Hi!
I am Marco, a social scientist specializing in the analysis of data and society, with a focus on human-computer interaction, digital communication, media usage, and the social implications of artificial intelligence.

Currently, I am a post-doctoral researcher in communication and media science at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf in Germany.

My academic research ranges from work that theorizes and analyzes the meaning of data in social situations, to how we communicate about and negotiate with data and computers in our everyday life, to how we perceive of the societal use of technology (see here for my publications).
In my analysis, as a trained empirical researcher, I also collect data and employ methods of statistical data analysis. I explicitly reflect and appreciate the challenges that this poses to my scientific self.

I received my PhD from the University of Münster, in Germany. My PhD focused on the German public’s perceptions and expectations concerning Big Data and the monograph was published in German in January 2022 via Springer VS is available online as an open-access book.

Get to know my colleagues with whom it is a great pleasure to collaborate.

Interests

  • Digital Media and Communication
  • Public perceptions of Big Data & Artificial Intelligence
  • Survey Research, Experimental Designs, Content Analysis
  • Structural Equation Modelling

Education

  • Post-Doc, 2020-now

    Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (DE)

  • PhD in Communication Science, 2014-2020

    WWU Münster (DE)

  • M.Sc. Communication Science, 2012-2014

    University of Amsterdam (NL)

  • BA in Communication Science, 2008-2011

    University of Erfurt (DE)

Recent Posts

Paper presentations at the Annual Conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) in Bremen in May

In May 2023, I will be attending the Annual Conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) in Bremen to give two paper presentations on recent empirical research. First, together with Albina Maxhuni, Birte Keller, and Frank Marcinkowski, I will present a recent study titled “Hegemonic Technology Implementation at the University - A Qualitative Analysis of the Perceived Harm of Affected Students during the Introduction of Dropout Detection” (German original: “Hegemoniale Technologieimplementierung an der Hochschule - Eine qualitative Analyse der Schadenswahrnehmung betroffener Studierender bei der Einführung von Dropout Detection”).
Last updated on 2023-02-27 2 min read

[German] Conference 'KI | Konflikte | Konventionen - Aktuelle Herausforderungen für die Politische Kommunikationsforschung'

Gemeinsame Jahrestagung 2023 der Fachgruppe “Kommunikation und Politik” der DGPuK, des Arbeitskreises “Politik und Kommunikation” der DVPW und der Fachgruppe “Politische Kommunikation” der SGKM zum Thema “KI | Konflikte | Konventionen - Aktuelle Herausforderungen für die Politische Kommunikationsforschung”.
Last updated on 2022-12-01 1 min read

[German] Workshop 'KI in der politischen Kommunikationsforschung: Theoretische Perspektiven und empirische Fragen'

Im Rahmen der DGPuK 22 bieten Carina Weinmann, Pero Došenović, Kimon Kieslich und Marco Lünich den Workshop “KI in der politischen Kommunikationsforschung: Theoretische Perspektiven und empirische Fragen” an. Zielsetzungen dieses Workshops, der sich an Kommunikationswissenschaftler*Innen mit Forschungsinteresse am Themenbereich Technologien Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) in der politischen Kommunikation richtet, sind unter anderem: Die Schaffung eines Überblicks über aktuelle Forschungsfragen- und Ansätze, die Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Austauschs, die Bildung von Netzwerken und standortübergreifender Forschungsprojekte sowie die Formulierung und Bearbeitung neuer Fragestellungen.
Last updated on 2021-11-30 2 min read

Power Test Tutorial - Estimating Sample Size for Testing Mean Differences of Latent Factors Using R

In the coursebook of my Master seminar concerning Latent Variables in Political Communication, I recently added an important chapter that includes a tutorial of how to perform a power test for estimating sample size for hypothesis testing mean differences of a latent factor model with two groups.
Last updated on 2021-11-02 1 min read

Publications

Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Academic Performance Prediction. An Experimental Study on the Impact of Accuracy and Simplicity of Decision Trees on Causability and Fairness Perceptions

The rising adoption of learning analytics and academic performance prediction technologies in higher education highlights the urgent …
PDF Dataset DOI ACM

Regulating AI-Based Remote Biometric Identification. Investigating the Public Demand for Bans, Audits, and Public Database Registrations

AI is increasingly being used in the public sector, including public security. In this context, the use of AI-powered remote biometric …
PDF DOI ACM

Ever heard of ethical AI? Investigating the salience of ethical AI issues among the German population

Building and implementing ethical AI systems that benefit the whole society is cost-intensive and a multi-faceted task fraught with …
PDF DOI arXiv (Pre-Print)

How Is Socially Responsible Academic Performance Prediction Possible?

