dr. (Bjorn) BB de Koning

Biography

Bjorn de Koning is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies (DPECS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He coordinates the master program Human Learning and Performance, teaches courses about educational psychology and online learning, and is member of the Examination Board of ESSB. His main area of expertise is in learning and instruction, and he is dedicated to study, stimulate and support learning processes and -outcomes in education and training.

His research focuses on
(1) optimizing the design of (online/digital) educational materials (e.g., video, animation, text),
(2) self-regulation of learning behavior, with a focus on changing the learning environment itself (e.g., by nudging) and teaching strategies to support self-regulation (e.g., self-management of cognitive load), and
(3) teaching cognitive strategies to support higher-order thinking processes (e.g., reading comprehension strategies, mathematical word problem solving).

Research in these themes ranges from fundamental studies in the lab (e.g., unraveling learning processes) to practice-oriented research on-site such as interventions in the classroom to support comprehension or supporting parent-child interactions during reading in their home environment. The context of study varies greatly and covers different levels of education (primary, secondary, tertiary education, and the pre-school period), disciplines (e.g., reading, mathematics, science, problem solving), and contexts (e.g., online, computer-based, at school, lab, home situation). His research is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach in which theory and findings from among others cognitive science, educational psychology, neuroscience, and gesture and perception research is combined.

De Koning’s research is nationally and internationally recognized. He is recipient of the Erik de Corte award (2015) of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instructions (EARLI), which is bi-annually awarded to young and promising scholars in the field of Learning and Instruction. At the local, national, and international level he has extensive collaborations with prominent researchers and societal partners to create both scientific and societal impact. As of 2018, he is Associate Editor for the journal Computers in Human Behavior (impact factor: 5.003).