Postdoctoral Research Fellow for GATE project (Personal Grant)

We are looking for an enthusiastic and decisive postdoctoral researcher for the GATE project.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Games and Learning Research Group at the Faculty of Education and Culture investigates learner behavior in game-based and collaborative learning environments. We view learning as a nonlinear process in which multiple components—cognitive, motivational, social, and affective—emerge over time and interact within a complex dynamical system. To better understand these processes, our research focuses on collecting multimodal data (e.g., electrodermal activity, heart rate, facial expressions, and video) to illuminate the temporal dynamics of learning.

The position is based in the Faculty of Education and Culture. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be an integral part of the Gameful Realities research center and the Ludus research infrastructure at Tampere University. Ludus is an innovative research space designed to support the study of digitally enhanced interaction in various contexts. The laboratory is equipped with high-quality video and audio recording devices, mobile physiological sensors, ten soundproof cabins with gameplay computers, and adjustable furniture to facilitate collaborative and interactive learning, as well as experimental research.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will play a crucial role in the GATE (Gamification for Leadership Competence Development) project, funded by the Foundation for Economic Education. The GATE project aims to examine the temporal evolution of emergent leadership among teammates in game-based learning contexts. It seeks to advance the field by collecting multimodal data from teammates and integrating Complex Dynamic Systems and Machine Learning methods to study nonlinear social dynamics and emergent leadership within collaborative teams. The project involves conducting an experimental study with business education students.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will conduct research within a team, manage project-related tasks, and disseminate research findings in leading international scientific journals.  Your role will specifically involve organizing the project data collection, being responsible for project data management, and contributing skills in multimodal data analytics with a focus on nonlinear methods.

REQUIREMENTS

• You hold a PhD in Educational Sciences, Education, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• You have a strong affinity for and/or keen interest in research on collaborative learning processes, physiological data, facial emotions, and social interaction analysis.
• You have experience with advanced statistical analysis, including nonlinear methods, time series analysis, and machine learning.
• You are proficient in a programming language commonly used for machine learning (e.g., R, Python).
• You have demonstrable research skills, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications in international journals.
• You possess excellent written and spoken English proficiency.
• You can work independently and demonstrate strong personal commitment, teamwork, collaboration skills, administrative abilities, creativity, and determination.

THE POSITION

Duration: Fixed-term position of 2 years (08.08.2025 – 31.07.2027).

Grant: 2500€ / month. (60000 € in total)

Grant is from Foundation for Economic Education. Grants are tax-exempt to their recipients up to the amount equivalent to the Finnish state grants for artists as annually confirmed. Beginning from March 1, 2024 the maximum amount is €26,355.60 / year. Please see Finnish Tax Administration’s guidelines on tax-exemption:  

LOCATION

The location is Tampere, with the aim of being present at the Tampere University during most of the weekdays.

Tampere is the largest inland city in Finland and is considered a major academic hub in the Nordic countries. The region is home to a vibrant, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community, and the city is an industrial powerhouse with a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Additionally, Finland is known for being one of the most stable, free, and safe countries in the world, based on various ratings by prominent agencies. Tampere is surrounded by stunning nature, with forests and lakes offering countless opportunities for easy-to-access outdoor adventures and refreshment throughout the year.

Read more about Finland and Tampere:

  Visit Finland (https://www.visitfinland.com/en/ )

  Visit Tampere (https://visittampere.fi/en/ )

Please also read more about working at Tampere University (https://www.tuni.fi/en/about-us/working-at-tampere-universities ). You can also find more information about working and living Tampere by watching this video: Tampere Higher Education Community – our academic playground (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIlD8H-NFhE ).  

How to apply?

• Certificates/Diplomas: Scanned copy of the original relevant PhD degree certificate.
• A motivation letter (max. 1000 words) summarizing your professional experience and expertise and describing why you are interested in this position.
• Curriculum vitae
• List of publications

You can send your application by email to: muhterem.dindar@tuni.fi

The submission deadline is 20 April 2025.

The eligible applicants fitting best in the profile expected for the position will be invited to an on-site or remote interview. All applicants will be notified during the selection process.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Muhterem Dindar, muhterem.dindar@tuni.fi