Dr. Miri Barak (Eng.) is a Professor of Science and Engineering Education, at the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. She is the Head of the Science and Learning Technologies (SLT) group, which investigates cognitive and sociocultural aspects of online learning and the promotion of 21st century skills. Her work involves two major research areas: Engineering education, examining unique approaches for innovation cultivation; and Science education, examining knowledge construction and motivation to learn, using location-based applications and gamification. Dr. Barak is a Cum Laude graduate of the Technion’s Faculty of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, with work experience in the industry as an R&D Engineer. She received her MSc and PhD degrees at the Technion and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Educational Computing Initiatives (CECI) at MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. She is the former Chair of the Institutional Review Board for Ethics in Behavioral Science Research and the former Assistant to the Technion’s SVPR for the Promotion of Learning and Teaching. Currently she is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK. She is a PI and co-PI of a number of national and international projects on location-based learning (AugmentedWorld), game-based learning (Games of Food), and the development of massive online open courses (MOOCs). Her academic work is presented in more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in leading international and national publications. Google scholar profile I ORCID #0000-0002-7756-6171
- 1990 – B.Sc. – Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Cum Laude, Technion, Israel
- 1999 – M.Sc. – Chemistry Education, Technion, Israel
- 2002 – Ph.D. – Chemistry Education, Technion, Israel
- 2004 – Post Doctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Barak, M. (2017). Science teacher education in the twenty-first century: A pedagogical framework for technology-integrated social constructivism. Research in Science Education, 47(2), 283-303. DOI: 10.1007/s11165-015-9501-y
Barak, M. (2017). Cloud pedagogy: Utilizing web-based technologies for the promotion of social constructivist learning in science teacher preparation courses. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 26(5), 459-469. DOI: 10.1007/s10956-017-9691-3
Watted, A., & Barak, M. (2018). Motivating factors of MOOC completers: Comparing between university-affiliated students and general participants. The Internet and Higher Education, 37, 11-20.
Barak, M., & Asakle, S. (2018). AugmentedWorld: Facilitating the creation of location-based questions. Computers & Education, 121, 89-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.02.014
Barak, M. (2018). Are digital natives open to change? Examining flexible thinking and resistance to change. Computers & Education, 121, 115-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.01.016
Usher, M., & Barak, M. (2018). Peer assessment in a project-based engineering course: Comparing between on-campus and online learning environments. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(5), 745-759. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1405238
Barak, M. & Usher, M. (2019). The innovation profile of nanotechnology team projects of face-to-face and online learners. Computers & Education, 137, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.03.012
Barak, M., Watted, A., & Haick, H. (2020). Establishing the validity and reliability of a modified tool for assessing innovative thinking of engineering students. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 45(2), 212-223. DOI:10.1080/02602938.2019.1620680
Usher, M., & Barak, M. (2020). Team diversity as a predictor of innovation in projects of online and face-to-face learners. Computers & Education, 144, 103702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103702
Barak, M. & Green G. (2020). Novice researchers’ expectations and views regarding online ethics education and the design components that may foster ethical practice. Science and Engineering Ethics, 26(3), 1403-1421. DOI: 10.1007/s11948-019-00169-1.
Da’as, R., Watted, A., & Barak, M. (2020) Teacher’s withdrawal behavior: examining the impact of principals’ innovative behavior and climate of organizational learning. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(8), 1339-1355. DOI: 10.1108/IJEM-12-2019-0449.
Morad, S., Ragonis, N., & Barak, M. (2021). The validity and reliability of a tool for measuring educational innovative thinking skills. Teaching and Teacher Education, 97, 103193, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103193.
Barak, M. & Yuan, S. (2021). A cultural perspective to project-based learning and the cultivation of innovative thinking. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 39, 100766, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100766.
Barak, M. & Green G. (2021). Applying a social constructivist approach to an online course in ethics of research. Science and Engineering Ethics, 27(1). DOI: 10.1007/s11948-021-00280-2
Morad, S., Ragonis, N., & Barak, M. (2021). An integrative conceptual model of innovation and innovative thinking based on a synthesis of a literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 40, 10082. DOI: 10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100824
Usher, M., Barak, M. & Haick, H. (2021). Online vs. on-campus engineering education: examining students’ perceived innovative thinking and actual innovation. Thinking skills and Creativity, 42, 100965. DOI:10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100965
Barak, M. & Usher, M. (2022) The innovation level of engineering students’ team projects in hybrid and MOOC environments. European Journal of Engineering Education, 47(2), 299-313. DOI: 10.1080/03043797.2021.1920889.
Asakle S. & Barak, M. (2022). Location-based learning and its effect on students’ understanding of Newton’s laws of motion. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 31, 403–413. DOI:10.1007/s10956-022-09963-2.
Barak, M. & Shahab, C. (2022). The conceptualization of critical thinking: Toward a culturally-sensitive framework for technology-enhanced instruction in higher education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, DOI:10.1007/s10956-022-09999-4.
Barak, M., Yachin T., & Erduran, S. (2023). Tracing preservice teachers’ understanding of nature of science through their drawings and writing. Research in Science Education, 53, 507–523. DOI:10.1007/s11165-022-10069-3.
Ginzburg, T. & Barak, M. (2023). Technology-enhanced learning and its association with motivation to learn science from a cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 32, 597–606. DOI:10.1007/s10956-023-10048-x.
Barak, M. (2023). Editorial: The family resemblance approach in science education. Science & Education, 32, 1221-1225. DOI:10.1007/s11191-023-00456-1
Yachin T. & Barak, M. (2024). Science-based educational escape games: A game-design methodology. Research in Science Education, 54, 299–313. DOI:10.1007/s11165-023-10143-4
Watted, A. & Barak, M. (2024). The Engagement and Challenges of xMOOC versus cMOOC students. Journal of Educators Online 21(2). DOI:10.9743/JEO.2024.21.2.4.
Barak, M., Ginzburg, T., & Erduran, S. (2024). Nature of engineering: A cognitive and epistemic account with implications for engineering education. Science & Education 33(3), 679-697. DOI:10.1007/s11191-022-00402-7.
