer-supported Learning and Cognition (CoCo) and Deputy Director, Institute for Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education. Previously, he was an Associate Professor in the Learning Sciences Laboratory (which he helped establish) at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Senior Associate Director and an Associate Professor at the Korea University Center for Teaching and Learning in Seoul, Korea. Professor Jacobson has also held faculty and research positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Georgia.

His research has focused on the design of learning technologies to foster deep conceptual understanding, conceptual change, and knowledge transfer in challenging conceptual domains. Most recently, his work has explored learning with immersive virtual environments and agent-based modeling and visualization tools, as well as cognitive and learning issues related to understanding new scientific perspectives emerging from the study of complex systems. Professor Jacobson has published extensively in areas related to the learning sciences and technology, including numerous scientific papers, book chapters, and two books. His 2006 paper in the highly ranked The Journal of the Learning Sciences (with Uri Wilensky) was the most cited paper in the journal between 2006 and 2011. He has given talks and invited addresses at national and international conferences and served as an educational and business consultant both in the United States and abroad. His research has been funded by groups such as the Australian Research Council, Singapore Ministry of Education, Korean Ministry of Information and Communication, and U.S. National Science Foundation. In addition, he is an Affiliate of the New England Complex Systems Institute. In July 2012, he will serve as the Chair of the 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, which has the conference theme of “the future of learning.” Professor Jacobson received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991.


Awards

  • Bibliographic Instruction Publication Award 1995, Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association

  • Outstanding Student Research Award 1992, American Educational Research Association, Division C

  • Bagley Scholars Fellowship 1989, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Phi Delta Kappa 1989

  • Graduate College Fellowship 1988, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Nominee for Outstanding Faculty Member 1985, Western State College, Colorado


Professional and community roles

  • Editorial Board, The Journal of the Learning Sciences (JLS)

  • Editorial Board, International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (ijCSCL)

  • Editorial Board, Educational Technology Research and Developement (ETR&D)


Current projects

  • Project Title Learning the Complexity of Scientific Knowledge about Climate Change with Computer Modelling and Visualization Technologies. With the greater availability and power of computational media in the schools, it is now possible for students and teachers in science classes to use computer modelling and visualization technologies (MVT) that are similar to – or even same as – those used by professional scientists. This project will primarily use agent-based models (ABM) in order to help students learn about complex physical and biological systems by running ABM simulations or by engaging in modeling activities that involve ABM. This project will learning of challenging scientific knowledge about complexity in the context of Australian schools using a current and clearly important target domain at the juncture of advanced science and societal relevance – climate change. http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/coco/research/projects/climate_change/index.shtml
  • Project Title Multi-user Virtual Environments Research into the learning & transfer of scientific knowledge & inquiry skills. The aim of this project is to understand how innovative multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) can be designed and used in Australian schools to enhance the learning of important scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. Working closely with teachers in secondary science classes, researchers will investigate ways in which the features of intelligent agents in educational MUVEs enable innovative pedagogical approaches that have the potential to enhance learning in secondary science classes. In addition, this project will develop science inquiry-based curriculum modules employing MUVEs. The project is using Unity 3D, which is essentially an agent-based modeling 3D game engine that can deploy across a range of computer platforms (Macs/Windows) and portable devices (e.g., iPads, iPhones, WII). http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/coco/research/projects/virtual_worlds/index.shtml

Current research students

Project title Degree Research student
EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Collaborative Learning in a Vietnamese University: Perceptions and Experiences of Students and Teachers PhD Thuy Bich Thi Nguyen
Design issues in virtual reality environment: The role of pedagogical agent in motivating middle school females learning and enhancing academic achievements in science PhD Reem Turki Mohammed
Productive Failure, Modeling, Perceptual Embodiment, and Learning Nanotechnology PhD Polly Lai
TBA PhD Catherine Raffaele

Selected publications

Books

Book chapters

  • Rahayu, P., & Jacobson, M. J. (in press). Speaking self-efficacy and English as a foreign language: Learning processes in a multi-user virtual environment. In M. Piscioner (Ed.), Effectively implementing Information Communication Technology in Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region Hauppauge, NY: NOVA Science Publishers, Inc.
  • Jacobson, M. J., & Kapur, M. (2012). Learning environments as emergent phenomena: Theoretical and methodological implications of complexity. In D. Jonassen & S. Land (Ed.), Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments (2nd ed., pp. 303–334), New York: Springer.
  • Reimann, P., & Jacobson, M. J. (2010). Afterword: Opportunities for transformational learning. In M. J. Jacobson & P. Reimann (Ed.), Designs for learning environments of the future: International learning sciences theory and research perspectives (pp. 283–285), New York: Springer-Verlag.
  • Jacobson, M. J., & Reimann, P. (2010). Invention and innovation in design future learning environments. In M. J. Jacobson & P. Reimann (Ed.), Designs for learning environments of the future: International perspectives from the learning sciences (pp. 1–16), New York: Springer-Verlag.
  • Jacobson, M. J., Kim, B., Miao, C., Shen, Z., & Chavez, M. (2010). Design perspectives for learning in virtual worlds. In M. J. Jacobson & P. Reimann (Ed.), Designs for learning environments of the future: International learning sciences theory and research perspectives (pp. 111–142), New York: Springer-Verlag.
  • Jacobson, M. J. (2006). From non-adaptive to adaptive educational hypermedia: Theory, research, and design issues. In G. Magoulas & S. Chen (Ed.), Advances in web-based education: Personalized learning environments (pp. 302–330), Hershey, PA: Idea Group.

