Martina Rau

Creating value through insights into the intersection of visual learning and educational technology, Martina Rau serves as an associate professor at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, part of the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her scholarly pursuits are deeply rooted in enhancing educational experiences through innovative technological applications and perceptual training. Professor Rau's research primarily focuses on digitally inoculating viewers against visual misinformation. By employing perceptual training, she aims to equip learners with the skills necessary to critically evaluate and interpret visual data, a crucial competency in today's information-rich society. Her work in this area seeks to empower individuals to discern and navigate the complexities of visual information effectively. In the realm of chemistry education, Professor Rau is dedicated to supporting students' learning processes through adaptive technologies. She has developed cognitive tutoring systems that facilitate connection-making between graphical representations, thereby enhancing students' understanding of complex chemical concepts. Her research in this area not only advances chemistry education but also contributes to the broader field of digital literacy by integrating adaptive support mechanisms into learning environments. Furthermore, Professor Rau is engaged in modeling perceptual fluency with visual representations within intelligent tutoring systems for undergraduate chemistry. Her work aims to refine these systems to better support students in developing a deep and intuitive understanding of visual representations, ultimately fostering more effective learning outcomes. Through her innovative research, Martina Rau continues to contribute significantly to the fields of visual learning, educational technology, and chemistry education, striving to create educational environments that are both engaging and effective for learners at all levels.