Professor Looi Chee Kit is Research Chair Professor in the Education University of Hong Kong. He is Emeritus Professor at National Institute of Education (NIE) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

During his stint in Singapore, Professor Looi Chee-Kit was with the Learning Sciences and Assessment Academic Group in the National Institute of Education (NIE) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He was the Co-Director of the Center for Research and Development into Learning (CRDL) of NIE, NTU.

Professor Looi was the Founding Head of the Learning Sciences Lab (LSL) of NIE (2005-2008; 2015-1018), the first research center devoted to the study of the sciences of learning in the Asia-Pacific region. He also served as the Head of the Centre of Excellence for Learning Innovation (COELI) of NIE (2008 – 2012). 

Professor Looi received his PhD from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and MSc from the University of British Columbia, Canada. He was a senior research scientist (1988-1997), an assistant director (1997-2000) in the Information Technology Institute of Singapore, a senior program director in the Institute of Systems Sciences of the National University of Singapore before joining the Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group of NIE, NTU in 2004. Prof Looi was working as an associate professor (2004-2010) and full professor (2010-present) in the Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group, NIE, NTU.

Professor Looi’s research focuses on learning sciences, computer-supported collaborative learning, mobile learning, AI & Education, and computational thinking. He has published more than 120 international journal papers, more than 50 books or book chapters, and 160 refereed international conference papers. In 2022, In Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus, the number of publications indexed mounts to 362, 134, and 223 respectively, with citation counts of 10201, 2361, and 3282. Professor Looi has given more than 85 keynotes, plenary, and invited talks at international conferences and institutions. He has served as the principal investigator (PI) for Co-PI for more than 20 research projects funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Fund of Singapore, the Workforce Development Applied Research Fund, the General Research Fund of Hong Kong, China, or Google. His research has translated into high impacts on educational practices. His work on rapid collaborative learning was cited in the 2010 US National Educational Technology Plan as a key example of technology-enabled innovation of significant practical impact. His mobile learning projects were featured in the US-based Sesame Workshop’s 2009 report on "Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning" which ended with a proposal to the Obama government to adopt a multi-sector action plan to transform mobile learning. His published research work over the years covers the life span of K-12 to higher education to adult learning and lifelong learning. 

Professor Looi is a Fellow of the International Society of Learning Sciences, and a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education. He is an academic committee member of the Education Informatization Strategy Research Base of the Ministry of Education of China, and a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the national doctoral program of UPGRADE Sweden. He was the founding member of the Global Chinese Society of Computers in Education, its advisory board member, and served as its President (2017-2019). He was a member of the Core Expert Group for developing the framework for assessing Collaborative Problem Solving in OECD PISA 2015, an expert with the New York Academy of Sciences, and a special consultant to the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University.

Professor Looi is currently an associate editor for the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence & Education, the International Journal on Computer Science Education, an editorial member of the International Journal of Computers-Supported Collaborative Learning, the Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning, and the Journal of Smart Learning Environments, a review editor for Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Education, the general editor of series entitled Routledge Advances in the Learning Sciences, an editorial board member of series entitled The Future of Learning by IOS Press, and an honorary advisor of the Journal of Computers in Education. He also served as an associate editor for the Journal of the Learning Sciences, an editorial board member of IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, and the managing editor of the International Journal on Information Technology. 

Professor Looi chaired or co-chaired many international conference programs including but not limited to the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (2016), International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (2011, 2013), IEEE International Conference on Wireless, Mobile & Ubiquitous Technologies in Education (2012), IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (2004), International Conference on Computers in Education (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009), International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education (2005, 2011, 2013), and Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education (2000, 2010, 2013, 2021).

In 2021, Professor Looi was listed in the annual list of the Top 2% of Career Scientists Worldwide, compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier, and identified as the second most influential author of mobile learning worldwide in a review study published in Telematics and Informatics. He was recognized as one of Singapore’s top computer scientists in the sixth edition of the Top 1000 Scientists in the Field of Computer Science and Electronics Worldwide by Guide2Research (2020), ranked among All-Time Top-100 Authors Worldwide in the Field of Educational Technology by Microsoft Academic Authors Analytics (2019), and listed in the Top-40 authors worldwide in journal publications on the area of Instructional Design and Technology between 2007 and 2017 by a study published in the British Journal on Educational Technology (2018). He has received more than 10 Best/Outstanding Paper awards at international conferences.

Over the years, Prof Looi has given keynote addresses at international conferences held in Chile, Spain, Sweden, Israel, United States of America, Finland, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, UAE, and Singapore.

