Dr. Jianwei Zhang is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the University at Albany, State University of New York. His research explores technology-enabled learning designs to engage students in sustained, creative knowledge work across content areas and school years in order to prepare them for 21st century careers. He has conducted research in both North America and China, funded by agencies such as NSF and the Ministry of Education of China. His work demonstrates new possibilities of transforming classrooms into creative communities that engage in dynamic collaboration for sustained idea advancement, supported by new roles of teachers. A set of new research and assessment tools has been developed to examine collaborative knowledge building online. Dr. Zhang has published widely in both English and Chinese (e.g. Journal of the Learning Sciences, ETR&D) and received a number of awards, including two outstanding article awards from ETR&D. He serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the Learning Sciences and a board member for several other leading journals.
Dr. Zhang earned his doctorate (educational psychology) from Beijing Normal University. Prior to coming to Albany, he had been a postdoctoral fellow at OISE/University of Toronto and a faculty member at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Zhang, J., Hong, H.-Y., Scardamalia, M., Teo, C., & Morley, E. (2011). Sustaining knowledge building as a principle-based innovation at an elementary school. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 20 (2), 262–307.
Zhang, J., & Sun, Y. (2011). Reading for idea advancement in a grade 4 knowledge building community. Instructional Science, 39 (4), 429-452.
Zhang, J. (2010). Technology-supported learning innovation in cultural contexts. ETR&D (Educational Technology Research and Development), 58 (2), 229-243. (Outstanding Journal Article award from the International Division of AECT)
Sun, Y., Zhang, J., & Scardamalia, M. (2010). Knowledge building and vocabulary growth over two years, Grades 3 and 4. Instructional Science, 38 (2), 247-271.
Zhang, J. (2009). Towards a creative social Web for learners and teachers. Educational Researcher, 38, 274-279.
Zhang, J., Scardamalia, M., Reeve, R., & Messina, R. (2009). Designs for collective cognitive responsibility in knowledge building communities. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 18(1), 7-44.
Zhang, J., Scardamalia, M., Lamon, M., Messina, R., & Reeve, R. (2007). Socio-cognitive dynamics of knowledge building in the work of nine- and ten-year-olds. Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D), 55(2), 117-145. (Outstanding Journal Article of the Year Award in the Field of Instructional Design, from AECT)
Zhang, J. & Sun, Y. (2005). Constructive Learning: An Integrated View from the Learning Sciences. Shanghai: Shanghai Education Publishing House. (in Chinese)
Zhang, J., Chen, Q., Sun, Y., & Reid, D. J. (2004). A triple scheme of learning support design for scientific discovery learning based on computer simulation: Experimental research. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20(4), 269-282.
Reid, D., Zhang, J., & Chen, Q. (2003). Supporting scientific discovery learning in a simulation environment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 19(1), 9-20.