AI and Education in Practice

Meet the Faculty: John Behrens '83

John Behrens ‘83 is a Professor of the Practice of Technology & Digital Studies and Concurrent Professor of the Practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He serves as Director of the Office of Digital Strategy in the College of Arts & Letters and Director of the Technologies & Digital Studies Program.

Dr. Behrens came to Notre Dame after 20 years in industry including executive positions at Cisco and Pearson, where he was most recently the Vice President of AI Product Development. He is a career-long technology and learning innovator with leadership experiences across multiple industries and at every stage of the software product life cycle. He has a record of articulating vision for innovation, aligning organizations, and creating and sustaining data- and AI-enhanced products in global markets. Prior to working in industry, John was a tenured professor at Arizona State where he taught educational data science. John has more than 50 publications in areas of learning science, data science, and learning and assessment system enhancement with AI. He has served on a number of prominent boards and commissions including, most recently, as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions in Learning Technologies. John now focuses on preparing current and future leaders to successfully transition through the technology, AI, and data revolutions.

John received his Ph.D. in Educational Data Science and MA in Special Education at Arizona State University. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame.

Meet the Speaker: Kristen DiCerbo

Kristen DiCerbo, Ph.D. is the chief learning officer at Khan Academy. In this role, she is responsible for driving and communicating the learning strategy for Khan Academy’s programs, content, and product to realize deep engagement and better learning outcomes. She leads the design, content, product management, and research teams, ensuring pedagogical coherence and a research-informed design across Khan Academy’s offerings.

Prior to coming to Khan Academy, Dr. DiCerbo was the vice-president of learning research and design at Pearson. Throughout her career she has focused on conducting and embedding learning science research into digital learning experiences, including work with the Cisco Networking Academy. She also served as a school psychologist in an Arizona school district.

Dr. DiCerbo has a B.A. in psychology and sociology from Hamilton College and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in educational psychology from Arizona State University.

View the Live Event

Presented by Technology and Digital Studies Program

Thursday, September 21, 2023 3:30 pm

John Behrens ‘83, the director of the Technology and Digital Studies Program and the director of digital strategy for the College of Arts & Letters, along with Khan Academy’s chief learning officer Kristen DiCerbo, explore and examine the benefits and pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence tools and technology in the world of education.

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Featured Speakers: 

• Kristen DiCerbo, Ph.D. is the chief learning officer at Khan Academy. In this role, she is responsible for driving and communicating the learning strategy for Khan Academy’s programs, content, and product to realize deep engagement and better learning outcomes. She leads the design, content, product management, and research teams, ensuring pedagogical coherence and a research-informed design across Khan Academy’s offerings.
• John Behrens ‘83 is a Professor of the Practice of Technology & Digital Studies and Concurrent Professor of the Practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He serves as Director of the Office of Digital Strategy in the College of Arts & Letters and Director of the Technologies & Digital Studies Program.

The New AI is sponsored on ThinkND by the Technology and Digital Studies Program in the College of Arts & Letters.  This program collaborates with the Computer Science and Engineering Department and other departments around the University to offer the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, the Minor in Data Science, and the Idzik Computing & Digital Technologies Minor.

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