She holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Russian Academy of Education. She is a Full Member of the Australian Psychological Society and a member of the Early Start Research Institute at the University of Wollongong. Irina’s research interests relate to the sociocultural contexts of effective use of digital technologies in education. Her major research focus is on the role of digital tablets in young children's development and play. Other research interests include scaffolding online discussion in higher education and the use of digital technologies in literacy and special education.