Dr. Hanxiang Du Publishes Research in Collaborative Learning and Learning Analytics

Dr. Hanxiang Du, dually appointed in Western Washington University’s Science, Math, and Technology Education (SMATE) program and the Department of Computer Science, recently published two innovative research papers at the intersection of collaborative learning, spatial reasoning, and learning analytics.

In the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity, Dr. Du and colleagues explored how students solve spatial problems using origami in the study, Origami-based Collaborative Spatial Problem-Solving: Multimodal Observational Study. The research highlights how gesture, dialogue, and folding techniques interact in collaborative STEM learning environments. 

In a second paper presented at the 2025 International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), Using Markov Chains to Understand Clinical Decision-Making Process, Dr. Du and co-author Dr. Vitaliy Popov employed probabilistic modeling to analyze how clinical teams navigate complex diagnostic decisions. This work provides new insight into how data science can illuminate collaborative processes in healthcare. 

These contributions underscore Dr. Du’s interdisciplinary approach to research in both learning sciences and learning analytics.