Learning Sciences Research Institute http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/ Podcast Maker v1.1.8 - http://www.potionfactory.com/podcastmaker Learning Sciences Research Institute Speaker Series (Video) : This podcast delivers the video from our speaker series. On occasion, the Center has guest speakers come and discuss their latest research and activities to a diverse audience here at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Learning Sciences Research Institute Speaker Series (Video) : This podcast delivers the video from our speaker series. On occasion, the Center has guest speakers come and discuss their latest research and activities to a diverse audience here at the University of Illinois at Chicago. en-us 2007 Learning Sciences Research Institute scottq@uic.edu http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/podcast2.jpg http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/ 144 144 Higher Education education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development, learning, sciences, research, institute no Learning Sciences Research Institute Over the past 25 years, user interface designers and usability engineers have studied and refined human-computer interaction techniques with the goal of improving people’s productivity and experience. But the target of these efforts — the end user — is fast becoming a thing of the past. Many people now construct or extend software on their own, building artifacts that range from email filters to spreadsheet simulations to interactive web applications. These individuals are end user developers who build their own ad hoc solutions to everyday computing needs. Will end user developers help to resolve the software crisis? Given the right tools, people may be able to rapidly develop custom solutions to a range of context-specific computing requirements, eliminating the wait for IT professionals to analyze and engineer a solution. Or are these individuals a threat to our computing infrastructure? End user developers are informal programmers with no training in software construction methods or computing paradigms. They have little intrinsic motivation to test their products for even basic concerns like correctness or safety. In this talk I argue that the transformation of end user to end user developer is well underway and discuss the prospects for maximizing the benefits to society while addressing the risks. When Users Do the Programming: Challenges and Opportunities for End User Software Engineering Over the past 25 years, user interface designers and usability engineers have studied and refined human-computer interaction techniques with the goal of improving people’s productivity and experience. But the target of these efforts — the end user — is fast becoming a thing of the past. Many people now construct or extend software on their own, building artifacts that range from email filters to spreadsheet simulations to interactive web applications. These individuals are end user developers who build their own ad hoc solutions to everyday computing needs. Will end user developers help to resolve the software crisis? Given the right tools, people may be able to rapidly develop custom solutions to a range of context-specific computing requirements, eliminating the wait for IT professionals to analyze and engineer a solution. Or are these individuals a threat to our computing infrastructure? End user developers are informal programmers with no training in software construction methods or computing paradigms. They have little intrinsic motivation to test their products for even basic concerns like correctness or safety. In this talk I argue that the transformation of end user to end user developer is well underway and discuss the prospects for maximizing the benefits to society while addressing the risks. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video2/ss_rosson_071115.mov Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=75 no 00:59:30 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Over the past years, we have been developing a computer learning technology called a Teachable Agent. The work leverages the common wisdom that people "really" learn when they have to teach. After a few years of positive results, we decided to get a better look at the mechanisms that drive learning in social interaction. Most cognitively inspired theories of learning point to the useful questions and ideas that arise in social interaction. But, can we really reduce the learning benefits of social interaction to a question of information flow? In this talk, I will present "laboratory" style data that tightly controls the types of information that arise in social interaction. I will show that learning from social interaction cannot be wholly ascribed to the different types of information that arise. For example, in a wizard of oz study, people thought they were interacting with a person or a computer, and information exchange was held constant across conditions. People learned more when they thought it was a person; people were more aroused when they thought it was a person; and finally level of arousal was correlated with learning. Learning in Social Interaction Over the past years, we have been developing a computer learning technology called a Teachable Agent. The work leverages the common wisdom that people "really" learn when they have to teach. After a few years of positive results, we decided to get a better look at the mechanisms that drive learning in social interaction. Most cognitively inspired theories of learning point to the useful questions and ideas that arise in social interaction. But, can we really reduce the learning benefits of social interaction to a question of information flow? In this talk, I will present "laboratory" style data that tightly controls the types of information that arise in social interaction. I will show that learning from social interaction cannot be wholly ascribed to the different types of information that arise. For example, in a wizard of oz study, people thought they were interacting with a person or a computer, and information exchange was held constant across conditions. People learned more when they thought it was a person; people were more aroused when they thought it was a person; and finally level of arousal was correlated with learning. