List of faculty members

FRANK, Ian Professor

Research Contents

An interdisciplinary stance, with a foundation in Artificial Intelligence. I was a member of the DReaM Group (Discovery and Reasoning in Mathematics) at Edinburgh University, where my PhD research was on computer game playing and how to automatically explain a computer՚s choices to humans, winning a national Distinguished Dissertation award. Students in my lab work on algorithms for games, machine learning, online worlds, education, and a wide range of applications including audio and video.

Some research questions:

• How can we create information processing tools that help humans and computers collaborate?
• How do people think, and how can research in areas such as cognitive science and neuroscience be fed back into the improvement of education and critical thinking skills?
• In what ways can information processing technology, or human thinking mindsets, be employed to better the lives of people, both in the local community and over the world?

The design notion of “wayfinding” is a guiding framework for my thinking, providing a coherent and integrated perspective. The space between the words “human” and “information processing” is becoming increasingly virtual: how can we understand and navigate this space, through experience?

Collaborations

I have published across diverse fields, including artificial intelligence, theoretical computer science, education, cognitive science and social science. I welcome students with varied interests as a way of finding new combinations of ideas. My work is characterised by a constant exchange between research and practical endeavours in the real world. Current interests include AI and education, learner agency, games and interactive systems, educational infrastructure, and the use of low-code and DX tools to support teaching, research and organisational practice.

Alongside my academic work, I have extensive experience in educational training and event design. As Festival Director of the World Music and Dance Festival, working under the theme of “Long Now”, I have developed approaches that emphasise global and long-term thinking. I have also applied low-code and digital tools to online courses, video-based healthcare training, research management, and the operation of large-scale events.

The design concept of “wayfinding” provides a connecting idea across these activities: helping people understand where they are, where they might go, and how they can navigate there. I apply this idea broadly across research, education and organisational design, particularly where technology changes the relationship between human agency, information and action.

Achievements

I was part of the team that was awarded the RoboCup Scientific Challenge award two years in a row, and my PhD thesis chosen as a winner of the UK Distinguished Dissertations Award. I regularly teach thinking skills workshops inspired by readings in cognitive science (see the Related Links at the foot of this page).

