Heeryung Choi

I am a learning science researcher focusing on optimizing educational technology to be more human-centered, grounded in self-regulated learning theory.. I earned my PhD in Information from the University of Michigan under the supervision of Prof. Christopher Brooks.

I use mixed methods, experimental designs, statistical analyses, and machine learning to examine how technology can enhance learners’ agency and metacognition in today’s educational landscape.

My recent research includes:

  • Advancing learner agency through human–AI interaction in digital educational environments
  • Designing and validating research methods to measure adjustments in learner achievement motivation using trace data

Outside of research, I enjoy taking walks while listening to K-pop and audiobooks.

News

Sep. 2025
Our SIGCSE 2026 paper (Experience Reports and Tools track), "Closing the Loop: An Instructor-in-the-Loop AI Assistance System for Supporting Student Help-Seeking in Programming Education," has been accepted! I am thrilled to share our work on this human-in-the-loop AI assistance system for programming courses. Congratulations to Phung, who led the study!
Apr. 2025
Our paper "Plan More, Debug Less: Applying Metacognitive Theory to AI-Assisted Programming Education" for the Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) 2025 Conference got accepted! Looking forward to sharing how we leveraged reflection prompts to encourage more meaningful interactions between students and AI-generated hints!
Jan. 2025
I gave an invited talk at the Technical University of Munich on “Do You Know What You Want to Know From Data? Insights from Log and Survey Data to Capture Different Aspects of Goals.”
Aug. 2024
I started my new role as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, working with Profs. Panayiota Kendeou and Caitlin Mills.
Jul. 2024
Our work was accepted to the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Academic Data Science Alliance (ADSA)! Stay tuned for our lightning talk on associations between students’ sociodemographic backgrounds and generative AI uses.
May. 2024
I am happy to work again at the University of Michigan as a research fellow, although it is going to be interim transition position. Go Blue!
Oct. 2023
I am thrilled to share that I will give a talk at the Cornell University, the Department of Information Science! Check out "Advancing Learning Analytics: Insights from Trace and Survey Data on Self-Regulated Learning" on October 17, at 3:30pm (ET) if you are around!
Oct. 2023
Our LWMOOCs'23 paper is nominated for the Best Paper award! I appreciate so much to my co-authors! Stay tuned for 'Meta-LAD: Developing a Learning Analytics Dashboard With Theoretically Grounded and Context-Specific Approaches' in the upcoming proceedings!
Aug. 2023
I am thrilled to present a talk titled "Upskilling SCM Professionals through Online Learning" for the MIT CTL Supply Chain Exchange August Monthly Briefing!
Jun. 2023
My book chapter 'Reconfiguring Measures of Motivational Constructs Using State-Revealing Trace Data' co-authored with Prof. Chris Brooks and Prof. Phil Winne has been published!
Mar. 2023
I will give a talk on my research to Department of Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation at Syracuse University, School of Education.
Feb. 2023
My paper 'The benefit of reflection prompts for encouraging learning with hints in an online programming course' got accepted to The Internet and Higher Education journal.
Jan. 2023
I am excited to give a talk 'Meta-LAD: A Dashboard Supporting SRL' to Open Learning, MITx Digital Learning Lab.
Jun. 2022
I won the MITili grant for the Meta-LAD project I proposed!
May. 2022
I started working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Transportation and Logsitics as a digial learning postdoctoral associate.
Apr. 2022
I received my PhD in Information at University of Michgian, School of Information.

Affiliations

2024 - Present
University of Minnesota
Postdoctoral Associate
2022 - 2024
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Digital Learning Postdoc Associate
2016 - 2022
University of Michigan
PhD in Information
2014 - 2016
Seoul National University
M.S. in Cognitive Science
2009 - 2014
Seoul National University
B.A. in English Education (Summa Cum Laude)