Courses taught at National Institute of Education

Pre-service courses for teachers

EED 100: Introduction to Instructional Technology

PED 513: Instructional Technology

CED 201: Learning, Thinking and Instructional Technologies

Graduate courses

MAIDT 816: Advanced Computer-based Learning Systems

MAIDT 809: Designing, Conducting, and Reporting Investigations

MLT 834: Technologies as Cognitive Tools

MLT 807: Cognitive Foundations of the Learning Sciences

MLT 808: Design of Interactive Learning Environments

MLT 809/MLT 909: Research Methodologies for the Learning Sciences

MTD 802/MTD 902: Foundations of Learning and Instruction

MLT 801/MLT 901: Foundations of the Learning Sciences

EDTM901 Design of Technology-Medicated Learning Environments

In-service courses for school practitioners

DDM: Diploma in Departmental Management (6-month programme to train Heads of Departments in schools)

MLS: Management and Leadership in Schools (17-week programme to train Heads of Departments in schools)

LEP: Leaders in Education Programme (6 month programme to train school vice-principals to be principals)

Research for Educators (R4E) 

In my courses, I deployed the technologies with which I conducted my research in K-12 schools. I used GroupScribbles, mobile technologies, and VMT-Chat in my courses since 2007: firstly, I showed them the kind of activities we co-designed with teachers in K-12 schools, and secondly, I designed the courses so that the NIE students used the technologies as part of their learning experiences. 

Theses supervised 

PhD thesis by Juan Dee WEE, “Reinventing Mathematics Problem Design and Analysis of Chat Interaction in Quasi-Synchronous Chat Environments”, 2010. Early versions of parts of this PhD thesis are published as a book chapter in Stahl (ed, 2009), Studying Virtual Math Team, published by Springer, as well as presented in ICLS 2008.

PhD thesis by Longkai WU, “Scaffolding of Students’ Reflection by Agent Prompts in an Intelligent Learning-by-Teaching Environment”, oral examination in 2010. Early versions of parts of this PhD thesis are published as a book chapter in a volume by Springer, as well as presented in ICLS 2008. Professor Wu is now a full professor in CCNU, China.

PhD thesis by Yun WEN, “Investigating Social Interaction in a Networked Second Language Collaborative Writing Classroom”, 2014. This thesis has been published as a book by Springer.

PhD thesis by Peter Seow, “A Phenomenological Study of Teachers’ Experiences in Integrating 1-to-1 Technology in Singapore Classrooms”, 2015.

MA thesis by Sheralyn WOON, “Improving Visual Communications Skills Through the Use of the Tablet PC”, degree awarded in 2008.

MA thesis by Seau-Yoon FOO, “An Exploratory Study of Productive Disciplinary Engagement: Understanding Primary Pupils’ Emergent Dialogical Argumentation with Science Fieldwork”, degree awarded in 2009. Seau-Yoon is the winner of the MA in Instructional Design & Technology Gold Medal for 2009.

MA thesis by Michael Francis JALLEH, “Social Studies as a Transdisciplinary Subject in an Integrated Programme School”, degree awarded in 2009.

I serve as the External Examiner for Chinese University of Hong Kong, MA in IT-in Education, from 2004 to 2010. I also serve as a member of International Scientific Advisory Board of the IMPDET (International Multidisciplinary Ph.D. Studies in Educational Technology) programme of University of Joensuu, Finland, since 2004. In 2014, I serve as External Reviewer for the proposed Master of Arts in Learning and Data Sciences of HKIEd. I serve as a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the national doctoral programme , UPGRADE Sweden, from 2019.  

Professional Activities (National and International Societies, International Conferences, and other engagements)

1. External Reviewer for EUHK’s Specialised Area of “Science Education and Education for Sustainability”, Doctor of Education (EdD) Programme 

2. External Reviewer, EdUHK’s project “Blended Learning for University Enhancement II (BLUE Phase II)” comprising small group meetings with around 40 co-supervisors/instructors for 49 e-Learning resources, Hong Kong, 24-26 May 2021.

3. Member of expert panel around the development of a learner progression of collaboration skills with Menlo Education Research and Pearson, 2020.

4. Committee Member, Academic Committee of the Education Informatization Strategy Research Base (Beijing), Ministry of Education, China, 2021.

5. Member of the International Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the national doctoral programme , UPGRADE Sweden, from 2019.  

6. General Co-chair, Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education, 2021.

7. Conference Chair, International Conference on Computational Thinking and STEM Education, 2021

8.  Member of Local Evaluation Panel (LEP) of Strategic Capabilities Research Centres Funding  

  Initiative, National Research Foundation (NRF), 2021

9. Member of Interview Panel, MOE’s Outstanding Computer Teacher Award (OCTA), 2019, 2020.

10. Guest lecturer in New York Academy of Science online course, 2019

11. President, Global Chinese Society for Computers in Education, 2017-2019.

12. Member of High-level Advisory Panel of the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (CEATE) Secretariat of the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government (2017/2018).