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video2/ss_schwartz_071026.mov Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=79 no 01:19:25 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute I seek to establish insight into varieties of modeling that occur, recurrently, in students', teachers', and curriculum developers' experiences with The Geometer's Sketchpad. In this process, I attempt to contrast the conventional, practical sense of mathematical modeling-modeling of situations and phenomena to generate and predict plausible outcomes-to at least two other available forms or types of modeling practice, that I find especially relevant to mathematics education in their foundational didactic intent. Modeling Practices with The Geometer's Sketchpad I seek to establish insight into varieties of modeling that occur, recurrently, in students', teachers', and curriculum developers' experiences with The Geometer's Sketchpad. In this process, I attempt to contrast the conventional, practical sense of mathematical modeling-modeling of situations and phenomena to generate and predict plausible outcomes-to at least two other available forms or types of modeling practice, that I find especially relevant to mathematics education in their foundational didactic intent. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video2/ss_sinclair_071019.mov Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=78 no 01:02:09 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute In considering the geometric figure, Kant distinguishes between image--the traditional visual diagram--and schemata, the generalized concept of that diagram that "can never exist anywhere except in thought." Dynamic Geometry figures produced by software such as The Geometer's Sketchpad bridge this divide through flexible, "rubbery" diagrams that (under manipulation) transform into any valid realization of their defining geometric constraints, but at any instant retain the immediacy and tangibility of specific images. In this talk, Sketchpad's author explores the implications of Dynamic Geometry visualization on mathematical inquiry and pedagogic practice in the context of school (6-12) mathematics, and describes implementation concerns in the design and development of Dynamic Geometry software. External and Internal Perspectives on Dynamic Geometry Software In considering the geometric figure, Kant distinguishes between image--the traditional visual diagram--and schemata, the generalized concept of that diagram that "can never exist anywhere except in thought." Dynamic Geometry figures produced by software such as The Geometer's Sketchpad bridge this divide through flexible, "rubbery" diagrams that (under manipulation) transform into any valid realization of their defining geometric constraints, but at any instant retain the immediacy and tangibility of specific images. In this talk, Sketchpad's author explores the implications of Dynamic Geometry visualization on mathematical inquiry and pedagogic practice in the context of school (6-12) mathematics, and describes implementation concerns in the design and development of Dynamic Geometry software. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video2/ss_jackiw_071018.mov Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:30:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=81 no 01:11:15 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Problem solving is one of the most important goals of any science course. However it is notoriously difficult to improve students’ problem solving abilities, and many students never develop competence. This is particularly true for open-ended or case-based problems – which are also more difficult to assess. We use a number of methods including a suite of software tools and inventories that allow us to assess both student problem solving strategy, student ability, and metacognitive activity as they change over time. Using these tools we can predict how a student will perform on subsequent problems with a 90% probability. Now that we have a set of fairly robust assessment materials, we have begun to develop and investigate intervention methods designed to improve student problem solving strategies and abilities. These methods include collaborative grouping, metacognitive strategies, laboratory projects, and concept maps. The effects of these interventions will be discussed, with regard to student ability, developmental level, and gender. Using Multiple Methods to Assess and Improve Problem Solving Problem solving is one of the most important goals of any science course. However it is notoriously difficult to improve students’ problem solving abilities, and many students never develop competence. This is particularly true for open-ended or case-based problems – which are also more difficult to assess. We use a number of methods including a suite of software tools and inventories that allow us to assess both student problem solving strategy, student ability, and metacognitive activity as they change over time. Using these tools we can predict how a student will perform on subsequent problems with a 90% probability. Now that we have a set of fairly robust assessment materials, we have begun to develop and investigate intervention methods designed to improve student problem solving strategies and abilities. These methods include collaborative grouping, metacognitive strategies, laboratory projects, and concept maps. The effects of these interventions will be discussed, with regard to student ability, developmental level, and gender. