Hello! I am Wei Wang, a Ph.D. Candidate in Learning Design and Technology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a co-founder of AskAboutEdu (askabout.edu). I study how generative AI, learning analytics, and evidence-grounded systems can support teaching, learning, critical thinking, AI literacy, and educational decision-making.
My work combines design-based research, mixed methods, and computational analysis. I build and evaluate tools ranging from retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems to interactive educational data platforms, using Python, R, natural language processing, and causal inference methods.
Research focus
- Generative AI, critical thinking, and AI literacy in teaching and learning
- Learning analytics, educational data mining, and computational research methods
- Evidence-informed decision support and evaluation of educational technologies
Recent work
- First author of a published JEDM article on LLM-assisted educational video transcript analysis.
- Co-editing [AI and Me] Generative AI Guidebook for Higher Education Faculty, currently awaiting administrator review in the EdTech Books open publishing system.
- Co-founding AskAboutEdu and developing reproducible RAG workflows that connect practical education questions with traceable research evidence.
- Co-leading the UTK ORIED-funded Next Level Teaching Blueprint as Student PI and Graduate Researcher, examining how constraint-first, dialogic AI activities can strengthen critical thinking in research methods courses.
- Leading the forthcoming CRC Press book Computational Analysis of Educational Data: A Field Guide Using R as first author (expected late 2026).
- Co-developing the AIREA Data Explorer, a public tool linking community college credentials and regional workforce demand.
- Contributing to preprints and manuscripts in progress on AI curriculum materials, causal sensitivity analysis, faculty GenAI literacy, international students’ online learning, and changing data science work.
Teaching and professional background
Since August 2023, I have worked as a Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant with UTK Digital Learning, supporting research on AI-enhanced online teaching and faculty development. My teaching experience includes ESM 250: Applied Statistical Concepts for Decision Makers (Spring 2025), AI and Me (2025–present), and Teaching with Generative AI (April 2024–present).
Previously, I was a researcher at iFLYTEK’s National Cognitive Intelligence Key Laboratory (March 2021–June 2023), conducting mixed-method evaluations of smart-education initiatives and K–12 learning technologies. At Shanghai Squirrel AI (December 2017–August 2019), I worked as an instructor and adaptive learning specialist, using diagnostic data to personalize learning and supporting teachers’ use of adaptive systems.
Education
- Ph.D., Learning Design and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, August 2023–present. Committee: Joshua Rosenberg, Enilda Romero-Hall, Victor Lee, and Jason Johnston.
- M.A., Education Technology, Johnson University, 2020–2021.
- M.S., Education Technology, Anhui Normal University, 2019–2022.
- B.S., Software Engineering, Longyan University, 2012–2016.
Service
I have served as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (2024–2025), the Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education (2025), and AECT (2025), and as president of the University of Tennessee’s CSSA student organization.
I believe in the motto: “Technology comes and goes, pedagogy never falls.” This guides my work toward grounded, human-centered learning experiences.