Dr Stavros Nikou

Senior Lecturer

Strathclyde Institute of Education

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Personal statement

Stavros Nikou is Senior Lecturer in Digital Education at the Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems focusing on Learning Technologies from the University of Macedonia - Greece, a M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Houston (CL) and a B.Sc. in Physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. 

Stavros has many years of experience in ICT and Physics education. His research interests include technology-enhanced teaching and learning, smart learning environments (AR/VR/MR and Artificial Intelligence), instructional design, teacher education, computational thinking and STEM education. Stavros is the Course Leader of the Postgraduate Certificate in  Technology Enhanced Teaching and Learning (Digital Education), he teaches Learning Technologies and supervises postgraduate students within the Institute of Education. He leads the Critical Instructional Technology and Digital Education subtheme and co-leads the Curriculum and Pedagogy Research theme at the Strathclyde Institute of Education. He is also member of the steering committee of the  Strathclyde Socially Progressive Artificial Intelligence Lab (SPAI-Lab).

Stavros has served as UNESCO consultant for the development of the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers and Ambassador for Scientix - The Community for Science Education in Europe by the European Schoolnet. He is also member of the Smart Mobile and Interactive Learning Environments (SMILE) Lab.  Stavros is Chair of the IEEE Technical Community on Learning Technology (TCLT) SIG “Augmented Reality and Virtual Worlds in Education and Training (ARVWET)”. He is Associate Editor for the "IEEE Transactions on Education" journal, Section Editor for the "International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM)", and scientific committee member in several top ranking international conferences. He has published in highly cited international journals and refereed conference proceedings and he is included in the Stanford's list of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists.

Stavros is a member of the Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA), the European Association of Technology-Enhanced Learning (EATEL), the Association for Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development (ASLERD), the International Association of Smart Learning Environments (IASLE), and the Hellenic Physics Society. He is also Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and Senior member of IEEE (SMIEEE).

 

Google Scholar | ResearchGate

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Research Interests

Main research areas: Learning Technologies,  Mobile & Ubiquitous Learning, Immersive Learning Environments, Artificial Intelligence, Instructional Design and Technology Integration, Teachers' Digital Competencies, Physics/STEM Education,.

Main area of focus: The role of cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and motivational processes in technology-enhanced teaching and learning.

Professional Activities

Twenty-first European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (Event)
Member
14/9/2026
European Conference on Educational Research (Event)
Member
17/8/2026
26th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (IEEE ICALT 2026) - Track 12. Augmented Reality and Virtual Worlds in Education and Training (ARVWET)
Chair
6/7/2026
iLRN2026: 12th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network
Chair
27/6/2026
Asia-Pacific Society of Computers in Education (APSCE) Theme-Based International Conference Series (TBICS) 2026 (Event)
Advisor
25/6/2026
SERA Conference 2026 (Event)
Peer reviewer
24/6/2026

More professional activities

Projects

Socially Progressive AI Lab
Noto La Diega, Guido (Principal Investigator) Miyake, Esperanza (Principal Investigator) Harkens, Adam (Co-investigator) Moncur, Wendy (Co-investigator) Weaver, Beth (Co-investigator) Nikou, Stavros (Co-investigator) Jones, Benedict (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Scott (Co-investigator) Dorfler, Viktor (Co-investigator) Liu, Xi (Co-investigator)
The Socially Progressive AI Lab (SPAI-Lab) is the University of Strathclyde's hub for impactful research, collaborative bids, engagement and networking—shaping policy, technical design and regulation in Scotland, the UK and internationally. Scotland's AI Strategy 2026-2013 spotlights the Lab as a key example of "world-leading AI research".

Based in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, SPAI-Lab involves colleagues from all the faculties (Engineering, Science, Strathclyde Business School), bridging humanities‑led approaches and tech‑centred methods. The Lab's research and activities are guided by a commitment to socially progressive deployment of AI that advances equity, upholds human rights and serves the public good.

The SPAI-Lab brings together over 90 experts from across the University and is co-led by Dr Esperanza Miyake and Professor Guido Noto La Diega and is supported by a cross-Faculty, cross-departmental steering committee: Professor Wendy Moncur, Professor Beth Weaver,
Dr Stavros Nikou, Professor Ben Jones, Dr Xi Liu, Dr Adam Harkens, Professor Scott Cunningham, Professor Viktor Dorfler.
26-Jan-2026
Developing teaching professionals’ knowledge and skills in AI technologies for inclusive and equitable education
Wang, Yuchen (Principal Investigator) Abel, Andrew (Co-investigator) Jia, Laibing (Co-investigator) Noor Ul Ain, N (Researcher) Mevawalla, Zinnia (Co-investigator) Catlin, Jane (Co-investigator) Devasya, Ashwitha (Researcher) Tripathy, Aditi (Researcher) Nikou, Stavros (Co-investigator) Roxburgh, David (Co-investigator) Robinson, Deborah (Co-investigator)
This project is to co-design a professional learning programme on AI and inclusive education with teachers and student teachers, funded by EPSRC (£9,961).
01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
Use of Generative AI in Professional Development, Teaching, and Assessment among academic staff members: Looking for evidence informed practices
Nikou, Stavros (Principal Investigator) Atkinson, Tracy (Co-investigator)
Considering the increasing use of Generative AI (GenAI) in higher education, there is a need to understand how academics balance perceived benefits and concerns when deciding whether and how to use these tools in their practice. The project examines how academic staff perceive benefits and concerns about GenAI relate to their adoption and domain-specific confidence levels in research, teaching and assessment. It also investigates teacher educators' perspectives on GenAI related to opportunities, challenges, and professional development needs.
01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026
AI in Early Learning: Building Foundations for AI Literacy in Primary and Early Years Education
Nikou, Stavros (Principal Investigator) Anderson, Damien (Research Co-investigator) Arnott, Lorna (Co-investigator) Roper, Marc (Academic)
The project will explore pupils and teachers understanding and experiences with AI aiming to enhance their AI literacy levels and develop AI-focused curriculum resources.
30-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2025
Cultures of Collaborative Research in a Socially Progressive Technological University / R230557-214
Nikou, Stavros (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
Leveraging Conversational Artificial Intelligence for teaching and learning in Higher Education Institutions
Nikou, Stavros (Principal Investigator) McLeod, Debbie (Fellow) Payne, Orlaith (Fellow)
01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026

More projects

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Contact

Dr Stavros Nikou
Senior Lecturer
Strathclyde Institute of Education

Email: stavros.nikou@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 8198