John Mendoza-Garcia, Ph.D.

Instructional Associate professor, Herbert Werthiem College of Engineering

Dr. John Mendoza-Garcia is an Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the University of Florida. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University and degrees in Systems and Computing Engineering. 

His scholarship focuses on the development and assessment of higher-order thinking skills, including problem-solving, systems thinking, computational thinking, design thinking, and human-centered design. As a teaching-focused faculty member, he conducts scholarship that bridges research and practice, using classroom evidence to improve teaching and learning. His research examines how students learn to address complex and ill-structured problems, develop stakeholder awareness, think across socio-technical systems, and apply design and systems perspectives to engineering and technology challenges. This work informs his current interest in understanding how generative AI tools can support the development of these competencies and help students become more effective problem solvers. 

At the University of Florida, he teaches CGS2531: Problem Solving Using Computer Software, a large-enrollment online course in which students learn to integrate generative AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot into authentic academic and workplace contexts. Through his teaching and scholarship, he explores how AI can be used not merely to automate tasks but to nurture higher-order thinking skills, helping students strengthen their problem-solving, computational thinking, systems thinking, and decision-making abilities. His ultimate goal is to understand how AI can be used to expand and strengthen students' thinking, learning, and problem-solving capabilities.