O (Omid) Noroozi

Omid Noroozi is an associate professor at the Education and Learning Sciences Chair Group of Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands.

Teaching and learning in the 21st century is gradually shifting from teaching and learning in the traditional classrooms into learning and collaboration in technology-infused learning communities. Throughout my academic and professional activities, I have fostered an interest in understanding the relations among technology, pedagogy, and learning 21st century skills with a specific focus on students’ argumentation competence development in higher education. My main focus in this regard is how various Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) environments such as digital learning environments, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), serious games and simulations, and virtual reality could be best designed to facilitate students’ acquisition of 21st century skills for solving today’s complex and controversial challenges.

In my research, I am passionate to design, implement, evaluate, and improve various advanced TEL environments to facilitate students’ acquisition of 21st century skills with a particular focus on students’ argumentation competence development in higher education. During the last couple of years, I have broadened this research focus to include other 21st century skills as well, such as collaborative learning skills, entrepreneurial skills, self-regulation skills, and complex problem solving skills.

Although my research has focused primarily on the development of improved models and methods for the design, evaluation, improvement, and upgrading of advanced TEL environments for facilitation of students’ acquisition of 21st century skills, there are three significant research areas that need to be developed further as specified in this revised research vision. These research areas include the use of TEL environments such as digital learning environments, MOOCs, serious games and simulations, and virtual reality for: 1) scaffolding second-order argumentation-based learning through adaptive fading, 2) fostering students’ argumentative essay writing through scripted peer feedback/feedforward, 3) facilitating acquisition of students’ 21st skills through game-based learning.