Tübingen Center for Digital Education

Sara Becker

Coordination of the research area Innovative Educational Technologies

My research focuses on developing and empirically evaluating innovative digital and AI-based systems for learning and adaptive support. I have a particular interest in human-centred AI and explore how intelligent technologies can be designed to adaptively support human learning, interaction and decision-making processes.

Methodologically, I examine outcomes and underlying processes using log data, eye tracking, learning analytics, and other multimodal process data. My current research projects focus particularly on AI-based tutoring, adaptive learning environments, and virtual reality.

My research integrates perspectives from educational psychology, empirical educational research, and mathematics education with recent developments in artificial intelligence and digital educational technologies.

since 03/2026
Chair of the Working Group 'Mathematics Education and Digital Tools'

German Society for Mathematics Education (GDM).

since 08/2023
Head of "Innovative Educational Technologies" and Research Associate

Tübingen Center for Digital Education (TüCeDE), University of Tübingen

12/2021
PhD (Dr. phil.) in Educational Psychology

“The influence of stress on diagnostic judgement processes in pre-service mathematics teachers”
Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University of Education
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Tobias Dörfler and Prof. Dr. Birgit Spinath

08/2020-07/2023
Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Associate

Institute for Mathematical Education, Freiburg University of Education

12/2020
Doctorate in Psychology

under Prof. Dr Tobias Dörfler and Prof. Dr Birgit Spinath, Institute for Psychology, Heidelberg University of Education

08/2017-07/2020
PhD student and research assistant

Institute for Psychology, Heidelberg University of Education

Since 2017
Seconded secondary school teacher
2013-2017
Work as a secondary school teacher

Konrad Adenauer-Realschule, Pforzheim

2013
Second state examination for the teaching profession at secondary schools
2012-2013
Preparatory Service for the Teaching Profession at secondary schools

State Seminar for Didactics and Teacher Training (Secondary Schools)
Karlsruhe, Thomas Morus Realschule Östringen

2011
First state examination for the teaching profession at secondary schools

Mathematics, Protestant Theology, MuM

2007-2011
Studies of the teaching profession for secondary schools

with a major in mathematics at the University of Education Karlsruhe

Selected publications and research projects

Publications

Maiero, J., Becker, S., Brucker, B., Lachner, A., & Gerjets, P-, "Embodied Learning of Fractions in Virtual Reality" (2026). 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Daegu, Korea, Republic of, 2026, pp. 224-229, doi: 10.1109/VRW70859.2026.00048.

Wellert, L., Braun, A., Becker, S., Frick, P., Brendel, W., & Lachner, A. (2025). Theory-prompt-validation: A practice-oriented approach to using LLMs for verbal coding in the learning sciences. https://10.31234/osf.io/zyje8_v1. (Preprint).

Fütterer, T., Pardi, G., Ziegs, T., Flegr, S., Ring, M., Fabian, A., Pawlak, F., Steinmetz, T., Becker, S., Bertram, C., Schreiber, W., Meurers, D., Brahm, T., Führer, C., Kuhn, J., Schwarzer, S., Paravicini, W., Burde, J.-P., Nuxoll, F., Fürstenberger, M., Matz, D., Krey, K., Hochstetter, G., Brucker, B., & Gerjets, P. (2026). Zwischen Praxisrelevanz und technologischer Dynamik: Forschungsmethodische Perspektiven auf GenAI im Unterricht am Beispiel niveaudifferenzierter Lernaufgaben [Between practical relevance and technological dynamism: Methodological perspectives on GenAI in teaching illustrated by level- differentiated learning tasks]. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft.

Becker, S., Spinath, B., Ditzen, B., & Dörfler, T. (2022). Den Stress im Blick – lokale Blickbewegungsmaße bei der Einschätzung schwierigkeitsgenerierender Merkmale von mathematischen Textaufgaben unter Stress. Journal für Mathematik-Didaktik, 44, 269–293.

Becker, S., Spinath, B., Ditzen, B., & Dörfler, T. (2022). Psychological stress = physiological stress? An experimental study with prospective teachers. Journal of Psychophysiology, 37(1), 12–24. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/full/10.1027/0269-8803/a000301.

Research projects

OSATI (Open and Scalable AI-based Tutoring Initiative)
Development and empirical evaluation of AI-based tutoring systems for adaptive learning support.

Immersive Learning/Virtual Reality
Development and evaluation of immersive learning environments, and investigation of interaction and learning processes in virtual reality.

Adaptive support and diagnostic decision-making processes
Investigation of human perception and decision-making processes, and development of adaptive support approaches based on empirical process data.