Dr Alexandra Okada

Dr. Alexandra Okada is an Associate Professor and Senior Researcher in Global Education and Digital Transformation at the Open University UK. As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she has established herself as a leading expert in open education integrated with open science, with particular emphasis on equity, diversity, and social inclusion. Her interdisciplinary expertise spans Science, Technology, and Education, focusing on enhancing Teaching, Learning, Research, and Professional Development aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. She serves as a European Union Expert Advisor on Responsible Research, Innovation and STEM Education and is also a UNESCO Global Education Coalition Member for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with AI in Schools.

Her academic credentials include a BSc in Computer Science (Hons), an MA in Education (Curriculum), a Postgraduate Qualification in Further Education (PGCFE), an MBA in Knowledge Management and Science Communication, and a PhD in Education (Technology-Enhanced Learning).

Academic Impact and Scholarly Contributions

Dr. Okada's scholarly influence is demonstrated by over 3,100 citations and an h-index of 30 (Google Scholar), complemented by a prolific publication record. Her work includes nine authored books, seven edited volumes, 25 book chapters, 48 journal articles, 70 conference papers, and 14 policy reports, reflecting her sustained academic engagement and thought leadership in the field.

Her expertise intersects Science, Technology, and Education, focusing on enhancing Teaching, Learning, Research, and Professional Development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Okada's contributions involve the co-creation of new frameworks, methods, and tools for constructing and extending knowledge within social contexts. Drawing on sociocultural theory, critical pedagogy, and mixed methods, her research endeavors to prepare the upcoming generation for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

Research Partnerships

RRI aligns scientific progress with societal needs across six key sectors, all of which Dr. Okada has contributed to throughout her career.

• Educational Communities: With experience as a teacher and teacher educator, Dr. Okada brings practical classroom insights. Through ENGAGE and CONNECT, she leads a network of 1,500+ teachers and 50,000+ students engaged in open schooling.
• Scientific Institutions: As a lecturer and researcher, she bridges scientific research and education. She coordinated the COLEARN network in Brazil, supporting 12 universities, and now collaborates with METEOR and Open.EU, engaging universities focused on SDG4.
• Business & Industry: Formerly a computer scientist at Johnson & Johnson and IBM, she integrates sustainability into corporate frameworks. Her collaborations include Lenovo, Google, AI Exus Lab, Mastery Science, and Loba Communications.
• Civil Society Organizations: As a senior consultant for the Association for Science Education UK and advisor to the Brazilian Government, she influences educational policy. At the European level, she co-founded the Open Schooling Together network and leads the Green Forum Network, collaborating with various CSOs and NGOs.
• Policymakers: As an advisor to the Brazilian Government's Secretary of Continuing Education, Literacy, Diversity, and Inclusion, she helps shape sustainable education policies. As leader of CONECT2030, she supports policymakers across Brazil, Greece, Romania, and the UK.
• Global Advocacy & Science Diplomacy: A Global Education Coalition member at UNESCO and a UN Science Diplomacy Advocate, Dr. Okada actively contributes to international discussions on education, sustainability, and digital transformation. She also engages with European Commission initiatives promoting science education and open innovation.

Research Funding and Grant Acquisition

Dr. Okada has secured €11.16 million in research funding as Principal Investigator (PI) for five European Union projects, including €1.07 million for The Open University UK. In addition, as a Co-Investigator, she contributed to three projects, securing €10,400, demonstrating her leadership in large-scale, high-impact research.

As PI, she has led European-funded initiatives in inquiry-based science education and sustainability, including:

• METEOR (2024-2027): Expanded the CARE-KNOW-DO framework to enhance PhD students' and ECR - Early Career Researchers' transversal skills through METEOR academies and PMG peer-mentoring groups.
• CONNECT (2020–2023): Introduced the CARE-KNOW-DO framework to democratize science education, enhance access to science careers, and foster transversal skills for sustainable development.
• TESLA (2016–2019): Led research on trust-based e-assessment, conducting a large-scale cross-national study with 22,000+ learners, focusing on academic integrity, quality assurance, and multilingual data validation.
• ENGAGE (2014–2017): Developed an Inquiry Skills Framework aligned with Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), influencing curricula across Europe and reaching 18,000+ teachers in 80 countries. Integrated into the AQA National Exam Board (UK).
• weSPOT (2013–2015): Coined inquiry workflow for pervasive learning with open technologies, engaging 250+ participants in community-led science projects across eight countries.

Dr. Okada's expertise in science education, RRI, and e-assessment continues to shape policy, curriculum design, and research innovation across Europe and South America.

Doctoral Supervision and Mentorship

Dr. Okada has supervised 11 PhD students from Brazil, Portugal, and the UK, across diverse research areas, including STEM education, collaborative learning in higher education, inclusive teacher training, technology-enhanced sustainability education, foundational skills, and open schooling. She is currently supervising two EdD students in the final stages of their research on inclusive outdoor education in early childhood and reflective participatory approaches in teacher professional development. Several of her PhD students have received prestigious awards, including recognition from AOUG, the Catalyst Network (European Union), and OEGLOBAL.

