Job Announcement
Young, modern, and research oriented... the University of Potsdam has firmly established itself within the sci-
entific landscape since its founding in 1991. Nationally and internationally renowned scientists teach and per-
form research here at Brandenburg’s largest university. The University of Potsdam is successful in acquiring
third-party funds, delivers outstanding performance in technology and knowledge transfer, and has a very ser-
vice-oriented administration. With about 21,000 students studying at three campuses – Am Neuen Palais,
Griebnitzsee and Golm – the University of Potsdam is a prominent economic factor and engine of develop-
ment for the region. The University of Potsdam has a total of over 3,000 faculty and staff members and is lo-
cated in one of Germany’s most scenic areas.
The University of Potsdam, Faculty of Human Sciences, Junior Professorship
School Pedagogy, with the focus school and teaching development Schulpädagog-
ik with the project “From understanding learners’ adaptive motivation and emotion to
designing social learning companions” invites applications for the following position
subject to funding commitment:
Academic Staff Member
Requisition No.: 307/2020
The position is available from April 01, 2020. The salary is determined by the collective
bargaining agreement for public employees in Germany (TV-L 13 Ost). The position is for
40 hours per week (100 %). This is a temporary position limited to a term of 2,5 years/31
months in accordance with Section 2 subsection 1 of the Academic Fixed-Term Contract
Law (WissZeitVG).
Overall information about the research project:
Our research team (Phd, Postdoc, PIs) aims to develop individualized and adaptive learn-
ing settings using integrated game- and agent-based Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS)
and computational models in interdisciplinary collaboration between computational sci-
ences and educational research. We aim to optimize scaffolding in social learning situa-
tions by using new technologies such as ITS and robotic learning companions. Research-
ers from analytic (educational research: Rebecca Lazarides) and synthetic disciplines
(adaptive systems / robotics: Verena Hafner, educational technology / computer science:
Niels Pinkwart) collaborate on this project. Collaborations with other projects that focus on
social learning are intended.
The three objectives of our project are:
• Examine how novel user modeling approaches and feedback strategies in ITSs in-
corporating virtual agents can enhance positive emotions and motivation (self-
regulation, goal orientations) and reduce negative emotions in social learning situa-
tions and can thereby be used to impede inequalities in education.
• Explore the (moderating and mediating) processes that underlie the relations between
pedagogical agents’ ‘behaviors’ and learners’ performance by investigating psycho-
logical factors that strengthen or reduce the effects of ITS on learners’ motivation and
emotion.
• Investigate learning processes using robotic learning companions that keep an up-
dated model/simulation of the learner and their current knowledge, motivational and
emotional state and acts accordingly.
Description of the (post)doctoral project:
The applicant will examine the state- and trait emotions and motivations of learners in
adaptive learning settings using Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). To assess state and
trait motivation and emotions using experience sampling methods, the applicant will de-
velop smartphone-based questionnaires and examine the development of motivation and
emotion in different experimental conditions as well as the identification of psychological
processes that explain the effects of ITS and robotic learning companions on emotions
and motivation. Against this backdrop, this project further focuses on how ITS and robotic
learning can help to overcome educational inequalities (i.e. in relation to gender or ability)
in motivation and emotion by fostering individualized learning processes that provide ma-
terials and tasks to learners that match their interest, level of emotion and motivation as
well as their level of pre-knowledge and achievement.
The applicant will scientifically coordinate the research process of the planned project.
Prerequisites:
Applicants must hold a Diploma/Master’s degree in Psychology or related sciences and
should have proven skills/background in following topics:
• Experience with research in motivational-affective processes in learning, adaptive
learning with new technologies, Intelligent Tutor Systems or Human-Robot Interaction
• Experience with complex statistical analysis including experience sampling ap-
proaches
• Skills in using statistical software (e.g. R, Mplus)
• Experience in experimental studies in the context of educational psychology
• Good publication record
• Strong organizational skills
Under the laws of the federal state of Brandenburg, employees under this contract are
permitted to dedicate at least 33% of their contract time for their scientific qualification.
The University of Potsdam aims to increase the proportion of women in research and
teaching and therefore invites qualified applicants to apply. The University of Potsdam
values the diversity of its members and pursues the goals of equal opportunities regard-
less of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age, sexual
orientation or identity. In the case of equal suitability, women within the meaning of Sec-
tion 7 (4) BbgHG and severely disabled people will be given preferential consideration.
Applications from abroad and from persons with a migration background are expressly
welcome.
Applicants should send their application materials, by March 8th, 2020 at the latest,
either by mail to the University of Potsdam, JProf. F. Schulpädagogik, Karl-
Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany, or via email to kraegerm@uni-
potsdam.de with the subject line, “Job Title – requisition number.”
In order to return your application documents, we request that you include a self-
addressed stamped envelope.
Potsdam, February 6, 2020