Educational Technology
Designing practical systems and materials that support learning, reflection, and course improvement.
- Learning analytics
- Annotation-enriched materials
- Active learning support
Faculty of Education · Shiga University · Japan
Kenichi Iwai, Ph.D.
Making Knowledge Visible for Learning, Reasoning, and Creativity.
About
I work at the intersection of educational technology, knowledge systems, and human-centered computing.
I am a researcher and educator focusing on systems that help people learn, understand, connect, and create knowledge through visualization, annotation, analytics, and interactive media.
My work bridges practical educational environments and exploratory system design, with an emphasis on tools that can be used in real classrooms, research demonstrations, and creative settings.
Many of my projects are built upon lightweight knowledge graph technologies that bridge educational practice, knowledge engineering, and creative exploration.
Research Vision
A human-centered approach to knowledge, learning, and creativity.
Making Knowledge Visible
Knowledge is abundant, yet understanding remains difficult. Valuable knowledge is often scattered across documents, systems, and people's experiences.
I believe that knowledge should not remain hidden. Knowledge should be visible, connected, and useful.
My research focuses on designing lightweight systems that help people represent, visualize, explore, and create knowledge. Through educational technology, knowledge graphs, learning analytics, and creative AI systems, I aim to support learning, reasoning, communication, and creativity.
Ultimately, my goal is to make knowledge more accessible, understandable, and meaningful for human learning and creative expression.
Research Ecosystem
Diverse projects connected by a shared vision.
My projects range from educational technology and learning analytics to knowledge visualization, semantic exploration, generative media, and creative AI systems.
Although these systems serve different purposes, they are built upon a common foundation:
Knowledge Representation → Visualization → Reasoning → Human Understanding → Learning & Creativity
Together, these projects form a lightweight knowledge ecosystem that helps people understand, connect, and create knowledge in practical educational and creative settings.
Research Areas
The main themes connecting my research and development activities.
Knowledge Systems
Representing, visualizing, and navigating relationships among concepts, topics, and learning resources.
- Knowledge representation
- Semantic networks
- Concept and topic maps
Creative AI Systems
Exploring computational media that connect knowledge structures with visual, musical, and interactive expression.
- Generative visual media
- Interactive music systems
- Human-centered AI
Selected Projects
A selection of research and creative systems. More experimental work is collected at iwai.ai.
Learning Analytics
SiLA
Simplified Learning Analytics environment for educational practice, classroom feedback, and course improvement.
Teaching Materials
AETM
Annotation-Enriched Teaching Materials designed to support learner understanding and self-study.
Knowledge Exploration
NOESIS
Knowledge exploration environment for visualizing and navigating semantic relationships among concepts and resources.
Topic Mapping
ToMAS
Topic Map Aggregating System for collecting and visualizing learner-generated topic connections.
Visual Expression
VISIA Abstract
Generative abstract visual expression system based on semantic structures and explanatory mappings.
Music & Media
MUSCAT Re:Bloom
Interactive environment that generates music and visual ambience from photographic color features.
Teaching
My teaching covers information education, programming-related learning, networks, educational technology, and data-oriented thinking.
Courses and Topics
- Information Processing
- Web Page Creation and Programming Fundamentals
- Computer Networks
- Educational Technology
- Data Science Fundamentals
Publications & Presentations
This section can be expanded into a complete publication list, academic CV, or links to research profiles.
Educational support systems and learning analyticsCourse improvement, learner feedback, and classroom-based evaluation.
Knowledge representation and visualization for learningTopic maps, concept maps, and semantic exploration environments.
Creative media systemsGenerative visual expression, music generation, and interactive media for creative exploration.
Contact
For research collaboration, educational projects, academic inquiries, or creative AI initiatives, please get in touch.