Joanna Holt Associate Professor of Technology in Education

In her new position as Associate Professor, Joanna Holt focuses on the use of technology in education. How can technology be used to reach and motivate students? How can technology be used to support pupils and teachers in learning and teaching And how can technology be used responsibly in education? Joanna focuses on how hands-on and minds-on learning in science lessons can be supported using interactive knowledge representations in primary and secondary schools and within the teacher training colleges of the Faculty of Education.

Joanna 'Besides being an excellent researcher at the Centre for Applied Research in Education - is someone with a big heart for education. With her international network, passion and expertise, she brings science and technology education to the attention of students and the field in various ways. I am delighted that Joanna will continue her research at the faculty in this new position.' Sander Nieuwland, acting dean Faculty of Education

Joanna combines her research within the Science and Mathematics group with the role of Education Manager for the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA), based at the University of Amsterdam, where she is responsible for a national education programme (4-18 years) including the Mobile Planetarium network. Joanna is also a member of the Executive Board of the Dutch Black Hole Consortium, president of the Association of Dutch-speaking Planetariums (PlaNED), member of the editorial board of natuurkunde.nl and National Astronomy Education Contact of the International Astronomical Union for the Netherlands.

About Joanna Holt

Before Joanna joined the research group in 2020, Joanna was a lecturer in Science & Technology Education and section chair of the Science & Humanities group at the AUAS's Primary Teacher Training Institute (pabo). She is originally from the United Kingdom (UK) where she obtained her PhD in physics (astrophysics) from the University of Sheffield in 2005. From 2005-2012, she continued her research career in astrophysics, with postdoc positions at the University of Sheffield (UK) and Leiden University. In 2012, Joanna switched to (astronomy) education with a position at the European Space Agency (ESA). From 2016 to 2020, she worked at the AUAS's Primary Teacher Training Institute.

Increasing impact of practical research

Joanna is the third Associate Professor to join the Faculty of Education. Her appointment as Associate Professor within the Science Education group is in line with the AUAS's broader demand to increase the impact of practice-based research. Associate Professors will also start at the faculty's other lectureships in the coming months.