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About

Meena Kharatmal is a long-standing member of the Gnowledge Lab and a researcher at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR, Mumbai. Her work sits at the intersection of biology education research, concept-based knowledge representation, and public communication of science.

Over nearly two decades, her research with the lab has focused on how scientific knowledge is structured, taught, and learned — particularly in biology. With Nagarjuna G., she developed Refined Concept Mapping (RCM), a methodology that adds rigour to traditional concept maps by constraining the predicate space, with applications in classroom teaching, knowledge assessment, and the analysis of biology textbooks.

She is a core contributor to the CUBE program — Collaboratively Understanding Biology Education — and to its outreach. She regularly writes for teacher-facing magazines (Teacher Plus, iwonder, Shaikshanik Sandarbh, Jeevan Shikshan) in English, Hindi, and Marathi, bringing project-based biology investigations into mainstream pedagogy. During the COVID-19 pandemic she contributed extensively to the CovidGyan initiative at TIFR, producing infographics and explainers on tests, vaccines, immunization and seroprevalence studies.

Research interests

• Concept mapping methodology and the analysis of scientific knowledge structures
• Undergraduate biology education — experimental design, scientific method, conceptual understanding
• Evidence-based teaching practices (concept inventories, diagnostic questions)
• Project-based and collaborative biology learning (CUBE)
• Public communication of science and microbiology
• Multilingual science writing for teachers and students

Projects

• CUBE: Collaboratively Understanding Biology Education — investigative undergraduate biology research using simple model systems
• Concept Mapping research — long-running development of Refined Concept Mapping (RCM) with Nagarjuna G.
• Biology Education Research — lead on multiple ongoing studies: undergraduate students’ understanding of experimental design; scientific method through research reading; natural selection concept inventories; evidence-based teaching at undergraduate level
• Vigyan Pratibha — co-authored the Microorganisms at our Doorstep learning unit with Nagarjuna G. and M. C. Arunan
• CovidGyan (TIFR) — infographics and explainers during 2020–2021 on COVID-19 testing, vaccines, immunization, and seroprevalence
• chatShaala and STEM Games / metaStudio — community platforms for the lab’s projects

