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Lu Ding

CV

Assistant Professor
Instructional Design & Development
University of South Alabama

I study co-constructive learning — how people learn through interaction with one another and with technology — including how large language models can support self-regulated learning and how families build AI literacy together.

Research

My work sits at the intersection of learning design and educational technology, grounded in the ICAP framework for cognitive engagement. Current threads explore how generative AI and large language models can scaffold self-regulated learning, and how non-technical learners — including families — develop AI literacy. Link here

  • Co-constructive learning & the ICAP framework
  • AI in education: LLMs as tutors and supports for self-regulated learning
  • AI literacy for non-technical learners and families
  • Gamification and engagement in asynchronous online discussion
  • Automated formative feedback and instructional design

Grants

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More to come.

Other Works

I am a co-founder of EchoBot, a research platform that gives researchers customizable chatbots for academic studies.

I built EchoBot with Steve Holland (University of Illinois) because studying how people learn from and interact with conversational AI shouldn’t require writing code, touching a database, or learning platform pseudo-code. So much of my own research kept stalling on the same logistics: assigning participants to conditions, timing sessions, logging every exchange, and making sure each person experienced exactly what was configured. EchoBot takes care of all of that.

Researchers assemble a study from reusable pieces (condition groups, chatbot configurations, participant rosters, and LLM settings), then run conversations across multiple LLM providers and compare models side by side. Participants get a distraction-free chat interface with no account required, and every conversation is captured and coded for analysis. The goal is to lower the technical barrier to rigorous, reproducible chatbot research so faculty, postdocs, and graduate students can focus on the questions, not the plumbing.

Publications

1,674Citations
13h-index
16i10-index

  • Students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT in a physics class as a virtual tutor

    Ding, L., Li, T., Jiang, S., & Gapud, A. (2023). International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.

    325cites

  • An exploratory study of student engagement in gamified online discussions

    Ding, L., Er, E., & Orey, M. (2018). Computers & Education.

    333cites

  • Development of an AI literacy assessment for non-technical individuals

    Ding, L., Kim, S., & Allday, A. R. (2024). Contemporary Educational Technology.

    56cites

  • Towards understanding the effective design of automated formative feedback

    Ding, L., Hao, Q., Smith, D. H. IV, et al. (2022). Computer Science Education.

    110cites

  • Applying gamification to asynchronous online discussions: a mixed-methods study

    Ding, L. (2019). Computers in Human Behavior.

    219cites

  • Studies of student engagement in gamified online discussions

    Ding, L., Kim, C. M., & Orey, M. (2017). Computers & Education.

    298cites

View all publications on Google Scholar

Teaching

I aim to empower students to take ownership of their learning, with adaptive approaches that honor diverse learning needs and preferences. Courses I teach in the Instructional Design and Development program:

  • ISD 610 Trends & Issues
  • ISD 613 Instructional Strategies
  • ISD 621 Instructional Design
  • ISD 653 Developing Online Instruction
  • EDM 510 Microcomputing Systems in Education

Manuscript reviewer for Computers & Education, Educational Technology Research and Development, Computers in Human Behavior, and Technology, Pedagogy and Education.

Work History

  • 2021–present
    Assistant Professor, Instructional Design & Development
    University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL
    • Placeholder: lead graduate courses in instructional design and online learning.
    • Placeholder: secured external funding and published in top educational-technology venues.
    • Placeholder: advised doctoral students and chaired dissertation committees.
  • YYYY–YYYY
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    [Institution] · Arizona
    • Placeholder: designed and ran studies on AI-supported self-regulated learning.
    • Placeholder: built and analyzed datasets from classroom learning environments.
    • Placeholder: co-authored grant proposals and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
  • YYYY–YYYY
    Instructional Design Practitioner
    [Organization] · Illinois
    • Placeholder: developed online courses and learning materials for adult learners.
    • Placeholder: partnered with subject-matter experts to scope and storyboard content.
    • Placeholder: evaluated course effectiveness and iterated on learner feedback.

Education

  • 2017
    Ph.D., Learning, Design, and Technology
    University of Georgia
  • 2012
    M.Ed., Journalism and Communication
    Wuhan Sports University
  • 2009
    B.S., Instructional Technology
    Wuhan Sports University

Me

Placeholder: a short personal introduction in my own voice, beyond the CV. Who I am, where I am, and the through-line that connects my teaching, research, and the tools I build.

Placeholder: a little about my path into instructional design and educational technology, what keeps me curious, and the kinds of problems I most enjoy working on.

Placeholder: a closing note about what I am exploring next, and the best way to reach me.