Selected Writings

• Nakashima, K. and Frank, I. “Designing Productive Friction for LLM Support in Beginner Programming”, International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Education (WAIE), 2026.
• Teye, P., Frank, I. and Ghansah, B. “Between Two Worlds: Examining the Cybersecurity Awareness-Behavior Gap Among Transition-Age Students and Implications for AI-Adaptive Education”, International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Education (WAIE), 2026.
• Frank, I. and Narita, I. “Switching Strategies Mid-Search: An Interactive Game for Learning AI Search Algorithms”, International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Education (WAIE), 2026.
• Frank, I. and Kawanishi, K. “Full State-Space Visualisation of the 8-Puzzle: Feasibility, Design, and Educational Use”, IEEE International Conference on Information Technology and Education Technology (ITET), 2026.
• Frank, I. “Pedagogical Experience Platforms: A Design Lens for Instructor Orientation and Course Evolution”, IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), 2026.
• Frank, I. “Weekly Titles as Micro-Advance Organisers: Small Design Choices for Pedagogical Memory”, The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2026 Official Conference Proceedings, pp. 579–589, 2026.
• Kabashima, S. and Frank, I. “Educational Outreach Using a Student-Led Minecraft Server”, Proceedings of the 25th Forum on Information Technology (FIT 2026), CN-008, 2026.
• Nakashima, K. and Frank, I. “An Exploratory Study of Design Trade-offs in Generative AI Support for Novice Programming”, Proceedings of the 25th Forum on Information Technology (FIT 2026), CN-009, 2026.
• Frank, I. “AI, DX, and Learning by Doing: What’s Stopping Educators from Creating Open Resources?”, Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF-11), 2025.
• Takayama, S. and Frank, I. “Effectiveness of Zero-shot-CoT in Japanese Prompts”, NLP2025 Workshop on Japanese Language Resources (JLR2025), Nagoya, Japan, 2025.
• Frank, I. “Designing and Operating a Low-Code Template for Class Delivery and Administration: Lessons Learned”, 8th International Conference on Education & E-Learning, ICEEL-2024, Tokyo.
• Frank, I., Yoshida, H., Ide, Y., Narita, I., Noguchi, S., Uchiyama, Y., and Yamada, R. “AI In Play: Innovative Learning Through Games and Videos”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Fall National Convention, Sendai, 2024.
• Sakabe, K., Kabashima, S. and Frank, I. “Open Data For Digital Twin Construction in Minecraft”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Fall National Convention, Sendai, 2024.
• Takigawa, R. and Frank, I. “Scheduling Presentation Sessions with “ClassistAnt”: Interactive Ant Colony Optimization”,Japan Society for Educational Technology, Fall National Convention, Sendai, 2024.
• Frank, I. “Content Slicing: Low-code Management of Video, Graphics and more for Engaging Classrooms”, Docens Series in Education 7:44-58, 2024.
• Matsuda, K. and Frank, I. “LangChain Unleashed: Advancing Education Beyond ChatGPT’s Limits”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Spring National Convention, Kumamoto, 2024.
• Takigawa, R. and Frank, I. “Interactive Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms for Timetabling Problems”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Spring National Convention, Kumamoto, 2024.
• Nishimura, S. and Frank, I. “Examination of Programming Learning Support Method using Processing”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Spring National Convention, Kumamoto, 2024. 
• Kudo, K. and Frank, I. “An LLM Chatbot in Minecraft with Educational Applications”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Spring National Convention, Kumamoto, 2024.
• Kabashima, S., Sakabe, K., Frank, I. and Bagenda, D.K. “Fostering Virtual Communities: The Impact of Analytics Tools in a University Minecraft Server”, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Spring National Convention, Kumamoto, 2024.
• Frank, I. “Low Code Solutions for Managing the Integration of Video, Graphics and Active Learning Resources for Engaging Classrooms”, EduCon Tokyo – International Conference on Education, 2024 (presentation slides available).
• Kudo, K., Matsuda, K., Frank, I. & Bagenda, D. Research and Education Through a Minecraft Testbed: Character, Bots and ChatGPT, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Fall National Convention, Kyoto, 2023.
• Kabashima, S., Matsuda, K., Yamamoto, R., Frank, I. & Bagenda, D. Building a Better World: Lessons from Setting up, Maintaining and Developing a University Minecraft Server, Japan Society for Educational Technology, Fall National Convention, Kyoto, 2023.
• Frank, I. “Cohorts and Condensed Videos”, The Higher Education Technology Agenda (THETA) Conference, 2023.
• Frank, I. “Learning From Events”, The Asian Conference on Education, 2022.
• Frank, I. “Koto-tsukuri: Education at the Interface”, The Asian Conference on Education, 2022.
• Frank, I. and Field, M. The Dawn of Reiwa: Waves, Revolutions and an “A.I. Society”. In Handbook of Higher Education in Japan, Ch 25. Japan Documents Series, Editor: Paul Snowden, Waseda University Emeritus Professor, MHM Limited, 2021.
