Erkki Kaila is a university lecturer in Software Engineering with the main focus on programming education. He received his Ph.D. in 2018. After that, he worked at the University of Helsinki as a university lecturer for two years before returning to the University of Turku. His research interests are centered around programming education and learning analytics. He is the head of the group supervising the bachelor level education at the Department of Computing at the University of Turku and the group responsible for student marketing. Additionally, he's a member of several working groups at the University of Turku.

Research interests are centered around programming education and learning analytics. Specific research topics are for example education technology, including the development and utilization of such technology in a wide range of different topics, and new methodology and its effectiveness in programming education. In learning analytics, the focus has been mainly on ethical and security issues.

At the moment, Erkki Kaila is responsible for teaching the following courses:

• Introduction to Programming
  
• Basics of Object Oriented Programming
  
• Tools for Programming
  

Previously he has taught e.g. the following courses:

• Introduction to Computer Science
  
• Web Application Development with Vaadin
  
• Computer as a Tool
  
• Introduction to Didactic Computing
  
• Practical Course in Digital Educational Technologies
  
• Learning Analytics
  
• Educational Technology and Technology Education
  
• Programming Education and Computational Thinking (in co-operation with the Department of Education)
  

Additionally, Kaila has taught several programming-related courses at the University of Helsinki and was responsible for designing and implementing programming-related MOOCs there. He has been awarded as the teacher of the year in the department twice at the University of Turku and once at the University of Helsinki.