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, case-based learning, computer science and AI 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 focuses on designing and developing technology-enhanced learning environments that foster K–12 students’ real-world problem-solving, computational thinking skills in STEM and computer science education contexts. Her work also explores AI for and in education, including AI literacy curriculum design and the development of AI-powered learning tools. 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. (2025). Exploring the effectiveness of explicit guidance and practices on abstraction in a STEM-integrative robotics education program, Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 28(4), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.30191/ETS.202510_28(4).SP08

Tang, H. & Qian, Y. (2025). Enhancing rural students’ perceived relevance and career interest in engineering through 3D printing, Frontiers in Education. 10, Article 1589296. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1589296  

Qian, Y., Hong, Y, & Chi, M. (2024). Learning from watching dialog and monolog videos in online STEM courses, International Journal of STEM Education, 11, Article 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00505-3

Tang, H., Qian, Y. & *Porter-Voss, S. (2024). Enhancing rural students’ computer science self-efficacy in a robotics-based language arts class. Education and Information Technologies. 29(18), 25533–25550. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12875-w

Qian, Y. & Choi, I. (2023). Tracing the essence: Ways to develop abstraction in computational thinking, Educational Technology Research and Development. 71(3), 1055–1078 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10182-0

Jiang, S., Qian, Y., Tang, H., Coven, M., J, Chao., Finzer, W., & Rose, C. (2023).  Examining computational thinking processes in modeling unstructured data. Education Information and Technologies. 28(4), 4309–4333. 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

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

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

Selected Awards

• Early Career Research Award (2026), College of Education, University of South Carolina
• Division of Distance Learning (DDL) Best Book Chapter Award (2026), Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
• Best Journal Paper Award, Instructional Design SIG (2025), Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education
• Featured Research Award (2022, 2020), Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
• Lee W. Cochran Intern (2021), Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
• Outstanding Empirical Journal Article Award sponsored by Research and Theory Division (2021), Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
• Young Researcher Award sponsored by Springer Publishing (2020), Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)