Publications

• Meena Kharatmal (2021). Observing the Microbial World: Student Experiences. Field Guide Know Your Pond Mates. In iwonder Rediscovering School Science. Bangalore: Azim Premji University. June 2021, pg. 25-31. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & M. C. Arunan (2021). Microorganisms at our Doorstep — Vigyan Pratibha Learning Unit. In Choksi, B., Date, G., Mani, R. & Subramaniam, K. (EDs.), Exploring Science and Mathematics with Vigyan Pratibha Learning Units. Class 8 Teacher Version, Mumbai: HBCSE. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2021). Invitation to CUBE Project -- Learning Science by Doing Science. Teacher Plus. Secunderabad: Azim Premji University. August 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2021). CUBE -- Pathshala Ke Chatro Se Jude Project Aadharit Vigyan Prayog (CUBE -- Project Based Science Experiments for School Students -- Article in Hindi). Shaikshanik Sandarbh, Issue 76 (133). Bhopal: Eklavya Foundation. March-April 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Anand Vaidya (2021). An Infographic on Vaccine Safety Basics. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 4th February, 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Anand Vaidya (2021). An Infographic on Stages of Vaccine Development and Phase Trials. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 4th February, 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Anand Vaidya (2021). An Infographic on Frequency and Severity of the Adverse Events Following Immunization. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 4th February, 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Anand Vaidya (2021). An Infographic on Five Reasons for Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI). CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 4th February, 2021. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). Update article on -- Is Novel Coronavirus Evolving? In CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 24th July 2020. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & Kiran Yadav (2020). Undergraduates in Lockdown: Sustaining Research Projects with CUBE Home Labs and chatShaala. IndiaBioscience. Bangalore. 23 October 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). Training Ourselves to See Better (Primary Pack). Teacher Plus. Telangana: Azim Premji University, April 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). Testing for COVID-19: Here's What You Need to Know. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 18th May 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & CUBE Lab Team (2020). Shaley Vidyaarthyaansathi Prakalp: Vidnyan Prayog (CUBE Lab Projects, Science Experiments for School Students -- Article in Marathi). Shikshan Sankraman, Pune: MSBSHSE, April, 2020. [PDF]
• Uma Ramakrishnan & Meena Kharatmal (2020). Seroprevalence Study in Mumbai: In Conversation with TIFR Scientists -- Part 4: Personal Perspectives, Risks and Challenges During the Study, and About Public Private Partnership In CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 25th September 2020. . [PDF]
• Uma Ramakrishnan & Meena Kharatmal (2020). Seroprevalence Study in Mumbai: In Conversation with TIFR Scientists -- Part 3: Discussion of Findings and Other Studies In CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 25th September 2020. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Uma Ramakrishnan (2020). Seroprevalence Study in Mumbai: In Conversation with TIFR Scientists -- Part 2: Key Insights from the Study In CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 25th September 2020. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Uma Ramakrishnan (2020). Seroprevalence Study in Mumbai: In Conversation with TIFR Scientists -- Part 1: Introduction and About the Study In CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 25th September 2020. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). Public health framework and its intersections with society while dealing with the pandemic – A conversation with a public health care specialist. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 24th August 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). Nirikshan Vikasit Karnyasaathi Kriyakalp (Developing observational skills -- Article in Marathi). Jeevan Shikshan, Pune: MSCERT, February 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2020). Getting Down to the Micron. Teacher Plus. Telangana: Azim Premji University, July 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). An Infographic on Comparison of COVID-19 Tests. CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 18th May 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2020). A Blurb on "A Study on Using Gold Nanoparticles for Naked-Eye Detection of SARS-CoV-2". CovidGyan Website, Mumbai: TIFR, 25 June 2020. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Nagarjuna G. & M. C. Arunan (2019). Observing Microorganisms at our Doorstep -- A Learning Unit. Vigyan Pratibha Project, Mumbai: HBCSE. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2016). Using Semantic Reference Set of Linking Words for Concept Mapping in Biology. Innovating with concept mapping. Communications in computer and information science series (Vol. 635, pp. 315-329). Springer International Publisher. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2014). A Proposal to Extend Concept Mapping to Concept Lattices for Representing Biology. Summer School on “Methodology of task design – How to construct exercises for learning” Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany , 22 – 27 September. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2013). Representing Change Using Concept Maps. Proceedings of epiSTEME 5, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G. & Meena Kharatmal (2011). Proposal for developing a primer for constructing and analyzing conceptual structures. Proceedings of the 19th international conference on Conceptual structures for discovering knowledge. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2011). An Analysis of Growth of Knowledge based on Concepts and Predicates. In S. Chunawala and M. Kharatmal (Eds.) Proceedings of epiSTEME 4 International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Nagarjuna G., Meena Kharatmal & Rajiv Nair (2010). Building a Dependency Network for Teaching-Learning of Conceptual Structures. In conjunction with ICCS-2010 18th International Conference on Conceptual Structures. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2009). SELF Platform: A Teacher - Centric Collaborative Authoring System. Journal of Applied Collaborative Systems. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2009). Refined Concept Maps for Science Education: A Feasibility Study. Proceedings of epiSTEME 3, International Conference to Review Research on Science, TEchnology and Mathematics Education. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal (2009). Concept Mapping for eliciting Students' understanding of Science. . [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2008). Exploring Roots of Rigor: A Proposal of a Methodology for Analyzing the Conceptual Change from a Novice to an Expert. Concept Mapping: Connecting Educators Proc. of the Third Int. Conference on Concept Mapping. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2006). An Alternative Proposal for Eliciting and Assessing Students’Knowledge Structure. Episteme 2: Second International Conference on Review of Science, Technology and Mathematics education. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal, Sandhya R & Nagarjuna G. (2005). Information and Knowledge Management Using GNOWSYS. Conference Proceedings. Recent Advances in Information Technology. [PDF]
• Meena Kharatmal & Nagarjuna G. (2004). Understanding Science Through Knowledge Organizers: An Introduction. In Episteme-1: An International Conference to review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, pp. 13–17. [PDF]

Elsewhere on the web

• HBCSE: hbcse.tifr.res.in/people/scientific/meena
• ORCID: (to be added)
• GitHub: (to be added)
• LinkedIn: (to be added)
• X (Twitter): (to be added)
• Bluesky: (to be added)
• metaStudio: (to be added)
• Blog / personal site: (to be added)

Contact

(public email to be added)

To collaborate with the lab community, the recommended channel is metaStudio.org.