13. Advisory Member of University of Sydney’s Centre for Research on Learning and Innovation since 2017. 

14. External Reviewer, e-learning Goals, Strategies and Implementation Plans, Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), 1-3 March 2018.

15. Convenor, International Re-designing Pedagogy Conference, 31 May – 2 June 2017, Singapore.

16. Member of Advisory Board for Global framework for STEM education, Global STEM Alliance, The New York Academy of Sciences, 2015

17. Member of review panel for research proposals using Nanyang Technological University Centre for Research and Development for Learning’s start-up grant, 2015

18. Program Co-chair, International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Singapore, 2016

19. Consultant to Singapore Corporation Enterprise on China’s Zhuhai city Smart Education Project, 2015-2016

20. Honorary Advisor, 21st Century Competencies, Hwa Chong Institution, 2015

21. External Reviewer of Research Grants Council (RGC) grants of the Hong Kong SAR, China.

22. Consultant to the Beijing Normal University (BNU) project with Intel on the five-year plan for Informatization in Education, 2015; and to the Smart Education Institute of BNU.

23. Consultant, HKIEd EDB project “Provision of Services for Conducting the Research Study on the Pilot Scheme on e-learning in Schools (Part 2)”, April 2014.

24. Programme Committee member of ICALT 2014 & ICALT 2015.

25. Senior Programme Committee of AIED 2015.

26. Programme Committee member of SMART conference 2014.

27. Senior Reviewer, International Conference on the Learning Sciences, Colorado, June 2014.

28. Panel Member of Institutional Audit of Mauritius Institute of Education, 15-19 July 2013.

29. Conference Chair of Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Educations (GCCCE 2013), Beijing, China, May 2013.

30. Member of international collaboration group awarded International Research Network of World Educational Research Association on Theory and Practice of Pedagogical Design for Learning in Digital Classrooms, 2012.

31. Member of High-level Advisory Panel of the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (CEATE) Secretariat of the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government (2011/2012).

32. Scientific Advisory Board member for the Israeli Center of Excellence "Education in the Digital Era: From Information Consumption to Knowledge Construction". 

33. Tutorial and workshop chair, The 16th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, 9 – 13 July, 2013, Memphis, USA.

34. Pre-conference Workshops and Tutorials Co-chair, 10th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Connecting computer supported collaborative learning to policy and practice, 15-19 June, 2013, Madison, USA.

35. Programme Committee Member of 7th IEEE International Conference on Wireless, Mobile & Ubiquitous Technologies in Education (WMUTE 2012)

36. Programme Committee Member of Workshop on Scalability and Interoperability Dimensions for Mobile Learning applications (SID-ML2012)

37. Programme Committee Member of Enhancing Learning with Ambient Displays and Visualization Techniques (ADVTEL'2011)

38. Core Group Member of Collaborative Problem Solving Expert Group, of PISA, OECD, 2011.

39. Programme Committee member of 10th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning, 2011.

40. Editorial member of International Journal of Mobile Learning Organization, since 2007.

41. Programme Committee member, 1st International Workshop on Enhancing Learning with Ambient Displays and Visualization Techniques (VIZTEL'11), 6th European conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2011), Palermo, Italy.

42. Sponsorship Co-chair and Senior Programme Committee member, The 15th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, 27 June – 1 July, 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand.

43. Pre-conference Workshops and Tutorials Co-chair, 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Connecting computer supported collaborative learning to policy and practice, July 4-8, 2011, Hong Kong, China.

44. Member of scientific committee of the IADIS Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems for 2008, 2009 & 2010 - "e-LEARNING – eL2008/2009/2010)".

45. Programme Committee member of IEEE Wireless, Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies in Education, WMUTE, 2010, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

46. General Co-chair, Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education, 2010, Singapore.

47. Senior Programme Committee member and Panels Co-Chair of Intelligent Tutoring Systems, 2010, Pittsburgh, USA.

48. Programme Co-Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2009, Hong Kong China.

49. Member of SingTel Customer Advisory Council for Education (2008-2010)

50. Programme Committee member of IEEE Wireless, Mobile and Ubiquitous Technologies in Education, WMUTE, 2008.

51. Programme Co-Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2008, Taipei, Taiwan.

52. Programme Committee member of workshop on MULE (mobile and ubiquitous learning environment, Hiroshima, Japan, on Nov 5-9, 2007.

53. Advisory Board, James J. Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Mathematics Education, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA, since 2007.

54. External Examiner for Chinese University of Hong Kong, MA in IT-in-Education, since 2004.

55. International Scientific Advisory Board of the IMPDET (International Multidisciplinary Ph.D. Studies in Educational Technology) programme of University of Joensuu, Finland, since 2004.

