Tuğşad Akgül, PhD Researcher

University of Zurich

Bio

Tugsad Akgül is a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Educational Sciences of University of Zürich. He completed his Bachelor's degree at Akdeniz University, then started his Master's degree at Bilkent University. He also worked as a research assistant at Izmir University from 2021 to 2024. Currently, he is involved in many international studies and projects, mainly with Prof. Dr. Habil. Sascha Schneider. Specifically, his PhD is also funded by Swiss National Science Foundation and aims to extend our knowledge on how to apply self-determination theory to address basic psychological needs within the instructional design of digital learning environments. His general research interests are motivation, collaborative learning, memory, and attention.

Speech title

Is learning only a cognitive activity? Taking it a step further with the CASTLE theory.

About the speech

In his speech, Tugsad Akgul will first introduce a brief history of the University of Zurich. Then, he will talk briefly about the Institute and the Professorship he is employed. To start the conversation, he will first talk about learning as a cognitive activity and introduce two major theories from the field of Learning Psychology. Drawing on these theories, he will then transition to the Cognitive-Affective-Social Theory of Learning with Digital Environments (CASTLE), which was developed by his advisor, Prof. Dr. Habil. Sascha Schneider, and talk about some of the most important experimental studies that paved the way for this theory. He will then conclude his talk by mentioning how the field of Educational Technology and Instructional Design can address relevant processes and learning characteristics to create more desirable learning environments.