International Recognition and Keynotes

Her expertise is internationally recognized, reflected in frequent invitations to high-profile events. She has been an invited speaker at the UNESCO Global Education Meeting, the EU Year of Skills, the Association for Science Education (ASE-UK), ECSITE, and ESERA. She has also held visiting professorships at esteemed institutions, including the Federal University of São Paulo, Bahia State University, the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Minho University, and the Open University of Portugal.

Awards and Honors

Her innovative work has earned significant recognition, including being named one of NARST's Top 10 Research Worth Reading for her empirical and conceptual contributions to empowering students to connect science to their lives. She was awarded by OEGLOBAL for OpenApp with Mixed Reality for Open Schooling in Museums and received finalist recognition for her AI in Education project, "Knowledge Cartography for Young Thinkers," which uses AI mapping tools for sustainability. Additionally, UNESCO ranked her initiatives among the top three in Global Education and Digital Transformation. Her work was also a finalist in The Open University's Open Research category for Inclusive Open Schooling in Engaging and Future-Oriented STEM Education.

Editorial Roles

Dr. Okada serves as an editorial board member and peer review expert for several respected journals, including MDPI Sustainability, BJET – British Journal of Educational Technology, JRST – Journal of Research in Science Teaching (Wiley), and Springer AI in Education. Her involvement reflects her commitment to advancing scholarly discourse in her fields.

Research Interests

Dr. Okada is dedicated to enriching education by merging formal and informal learning methods, with a strong belief in incorporating elements of enjoyment and fulfillment into the educational process. Her approach aims to empower teachers, researchers, and students with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for navigating the swiftly changing realms of science and technology. By addressing both local and global challenges, her work leverages innovative tools like mixed realities, knowledge mapping, artificial intelligence, and embraces open science initiatives.

Bringing over twenty-five years of experience in technology-enhanced learning, assessment, and science education, Alexandra has played a pivotal role in leading research projects, especially those funded by various European entities in the areas of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Science with and for Society. Her contributions extend to managing significant projects funded by the Brazilian government, focusing on enhancing gender inclusion, digital literacy, and the professional development of teachers.

Dr. Okada's expertise is notably profound in the domain of transformative and emancipatory literacies within the digital age. This encompasses a broad spectrum of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) components including, but not limited to, open access, ethics, gender equality, public engagement, governance, and science education. Presently, she is at the forefront of developing a framework centered on 'emancipatory fun' in education. This innovative framework seeks to redefine educational practices by integrating open and inclusive fun learning methodologies, as evidenced by her analytical work on the Rumpus projects aimed at fostering Innovative Education for Sustainability.

Teaching Interests

Dr. Okada's academic contributions encompass designing and teaching diverse courses in educational technology, online learning methodologies, open educational resources, and software applications for mixed methods research. These courses are targeted at both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her extensive experience, gained initially through roles as a STEM teacher educator in Brazilian secondary schools and as an instructor for summer courses in the UK, has endowed her with a profound understanding of digital educational practices, particularly those related to sustainability.

Currently serving as an honorary lecturer at the Open University, with appointments in both Brazil and Portugal, Dr. Okada instructs postgraduate students in Knowledge Cartography and Responsible Research and Innovation in Education, with a focus on sustainability issues and AI tools, as outlined in her new book. She has successfully guided eleven PhD candidates to completion. Furthermore, Alexandra's contributions to the development, execution, and assessment of a European MOOC, aimed at engaging science through responsible research and innovation, have reached 18,000 educators across Europe and Brazil. In addition, her role as the scientific coordinator of an open schooling initiative has had a significant impact, affecting more than 50,000 students.

Impact and Engagement

Dr. Okada's pioneering work in "Knowledge Cartography for Sustainability" over the past 15 years stands as a testament to her commitment to integrating sustainability into education. Through collaboration with international experts, she has advanced both conceptual frameworks and methodological tools. Her innovative "evidence-based dialogue mapping" method empowers students to tackle real-world challenges through scientific argumentation, finding its place in areas like inquiry design, citizen science, and policy analysis.

External Collaborations

Dr. Okada is a consultant member of the Association for Science Education (ASE-UK), where she has enhanced the professional development of secondary school science teachers through projects like Science Upd8 and Wikid, aimed at providing contemporary science resources. Additionally, she has developed open educational resources and technology-enhanced materials for primary school science teachers, contributing to projects such as Upd8 Primary and Mastery Science in the UK.

International Links

Her research in the fields of Science, Education, and Technology has been supported by international organizations including the Hewlett Foundation, Telefonica Foundation, the Brazilian Government, and the European Commission. This funding facilitated the establishment of various partnerships across Europe, Latin America, and Africa, particularly through the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).

Dr. Okada has collaborated with a diverse array of international institutions, multinational corporations, and civil society organizations. Notable examples include IBM, Nestlé, the Catalan National Education Centre, Brazil's Bank, UNICEF, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) under UNESCO.