56. Programme Co-chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2005, Singapore.

57. Programme Co-chair of International Conference on Artificial Intelligence & Education, 2005, July 18-22, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

58. Referee for research proposals from Hong Kong’s University Grant Committee (UGC), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011.

59. Regional Editor and Member of International Board of Advisors for Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning (SSCI journal), Blackwell Publishers

60. Programme Co-chair of IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Joensuu, Finland, 2004.

61. Programme Co-chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2004, Melbourne, Australia.

62. Conference Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2001, Seoul, Korea.

63. Conference Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 2000, Taipei, Taiwan.

64. Conference Chair of Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education, 29-31 May 2000, Singapore.

65. Conference Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 1999, Chiba, Japan.

66. "Learning in the Synergy of Multiple Disciplines" Conference Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, 1998, Beijing, China.

67. Member of Programme Committees of:

• International Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation & Personalization, Trento, Italy, 22-26 June 2009.

• International Conference on AI in Education, Brighton, U.K, 2009;

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-2008), Montreal, Canada, 2008;

• Fourth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, 29 Sep – 2 Oct, 2008, Nice, France.

• International Conference on Computers in Education, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

• International Conference on AI in Education, Los Angeles, 2007;

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-2006), Taipei, 2006;

• Global Chinese Conference on Computers in Education, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

• International Conference on WWW 2005

• Education Track, Fourteenth International World Wide Web Conference, May 10-14, 2005, Chiba, Japan

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-2004), Maceio, Brazil, 2004;

• Pacific Rim Conference on AI, Melbourne, Australia, 2000; Tokyo, Japan, 2002; Auckland, New Zealand, 2004

• IADIS Web-based Communities 2004

• International Conference on AI in Education, Sydney, Australia, 2003;

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-2002), San Sebastian, Spain, 2002;

• International Conference on AI in Education, San Antonio, USA, 2001; 

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-2000), Montreal, Canada, 2000;

• International Conference on AI in Education, Le Mans, France, 1999;

• International Conference of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-1998), Texas, USA, 1998;

• International Conference on Computers in Education, 1997, Kuching, Malaysia;

• International Conference on AI in Education, Kobe, Japan, 1997; 

• World Congress on Expert Systems, Seoul, South Korea, 1996; 

• International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS-1996), Montreal, Canada, 1996; 

• Pacific-Asia Conference on Expert Systems, Huang Shan, China, 1995; 

• AACE International Conference on AI in Education, Washington, D.C., 1995;

• International Conference on Computers in Education, 1995, Singapore; 

• International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE), Taiwan, 1993; 

68. Managing Editor of International Journal on Information Technology (1996 - 2000)

69. Executive Committee Member of the International Society of Artificial Intelligence & Education (1997 - present)

70. Executive Committee Member of the Global Chinese Society on Computers in Education (1997 - present)

71. Council Member of TIMS College on AI and Management Science (1994 - 2000).

72. President of Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Asia-Pacific Chapter (AACE APC) (1997-2001).

73. President-elect of Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Asia-Pacific Chapter (AACE APC) (1996-1997).

74. Executive Council Member of Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Asia-Pacific Chapter (AACE APC) (1993-2001), and Asia Pacific Society for Computers in Education (2001 – present)

75. Conference Chair of International Conference on Computers in Education, Dec, 1995 (ICCE 95).

76. Chair of Technical Committee & Member of Organizing Committee of Second Singapore International Conference on Intelligent Systems, Nov, 1994 (SPICIS 94).

77. President of Singapore Computer Society AI Chapter (1994 -1995).

78. Vice-president of Singapore Computer Society Artificial Intelligent (AI) Chapter (1992, 1993).

79. Member of Technical & Organizing Committees of First Singapore International Conference on Intelligent Systems, Sept, 1982 (SPICIS 92).

Professional Activities (Editorial Boards of Journals) 

1.  Associate Editor, Journal of Computer Science Education.

2.  Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Education

3. General Editor of series entitled Routledge Advances in the Learning Sciences

4. Associate Editor, International Journal of the AI and Education

5. Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Educational Psychology (specialty section of Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Education). 

6. Honorary Advisor, Journal of Computers in Education, Springer (2013 – present).

7. Member of Editorial Board, Smart Learning Environments, Springer (2007 – present).

8. Associate Editor of Journal of the Learning Sciences (2013 - 2016)

9. Strand Editor (Out of School) of Journal of the Learning Sciences (2013 – 2016)

10. Member of Editorial Board, IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies (TLT) (2007 – 2014).

11. Editorial Board Member of Book Series “The Future of Learning”, IOS Press (2005 – present).

12. Member of Editorial Board of International Journal on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (2005 – 2019).

13. International Advisory Board of Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning, Blackwell Publishers (1999 – present)

14. Managing Editor of International Journal on Information Technology (1996 - 2000).

15. Editor of Singapore Computer Society IT Journal (1991 – 2003).