• Field, M. and Frank, I. “Building Capacity for a Sustainable Future in Vietnamese Education”, International Conference on Leadership and Management in Higher Education in a Globalized World, 2018.
• Frank, I. and Hatanaka D. “MMORPGs and Personality — A study using the MBTI”. Journal of the Game Amusement Society. Volume 4, Number 1, Pp.25–32, Mar 2015.
• Frank, I., Harada, Y. & Grant, A. Linking University Curriculum and Community – Learn Programming with Scratch, Get Projection, Conference: Culture and Computing, 2013.
• Field, M., Frank, I. and Konakawa, N., “Digital literacy by reinforcing learning: A contextual challenge”, Australian Computers in Education Conference, ACEC, 2012.
• Frank, I. “Which Way For Education?”, International Conference on Responding to the 21st Century Demands for Educational Leadership and Management in Higher Education, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2012.
• Usui, H. and Frank, I. “Comparing the Roles of Reason, Emotion and the Physical Body in Decision Making”, IEICE Pattern Recognition and Media Understanding/IEICE Human Information Processing, 2012. Pp. 71–76.
• Frank, I. “Smart Festival”. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society. Volume 7, Issue 1, Pp.137-148, 2011.
• Rayner, M., Frank, I., Chua, C., Tsourakis, N., and Bouillon, P. “For A Fistful Of Dollars: Using Crowd-Sourcing To Evaluate A Spoken Language CALL Application”. Proceedings of SLaTE-11, International Workshop on Speech and Language Technology for Education, 2011.
• Oshimo, Y., Frank, I. and Nakata, T. “Uniform Colour and a Winning Eleven: Evidence that red teams win more often in simulated soccer”. Seventh World Congress on Science and Football, 2011.
• Frank, I., Field, M., Bagenda, B. and Shiiya, K. “Closing The Loop: Towards A Low- Cost ‘LAN’ (Learning through Authentic Narrative) Infrastructure for Community and Cross-Cultural Empowerment”. Global Learn Asia Pacific 2011.
• Frank I. and Field M. “Starting from Scratch: Lifting the Educational Resource Curse”. In Z. Abas et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010, Pp.1402-1407, (best practices), 2010.
• Frank I. and Field M. “Creating Meaningful Learning”. Proceedings of iPED 2009, 4th International Inquiring Pedagogies Conference, Pp.25-26, 2009.
• Frank I. and Field M. “World Class Thinking”. Proceedings of iPED 2009, 4th International Inquiring Pedagogies Conference, P.86, 2009.
• Frank I. and Field M. “TNT: Technological Thinking, with No Technology”. Proceedings of the Australian Computers in Education Conference, 2008.
• Frank I. and Field M. “Learning from the Koto Wedge: The Sphere and the Shawl”. The International Journal of Learning, 14(9):83-92, 2007.
• Kubo T., Morishita T., Shimora H., Kawarabayashi T., Odaka T., Ogura H., Frank I., Tanaka-Ishii K., Tadokoro S. and Matsubara H. “Rescue MIKE: An Automatic Commentary System for Disaster Simulation”, Transactions of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, 21(4):388-397, 2006.
• Frank I., Sanpou N., Terashima K. and Matsubara H. “Some Positive Effects of Online Gaming”, Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, 2006.
• Tanaka-Ishii K. and Frank I. “Dit4Dah: Predictive Pruning For Morse Code Text Entry – Towards Entry Systems For the Seriously Impaired”. Proceedings of the 1st International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing, Pp.765-775, 2004.
• Kaminka G., Frank I., Tanaka-Ishii K., Arai K. “Progress Through Performance Competitions? A Large-Scale Comparative Study of Multi-Agent Teams” Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 7(1-2):121-144, 2003.
• Frank I. and Basin D. “A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of Search in Imperfect Information Games”, Theoretical Computer Science, 252:217-256, 2001.
• Marsland T. and Frank I. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computers and Games, 442 pages, Springer, 2001.
• Matsubara H., Tanaka-Ishii K., Frank I. and Tadokoro S. “Walkie-Talkie MIKE: Automatic Generator of real-time commentary for rescue simulator”. Proceedings of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, 17(2):177–180, 2001.
• Tanaka-Ishii K. and Frank I. “Multi-Agent Explanation Strategies in Real-Time Domains” Proceedings of ACL2000, the 38th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics, Pp.158-165, Hong Kong, 2000.
• Tanaka-Ishii, K. and Frank, I. and Arai, K. “Trying to Understand RoboCup” AI Magazine, Vol.21, Pp.19-24, No.3, Fall, 2000.
• Tanaka-Ishii K., Frank, I., Noda, I. and Matsubara, H. “A Statistical Perspective on the RoboCup Simulator League: Progress and Prospects” Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on RoboCup, Pp.114-127, 1999.
• Noda I. and Frank I. Investigating the Complex with Virtual Soccer. In Virtual Worlds — Synthetic Universes, Digital Life and Complexity, Pp.189-210, Addison-Wesley, 1999.
• Noda I., Matsubara H., Hiraki K. and Frank I. “Soccer Server: a tool for research on multi-agent systems”. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 12(2–3):233–251, 1998.
• Frank I. Search and Planning under Incomplete Information: A Study using Bridge Card Play. 340 pages, Springer, Distinguished Dissertations Series. 1998.