The availability of big data at universities enables the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in almost all areas of the …
PDF DOI URL

Exploring the roles of trust and social group preference on the legitimacy of algorithmic decision-making vs. human decision-making for allocating COVID-19 vaccinations

In combating the ongoing global health threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-makers have to take actions based on a multitude of …
PDF DOI arXiv (Pre-Print) OSF
See all publications

Teaching Experience

Winter Term 2024/2025

  • Artificial Intelligence and Society: Public Communication and the Common Good (in English)
  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 7 - “Generative KI und Schatten-IT: Herausforderungen der digitalen Mediennutzung in Organisationen.”

    Teaching Research Project 7 - “Generative AI and Shadow IT: Challenges of digital media use in organisations “

Previous Teaching

  • Media - Sport - Society. Theories and evidence on current problems (winter term ‘23/24 & summer term ‘24)
  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 6 - “Innovationen im Lokaljournalismus und Folgen für die gesellschaftliche und politische Partizipation”

    Teaching Research Project 6 - “Innovations in local journalism and consequences for social and political participation."

  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 5 - “Die studentische Wahrnehmung neuer Medientechnologien im Bildungssektor”

    Teaching Research Project 5 - “The student perception of new media technologies in the education sector."

  • Vorlesung “Politische Kommunikationsforschung - Theorien und empirische Befunde”

    Lecture “Political Communication Research - Theories and Empirical Evidence” (summer term ‘23 & ‘24)

  • Predicting academic performance through Artificial Intelligence: Students’ perceptions and attitudes concerning technology use for the Common Good? (in English, winter term 2022/2023)
  • Artificial Intelligence and Society: Public Communication and the Common Good (in English, summer term ‘22, winter term ‘23/24)
  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 4 - “Die Leistungsvorhersage für Studierende durch Künstliche Intelligenz: Welche Wahrnehmung und Einstellungen haben die Betroffenen?"

    Teaching Research Project 4 - “Predicting student performance through artificial intelligence: what are the perceptions and attitudes of the affected students?” (in German, winter term ‘21/22)

  • Vertrauen, Legitimität, Fairness & Co.: Die Messung latenter Variablen in der politischen Kommunikation

    Trust, legitimacy, fairness & Co.: The measurement of latent variables in political communication
    see course manual (in German) (in German, winter term ‘21/22)

  • Myths of the Digital Society (in English, summer term 2021)
  • Vertrauen, Legitimität, Fairness & Co.: Die Messung latenter Variablen in der politischen Kommunikation

    Trust, legitimacy, fairness & Co.: The measurement of latent variables in political communication (in German, winter term ‘20/21)

  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 3 (WS 20/21)

    Teaching Research Project 3 (in German, winter term ‘20/21)

  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 2 (WS 19/20)

    Teaching Research Project 2 (in German, winter term ‘19/20)

  • The Consequences of Digitalization for the Individual and Society: Theories and Empirical Evidences (in English, summer term 2019)
  • Lehrforschungsprojekt 1 (WS 18/19)

    Teaching Research Project 1 (in German, winter term ‘18/19)

  • Theorien und empirische Evidenzen zu den Folgen der Digitalisierung (SoSe 18)

    The Consequences of Digitalization for the Individual and Society: Theories and Empirical Evidences (in German, summer Term 2018)

  • Kann Privatheit in der digitalen Welt noch existieren? Theorien und Befunde zur Mediennutzung zwischen individueller Selbstoptimierung und gesellschaftlicher Überwachung (WS 17/18)

    Can privacy still exist in the digital world? Theories and findings on media use between individual self-optimization and societal surveillance (winter term ‘17/18)

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