John (Yuehan) Chen

John (Yuehan) Chen

he/him/his

Designing the Future of Learning

Portfolio

NetLogo AR (2023-Present)

NetLogo AR is a spatial AR authoring toolkit that combines room-scale AR technology with NetLogo, a popular agent-based programming language. Part of Turtle Universe, the mobile version of NetLogo, it allows users to create simulations that blend digital content with real-world environments. Built on NetLogo’s strengths for research and education, it enables users to model complex systems, fostering creativity in applications like games and art, making it ideal for K-12 learners and researchers.

NetLogo Chat (2023-Present)

NetLogo Chat is an innovative LLM-powered interface designed to enhance learning and practice in NetLogo, a leading language for agent-based modeling (ABM). ABM simulates complex systems using simple rules applied to agents, with applications in fields like disease spread and ecology. Unlike general-purpose LLM tools, NetLogo Chat addresses ABM’s unique challenges by aligning conceptual designs, code, and real-world phenomena. Built on constructionist learning principles, it empowers users to create meaningful models while integrating authoritative sources, supporting troubleshooting, and fostering human-AI collaboration within the NetLogo IDE.

Physics Lab AR (2017-Present)

Physics Lab AR, founded in 2017, is a mobile app that lets learners create and explore virtual physics experiments. Initially designed for high school students, the app quickly attracted a larger audience, including K-12 students outside the classroom. By 2019, it reached over 1 million users, and by 2024, nearly 7 million worldwide.

Turtle Universe (2019-Present)

A mobile incarnation of NetLogo, the most widely used agent-based modeling environment, Turtle Universe is dedicated to younger learners and educators on phones and tablets. Some highlights include built-in multilingual, block-based programming, and interactive tutorials. In May 2024, it has been used by 104,539 people around the world.