Topelberg Noam

Head of the 'Academia 360' Program, Academic Coordinator of Teaching Clinical training and Head of Art teaching certificate program, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University,

Dr. Noam Topelberg is the Head of the Art Teaching Certificate Program at Bar-Ilan University's Faculty of Education and leads the faculty's "Academy 360” initiative. He also serves as Academic Coordinator for Clinical Training and lectures in the Department of Jewish Art. A graduate of the Mandel Institute's Academic Leadership Program, his Ph.D. dissertation explored sacrifice iconographies in the work of contemporary Israeli women artists. He has authored five textbooks for over 250 high schools in Israel, including the national matriculation curriculum in design arts. A major focus of his research is visual literacy, visual codes, and the intersection of pedagogy, technology, and art. His recent research examines how AI tools—particularly chatbots—can be integrated into teaching and learning and their impact on teacher self-efficacy. He regularly presents at international conferences and publishes articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Research areas:

• Visual culture
• Visual codes
• Visual literacy
• Philosophy of art
• History of Art
• Art and Education
• AI technologies and education 

Research Initiatives:

PROJECT RSO: RECLAIMING SUBJECTIVE OBJECTIVITY IN VISUAL LITERACY
(2025- ongoing) In an era defined by a rapidly evolving visual culture, Project RSO (Reclaiming Subjective Objectivity) addresses the essential need for advanced visual literacy and critical thinking education. This study examines how the earlier "Visual Code" model supports differentiated learning for teachers, high school, and college students, emphasizing structured activities for beginners and open-ended critique for advanced learners. Initial findings demonstrate significant improvements in classroom discussions, critical thinking, and analyzing complex visual texts. This lays the groundwork for scalable, modular tools adaptable to diverse educational contexts.

Integration of Tailored AI Chatbots to Enhance Teacher Training Skills
(2025 – ongoing) Reevaluating teaching, learning, and assessment processes is necessary to incorporate artificial intelligence into education. Designed with precise instructions to minimize bias and inaccuracies, this study examines the use of tailored artificial intelligence chatbots in teacher training courses. Students' ability to refine lesson plans through iterative feedback is examined, as well as how to optimize chatbot functionality based on continuous student feedback compared to traditional courses.

The preliminary findings indicate significant benefits for students, particularly non-native speakers and those who require additional explanations or flexibility due to absences. In addition to reducing errors, enhancing understanding of course content, and clarifying assignments, chatbots also contributed to greater satisfaction and confidence in learning new skills. AI chatbots may be utilized to support self-regulated learning in higher education, improve feedback accuracy, and enhance teaching methodologies.

"DECODING VISUAL CULTURE"
(2024) A proposed model for bolstering visual literacy equips individuals to both comprehend and critique intricate visual narratives. Through meticulous analysis rooted in keen observation, this research delves into the multifaceted role of visual codes across diverse campaigns. This includes art history, through visual communication to designed products. As part of an ongoing series of evaluation and implementation processes aimed at better understanding the impact of the model on teacher training, a qualitative questionnaire was administered to a target group of active teachers who participated in a special training program provided by the researchers between 2021 and 2022.

“NURTURING FUTURE EDUCATORS: EXPLORING NEW FRONTIERS OF COLLABORATIVE TEACHER TRAINING MODEL”
(2024) Two groups of teaching certificate students, who graduated between 2020 and 2023, were examined in this study. The students were divided into two groups: an experimental group participated in a clinical training program, while the control group participated in different programs. A mixed methods approach was used to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative analyses. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather qualitative information regarding graduates' experiences, satisfaction, and commitment to their professions, while the quantitative component assessed participants' self-efficacy.