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EdTech blog by Alexander Mikroyannidis

21 March 2022Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

PT Anywhere used for remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

PT Anywhere, led by Alexander Mikroyannidis (The Open University, UK), has played a vital role in remote teaching and learning during the […]

11 December 202011 December 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

Developing accessible network simulation software for the visually impaired

The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) blog has initiated a COVID special collection, featuring the latest news about the PT Anywhere network simulator. PT Anywhere, which […]

3 June 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

PT Anywhere in the UK Government Digital Skills Toolkit

The OpenLearn course Discovering Computer Networks has been included in the UK Government Digital Skills Toolkit for furloughed workers. The Digital Skills […]

30 January 202011 December 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

Open Networking Lab Accessibility – The Challenge

In the UK, there are over 2 million people with sight loss, with 360,000 registered as blind or partially sighted. Approximately 25% […]

22 November 201924 May 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

The Ufi VocTech Showcase 2019

The annual Ufi VocTech Showcase took place on November 21, 2019 in IET London. The event showcased a wide variety of projects funded […]

5 November 201911 December 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

Discovering Computer Networks: Hands on in the Open Networking Lab

The Open Networking Lab project has launched a free online course entitled “Discovering computer networks: hands on in the Open Networking Lab”, which is available […]

3 May 201711 December 2020Technology-Enhanced Learning, Technology/Internet

PT Anywhere presented at the IEEE EDUCON 2017

The IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) 2017 has been the eighth in a series of conferences that rotate among central locations […]

Professional biography

Dr. Alexander Mikroyannidis is a Senior Research Fellow (Associate Professor) in the Knowledge Media Institute of The Open University, UK. He holds a Ph.D. in Informatics from Manchester Business School, an M.Phil. in Computation from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), and a B.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Patras, Greece.

Research interests

The research expertise of Dr. Mikroyannidis is in the field of Technology-Enhanced Learning. He has been investigating the use of novel educational technologies for enhancing personalised learning, self-regulated learning, lifelong learning, as well as open education. He is currently working on the transformative applications of Generative AI and decentralisation blockchain technology in the context of distance and higher education. He is the author of over 120 publications that have received over 1,500 citations.

Teaching interests

Dr. Mikroyannidis has extensive experience in developing Open Educational Resources (OERs), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Badged Open Courses (BOCs), as well as rich interactive learning materials as eBooks. Some highlights from this work are the following:

Impact and engagement

The work of Dr. Mikroyannidis has led to strategic partnerships with key technological companies, most notably with Cisco and its global educational network, the Cisco Networking Academy, which has over 1 million students worldwide. Within this partnership, Dr. Mikroyannidis is in charge of the design, development and deployment of PT Anywhere, a novel educational tool for teaching computer networking skills by performing network simulations on any device. PT Anywhere has played a vital role in remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been featured in the UK government’s Digital Skills Toolkit, which is offering essential digital skills to job seekers.

Dr. Mikroyannidis has recently led a successful pilot for facilitating lifelong learning using blockchain technologies, in the context of the QualiChain Horizon 2020 project. In particular, he has been in charge of deploying and evaluating decentralised education and employment qualifications with learners and educators within various lifelong learning contexts. The results of this pilot have provided valuable insights into the different aspects of lifelong learning that require support, as well as into the guidance and training needs of the education community related to the use of decentralisation technologies.

External collaborations

Dr. Mikroyannidis has been driving significant educational technology initiatives at an international level, by establishing a network of collaborators inside and outside the Open University and acquiring external funding, in order to implement and evaluate novel educational solutions in real-life settings and with real users. He has been awarded and worked on a wide range of European and nationally funded research projects, including QualiChain, DEL4ALL, OpenLang Network, Open Networking Lab, Institute of Coding, SlideWiki, EDSA, HUB4NGI, FORGE, weSPOT, EUCLID, ROLE, OpenScout, CASPAR, and PARMENIDES.