Journal articles

  • Jacobson, M. J., Kim, B., Pathak, S., & Zhang, B. . (in press). Issues in the sequencing of pedagogical structure in learning activities. Instructional Science. Manuscript under review. .
  • Jacobson, M. J., Kapur, M., So, H.-J., & Lee, J. (2011). The ontologies of complexity and learning about complex systems. Instructional Science, 39, 763–783. DOI:10.1007/s11251-010-9147-0
  • Jacobson, M. J., So, H. J., Teo, T., Lee, J., Pathak, S., & Lossman, H. G. (2010). Epistemology and learning: Impact on pedagogical practices and technology use in Singapore schools. Computers & Education, 55, 1694–1706.
  • Jacobson, M. J. (2008). Hypermedia systems for problem-based learning: Theory, research, and learning emerging scientific conceptual perspectives. Educational Technology, Research, and Development, 56, 5–28.
  • Jacobson, M. J., & Azevedo, R. (2008). Advances in scaffolding learning with hypertext and hypermedia: Theoretical, empirical, and design issues. Educational Technology, Research, and Development, 56, 1–3.
  • Azevedo, R., & Jacobson, M. J. (2008). Advances in scaffolding learning with hypertext and hypermedia: A summary and critical analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56, 93–100.
  • Jacobson, M. J., & Wilensky, U. (2006). Complex systems in education: Scientific and educational importance and research challenges for the learning sciences. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 15(1), 11–34.
  • Jacobson, M. J., Kim, Y., Lee, J., Kim, H., & Kwon, S. (2005). Learning sciences principles for advanced e-learning systems: Implications for computer-assisted language learning. Korean Association of Multimedia- Assisted Language Learning, 8(1).

Conference papers

  • Jacobson, M. J., Richards, D., Kapur, M., Taylor, C., Hu, T., Wong, W.-Y., & Newstead, A. (2011). Collaborative virtual worlds and productive failure: Design research with multi-disciplinary pedagogical, technical and graphics, and learning research teams. In H. Spada, G. Stahl, N. Miyake, & N. Law Connecting Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning to Policy and Practice: CSCL2011 Conference Proceedings. Volume III -- Community Events Proceedings (IIIpp. 1126–1129).
  • Kapur, M., & Jacobson, M. J. (2010). Leaning as an emergent phenomena: Methodological implications. In K. Gomez, L, Lyons, & J. Radinsky Learning in the Disciplines: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2010) (2pp. 192–193).
  • Jacobson, M. J., & Kapur, M. (2010). Ontologies as scale free networks: Implications for theories of conceptual change. In K. Gomez, L, Lyons, & J. Radinsky Learning in the Disciplines: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2010) (pp. 193–194).
  • Pathaka, S. A., Jacobson, M. J., Kim, B., Zhang, B., & Deng, F. (2008). Learning the physics of electricity with agent-based models: The paradox of productive failure. In T.-W. Chan, G. Biswas, F.-C. Chen, S. Chen, C. Chou, M. Jacobson, Kinshuk, F. Klett, C.-K. Looi, T. Mitrovic, R. Mizoguchi, K. Nakabayashi, P. Reimann, D. Suthers, S. Yang & J.-C. Yang. International Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 221–228).
  • Jacobson, M. J., Miao, C., Kim, B., Shen, Z., & Chavez, M. (2008). Research into learning in an intelligent agent augmented multi-user virtual environment. In 2008 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology (pp. 348–351).
  • Jacobson, M, Miao, C, Kim, B, Shen, Z, Chavez, M. (2008). Research into Learning in an Intelligent Agent Augmented Multi-user Virtual Environment. In none-online TUMAS-A 2008: Web Intelligence & Intelligent Agent Technology in eLearning. Proceedings. Sydney, December 9-12, 2008.
  • Jacobson, M. J. . (2007). Complex systems in cognitive sciences: A universal acid?. In D. S. McNamara & J. G. Trafton Proceedings of the 29th Annual Cognitive Science Society.
  • Jacobson, M. J., Lim, S. H., Lee, J., & Low, S.-H. (2007). Virtual Singapura: Design considerations for an intelligent agent augmented multi-user virtual environment for learning science inquiry. In the 15th International Conference on Computer in Education.

Other

  • Jacobson, M. J., Kim, B., Lee, J., Lim, S. H., & Low, S. H. (2008). Virtual Singapura: Learning in an intelligent agent augmented multi-user virtual environment for learning science inquiry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Association, New York, NY.
  • Jacobson, M. J., So, H. J., Teo, T., Lee, J., & Pathak, S. A. (2008). Teachers’ beliefs about knowledge and learning: A Singapore perspective. Paper presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences., Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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