Jafar Tavakoli
Teaching and Research Assistant
Learning Design and Technology,
Curriculum and Instruction
About
I’m Jafar Tavakoli, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Learning Design and Technology at Purdue University. My passion lies in transforming education through Competency-Based Education (CBE), with a particular emphasis on dispositions—how individuals enact their knowledge and skills in authentic contexts, helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry. I am also deeply passionate about Artificial Intelligence, especially the role of Generative AI in education.
Education
Purdue University, Learning Design and Technology, PhD, August 2022 – current
Career Experience
- Teaching Assistant, Consultant, and Developer – TiBOT Program, Purdue, USA, 2024- current
- Teaching Assistant – EDCI 270, Purdue, USA, 2024- current
- Research Assistant – Educating Character Initiative (ECI), Purdue University – West Lafayette, IN, USA 2024–Present
Awards & Honors
Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship Recipient / Purdue University, 2022
Research & Publications
My primary research focus is on Competency-Based Education (CBE). Within this framework, I am particularly interested in the role of dispositions—how individuals enact their knowledge and skills in authentic contexts. I believe dispositions are often overlooked yet essential in preparing students to thrive in academic and professional settings.
As a researcher, I argue that fostering dispositions requires the ability to assess them meaningfully. Without reliable assessment, it is difficult to understand where learners stand or how best to support their development. Currently, I am working on designing tools for assessing dispositions—especially in computing and engineering education contexts—through my work with the Data-Driven Employer-Academia Partnership (DEAP) and the Educating Character Initiative (ECI).
In addition to my work in CBE and dispositions, I am also passionate about the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and learning design. One of my emerging research interests explores how learners interact with Generative AI (GAI) as a digital network for learning—how they use these tools, what kinds of support they seek, and how AI shapes their learning processes.
Selected Publications
- Tagare, D., Janakiraman, S., Exter, M., Duan, S., Sabin, M., & Tavakoli, J. (August, 2023). Dispositions that Computing Professionals Value in the Workplace: Systematic Literature Review and Interviews with Professionals. In Proceedings of the ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (ICER ’23). Association for Computing Machinery, Chicago, IL, USA. https://doi.org/10.1145/3568813.3600118
- Tagare, D., Tavakoli, J., Exter, M., Sabin, M., & Frezza, S. (2023). Beyond the Cognitive: Educator Readiness for Fostering Dispositions. Proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference. College Station, Texas: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, October, 2023.
Current Grants & Funded Research
- Project Name: Integrating Character Development in Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Courses
- Awarding Institution: Wake Forest University – Educating Character Initiative (ECI) 2024 Institutional Impact Grant (funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and Wake Forest University)
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Marisa Exter, Purdue University (College of Education, Learning Design and Technology)
- Duration: 2024 – (multi-year grant; duration not explicitly stated in announcement, but tied to the 2024 Institutional Impact Grant cycle)
Advisor
Courses Typically Taught
- EDCI 270
- TiBOT (Competency-based Program)
Research Area / Dissertation Topic
Competency-based education in computing science.