Dr. Ariel Han
Postdoctoral Researcher
Emphasis
Dr. Han's research sits at the intersection of AI, learning sciences, and human-computer interaction. Her research explores the reciprocal relationship between learning with AI and learning about AI:
Learning with AI: Investigates how AI can support learning through constructivist approaches that emphasize dialogue, reflection, and knowledge construction. She studies how AI-powered systems can be designed to provide effective scaffolding while preserving learner agency, creativity, and autonomy.
Learning about AI: Helping young people learn about AI through constructionist approaches that emphasize learning by making. Through designing, building, and critiquing AI-powered artifacts, learners develop AI literacy, computational thinking, and critical perspectives on AI technologies.
Human-Centered AI Design: Co-designing inclusive educational technologies with teachers, students, and families to foster equitable and meaningful learning that promote creativity, critical thinking, inclusion, and learner empowerment.
Biography
Dr. Ariel Han earned her Ph.D. in Informatics from the University of California, Irvine. Her research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), educational technology, and human-computer interaction (HCI). She investigates how AI-powered learning technologies can be designed to support meaningful, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences for youth. Using design-based research methods, Dr. Han collaborates with teachers, students, families, community partners through participatory design and co-design approaches to develop and evaluate educational technologies in authentic learning contexts. Her work has been published in leading HCI and learning sciences venues, including CHI, IDC, ISLS, CLS, The Journal of the Learning Sciences (JLS), International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction (IJCCI), Education and Information Technologies (EAIT), and Information and Learning Sciences (I&LS). Dr. Han leads the StoryAI project, which explores how generative AI can support children's creativity, literacy, and AI literacy. Her work has been recognized with the National Science Foundation (NSF) VITAL Challenge Prize (2023) and the UC Irvine Proof-of-Product Grant (2024).
Selected Publications
Han, A., Huang, J., Cai, Z., Han, S., & Peppler, K. Balancing Scaffolding and Agency: How AI Story Suggestions Shape Children's Writing Processes and Narrative Development. Journal of Learning Sciences. (Conditionally Accepted with Minor Revisions)
Han, A., Zhou, X., Cai, Z., Han, S., Ko, R., Corrigan, S., & Peppler, K. 2024. Teachers, Parents, and Students' Perspectives on Integrating Generative AI into Elementary Literacy Education. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI '24, May 11–16, 2024, Honolulu, HI, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642438
Han, A., Joshi, R., Tsivkovski, D., Ravel, D., Cibrian, F., & Etezadbrojerdi, M. (2026). DotQuest: Accessible STEM games to support blind and visually impaired learners. In Proceedings of the 19th International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).
Han, A., & Han, S. (2025). Empowering children’s AI literacy through co-creating stories with LLM. In Proceedings of the Interaction Design and Children (IDC) .https://doi.org/10.1145/3713043.3731520
Han, A., Corrigan, S., Han, S., & Peppler, K. (2024). Co-Design a Logic Model for Inclusive AI-Powered Learning Application with Primary School Teachers. International Society of the Learning Sciences. ISLS Proceedings: 17th Annual Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. X-X). Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences. https://doi.org/10.22318/cscl2024.869864
Han, A., & Cai, Z. (2023). Design implications of generative AI systems for visual storytelling for young learners. Interaction Design and Children (IDC). https://doi.org/10.1145/3585088.3593867