Christian Thurn
Christian Thurn’s research aims at a better understanding of the mental processes of conceptual learning. Central questions in his work concern the role of prior knowledge (when is it beneficial, when detrimental?), and the statistical assessment of learning (how should we interpret concept tests and other assessment methods?).
To address these questions he uses classroom studies, concept tests, reaction-time experiments, and concept mapping. These methods allow the investigation of learning from different perspectives, such as network analytic modeling.
In addition, he is interested in gender issues, in education for sustainable development, and in the challenges to understanding statistical methods.
Christian studied psychology in Konstanz and Padova and obtained a Master of Science in 2017. In his dissertation project at ETH Zurich from 2017 to 2021, he investigated the interplay of prior knowledge, learning opportunities, and intelligence in conceptual physics learning