educator | researcher | maker
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University. I work in the Learning Dynamics Lab under the guidance of Dr. Hillary Swanson. My research focuses on examining learning and designing STEM-rich learning environments that weave in maker-centered, model-based, and embodied pedagogies.
In my current work, I use design-based research methods to develop a computationally rich microworld, Amazing Birds, to introduce learners to avian-inspired engineering. The design challenge invites learners to build a prototype of a flapping-bird automaton, with a particular focus on modeling wing-stroke amplitude. I am especially curious to examine how learners make sense of the design challenge and adapt their approach to navigate the design space. The broader goal of the project is to systematically integrate engineering sciences practices into K-12 education.
Another strand of my work explores how GenAI could be effectively leveraged in education research and practice. My preliminary work examines the role of GenAI while we enact qualitative methodologies such as the grounded theory approach. In my design work, I have also actively used GenAI tools to develop a complex learning environment (see the Amazing Birds platform).
I enjoy teaching and have had the opportunity to teach making and instructional design courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Beyond academia, I love participating in science communication activities by exploring diverse media representations, such as animated stories and interactive simulations, and constructing tangibles, such as DIY toys, to make complex scientific ideas accessible to the general populace.
A complete list of publications is available on my Google Scholar page.
Showing all 7 publications.
Making Cognition: A Mechanism Account of the Way Humans Develop the Ability to Build and Alter Their Environments
Sanjay Chandrasekharan, Ravi Sinha, and Geetanjali Date
Synthese, 206, Article 7, 2025
Through the lens of enactive cognition, the paper presents an account of the cognitive mechanisms that lead up to human making and shows how changes to these mechanisms enable further making.
Using Model-Based Reasoning to Refine Student Thinking: An ENA Analysis of Teacher Moves
Ravi Sinha, Idris Solola, Rida Munir, Hillary Swanson, and Ha Nguyen
24th Interaction Design and Children Conference (IDC ‘25), 2025
We examined the pedagogical moves a teacher used to engage middle school students in model-based reasoning during a seven-day energy conservation unit. We used thematic analysis and epistemic network analysis to characterize patterns within and across modeling activities.
The Role of Generative AI in Qualitative Research: GPT-4’s Contributions to a Grounded Theory Analysis
Ravi Sinha, Idris Solola, Ha Nguyen, Hillary Swanson, and LuEttaMae Lawrence
ACM Symposium on Learning, Design and Technology (LDT ‘24), 2024
We reflect on using GPT-4 during exploratory and focused coding phases in a grounded theory analysis of classroom transcript data to conceptualize a responsive teaching approach. We present moments when the model contributed to code generation, comparison, and refinement.
Epistemic Games at the Frontier: A Characterization of Emerging Science and Engineering Practices
Ravi Sinha, Hillary Swanson, Geetanjali Date, and Sanjay Chandrasekharan
18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), 2024 · Short paper
We characterized the Paperfuge prototyping process through the epistemic forms and games framework. We temporally decomposed the prototyping journey into six episodes. We proposed a preliminary construct of Prototype-Based Imagining as a marker of engineering sciences thinking.
From Embodied Doing to Computational Thinking in Kindergarten: A Punctuated Motor Control Model
Ravi Sinha, Hillary Swanson, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica F. Shumway, Victor R. Lee, and Sanjay Chandrasekharan
ACM Symposium on Learning, Design and Technology (LDT ‘23), 2023
We propose a motor-control characterization of how computational thinking can emerge from embodied performance in a tangible coding task. The paper analyzes video data from four kindergartners learning to program Cubetto to empirically illustrate the mechanism.
Reshaping Makerspaces to Learn Frontier Making Practices
Geetanjali Date, Ravi Sinha, and Sanjay Chandrasekharan
9th International Conference to Review Research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (epiSTEME), 2022
We describe the Paperfuge design process, extract its key engineering design practices, and represent them as an expanding spiral pattern of the design space to suggest ways of integrating frontier making practices into school makerspaces.
Embodied Learning in Makerspaces
Ravi Sinha, Geetanjali Date, and Sanjay Chandrasekharan
29th International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE), 2021
We propose a cognitive account of learning in makerspaces by outlining two mechanisms from embodied cognition. We illustrate how they can explain building cognition across three frontier making practices and inform the reimagining of makerspaces.
An interactive learning environment for exploring avian-inspired engineering through research cases, simulations, prototyping, and reflection activities.
Collaborator: Adithi Muralidhar. An interactive educational resource depicting some common species found across India to inspire educators (and any curious individual) to initiate conversations around nature observation. The beta version was launched on World Environment Day, 2021.
Principal Investigator: Prof Nagarjuna G. I was part of the core team in design and implementation of the metaStudio, a conversation-first platform for the STEM community, with 1500+ members since July 2019; Active contributor in crafting and curating STEM-rich tinkering challenges; Members are encouraged to engage in process documentation during making as well as share their feedback with others; Platform has provision of granting badges when an academic habit is demonstrated; Initiated dedicated discourse space turtleChat to support exploration of computational concepts.
Collaborator: Vivek Pradhan. A mobile app with curated hands-on science projects; Downloaded by 10000+ educators and children worldwide.
Teaching Assistant - eLearning Authoring Tools (ITLS 6245)
Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, Utah State University
Summer 2026
Instructor - Digital Making and Learning (ITLS 6270/5270)
Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, Utah State University
Spring 2026
Nudging Students’ Designs
Ravi Sinha, A. K. Pardeshi, and D. Chari
I Wonder, Azim Premji University, 8, 42-46, 2022
PDF · Link
The Not So Random Story
Amit Dhakulkar and Ravi Sinha
Teacher Plus, 2021
Aakho Me Chamak (Gleam in the Eyes)
Manish Jain and Ravi Sinha
A booklet for doing science using simple materials, 2017
Hindi · English
I worked on the following collection of animated popular science videos: Playlist
Danger of Space Travel without Spacesuit (CLI, IITGN)
History of Genetics (CLI, IITGN)
World’s narrowest fluid channel using Graphene (CLI, IITGN)
How much land does a man need? Part 1 (CLI, IITGN)
How much land does a man need? Part 2 Proof (CLI, IITGN)
