Team
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Joerg Zumbach
Jörg Zumbach has his degree in Psychology from Heidelberg University. Since 2006, he is a full professor for science education and educational research with digital technologies. In his research, he investigates effects of digital teaching and learning, hybrid learning, collaborative learning, media and aggression, higher education and science education.
Joerg Zumbach has authored many publications in these areas and is editor as well as editorial board member of several national and international journals. He is reviewer of the German Science Foundation, the German Ministry of Education and Research, the OeAD as well as consultant for the Austrian Ministry for Education, Science, and Research.
Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Hermann Astleitner
Hermann Astleitner (born 1963, in Linz) holds a degree in educational sciences from the Paris Lodron University Salzburg and has been an associate professor for educational research since 1997. His research areas concern instructional systems design (task- and media-based learning), human development and education (critical thinking, affective learning) as well as social science research methods (theory building, intervention research). He is a member of the DLRG since June 2022.
He is a reviewer for many international research organizations and renowned journals in the fields of education research, media education, educational psychology, or teacher education. He has numerous guest professorships and teaching assignments from ETH/University of Zurich, Ministère de l´Éducation National Luxembourg, University of Erfurt, or Johannes Kepler University Linz. For further details on current research projects or teaching events visit: ORCID-ID, Research, Teaching, Homepage.
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Julia Eberle (currently on leave)
Julia Eberle is a learning scientist, focusing on social aspects of learning and instruction in higher education and how they are related to self-efficacy, motivation, emotions, cognition, and behavior.
She is interested in social relatedness, social interaction, computer-supported collaborative learning, (interdisciplinary and interprofessional) collaboration, digital learning, and social network analysis.
Mag. Dr. Stephan M. Schweighofer
Stephan M. Schweighofer is an educational scientist and pedagogue. His research interests primarily focus on the fields of democracy education (including European citizenship education), global citizenship education, and sociological value research.
In addition to his research activities, Stephan Schweighofer places importance on third mission projects that connect science and society. In this context, he is particularly interested in cooperation between schools and universities, which is why he leads and supports various interdisciplinary education and democracy projects.
He joined the DLRG in October 2025 as a maternal leave cover for Ass.-Prof. Dr. Julia Eberle.
Dr. Ines Zeitlhofer, B.Ed.Univ. MEd.
Dr. Ines Zeitlhofer B.Ed.Univ. MEd. has a degree in educational sciences from the University of Salzburg. She currently works as a Post-Doc in the group. Her research focuses on interactions between metacognition and cognitive load as well as their influence on learning outcomes.
In her doctoral thesis she investigated the influence of cognitive load during learning on the activation of metacognitive awareness and its regulation through achievement activation. Besides, she is also interested in the effects of didactic methods like Desirable Difficulties and Productive Failure.
Magdalena Adlesgruber, MEd M.A., Doctoral Student
Magdalena Adlesgruber holds degrees in teaching English and German, and English and American Studies from the Karl-Franzens University in Graz. She currently works as a doctoral student at the University of Salzburg.
Sabrina Fridrich, BEd, Student Assistant
Sabrina Fridrich holds a Bachelor of Education in teacher training for the subjects Mathematics and Psychology and Philosophy and is currently enrolled in the Master program. She started as a student assistant in the Digital Learning Research Group in October 2025.
Sabrina.Fridrich[at]plus.ac.at
Nina Rosa Hohenwarter, BEd Student Assistant
Nina Rosa Hohenwarter is studying educational science at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg. Her subjects are Nutrition and Housekeeping and Inclusive Education (Focus Disability). Nina has been a student assistant at the University of Salzburg’s School of Education since March 2023.
Associated Members
Ines Deibl
Sandra Hörmann
Bettina Mann
Claudia Ortner