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video2/ss_cooper_071009.mov Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=80 no 01:00:41 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Design is an inherently interdisciplinary enterprise and the design of learning technologies is no exception. Learning technology designers must consider issues from a range of disciplines, such as software design and human-computer interaction (HCI), learning sciences, and related content domains. But while designers and researchers can draw from existing work in these different disciplines, there are still many questions to explore about the design, use, and impact of learning technologies. From a learning sciences perspective, there is much to learn about how learners work with technologies in different contexts and what the ultimate impacts of those technologies are, especially as we consider new media and communication functionalities. From an HCI perspective, there is much to learn about specific design methods and frameworks that go beyond the typical HCI focus on usability to focus on developing and assessing learning technologies. The development process thus leads to a disciplinary interplay: oour understanding of learners and learning leads to certain design approaches, which leads to learning technologies that we can assess to gain knowledge about learners and learning, which can lead to refined design approaches and the cycle continues to build our knowledge of HCI and learning. Designing for Learning: Learning about Design, the Interplay between HCI and the Learning Sciences Design is an inherently interdisciplinary enterprise and the design of learning technologies is no exception. Learning technology designers must consider issues from a range of disciplines, such as software design and human-computer interaction (HCI), learning sciences, and related content domains. But while designers and researchers can draw from existing work in these different disciplines, there are still many questions to explore about the design, use, and impact of learning technologies. From a learning sciences perspective, there is much to learn about how learners work with technologies in different contexts and what the ultimate impacts of those technologies are, especially as we consider new media and communication functionalities. From an HCI perspective, there is much to learn about specific design methods and frameworks that go beyond the typical HCI focus on usability to focus on developing and assessing learning technologies. The development process thus leads to a disciplinary interplay: oour understanding of learners and learning leads to certain design approaches, which leads to learning technologies that we can assess to gain knowledge about learners and learning, which can lead to refined design approaches and the cycle continues to build our knowledge of HCI and learning. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/ss_quintana_070207.mov Tue, 07 Feb 2007 13:30:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=56 no 01:09:23 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Detecting and Adapting to When Students Game the System: Students use intelligent tutors and other types of interactive learning environments in a considerable variety of ways. In this talk, Dr. Ryan Baker will present research on automatically detecting and adapting to when students "game the system", attempting to succeed in a learning environment by exploiting properties of the system rather than by learning the material and trying to use that knowledge to answer correctly. Dr. Baker will present a set of studies that establish that gaming the system is replicably associated with low learning, and will present evidence on which motivations, attitudes, and affective states are associated with the choice to game the system. He will also discuss evidence that the relationship between gaming and learning differs, depending on when and why a student chooses to game. Detecting and Adapting to When Students Game the System Detecting and Adapting to When Students Game the System: Students use intelligent tutors and other types of interactive learning environments in a considerable variety of ways. In this talk, Dr. Ryan Baker will present research on automatically detecting and adapting to when students "game the system", attempting to succeed in a learning environment by exploiting properties of the system rather than by learning the material and trying to use that knowledge to answer correctly. Dr. Baker will present a set of studies that establish that gaming the system is replicably associated with low learning, and will present evidence on which motivations, attitudes, and affective states are associated with the choice to game the system. He will also discuss evidence that the relationship between gaming and learning differs, depending on when and why a student chooses to game. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/ss_baker_070123.mov Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=54 no 00:48:46 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Acts into Artifacts: Computational Tools to Support Experience Capture and Reflection: Dr. Smith’s research deals with the design and evaluation of systems that capture aspects of everyday experiences for reflection and learning. Dr. Smith will discuss a current project that examines ways to have fantasy sports players reflect on their decision making and enhance their reasoning with statistical analyses. Time permitting, he will discuss other lab projects that look more broadly at the ways that captured experiences can be used to reflect on everyday experiences and act as a bridge for increasing knowledge and performance. Acts into Artifacts: Computational Tools to Support Experience Capture and Reflection Acts into Artifacts: Computational Tools to Support Experience Capture and Reflection: Dr. Smith’s research deals with the design and evaluation of systems that capture aspects of everyday experiences for reflection and learning. Dr. Smith will discuss a current project that examines ways to have fantasy sports players reflect on their decision making and enhance their reasoning with statistical analyses. Time permitting, he will discuss other lab projects that look more broadly at the ways that captured experiences can be used to reflect on everyday experiences and act as a bridge for increasing knowledge and performance. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/ss_smith_070116.mov Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:00:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=53 no 01:14:24 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Learning how to use mathematics curriculum materials effectively is arguably an important part of the work of teaching. Through my work on the BIFOCAL Project, a multi-year professional development project aimed at supporting middle school math teachers' use of curriculum materials, I began to think about the precise role that these materials play in the work of teaching, which led to my dissertation study. Briefly, the focus of my dissertation is an examination of how experienced middle school math teachers use the teacher guide from the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) to inform their planning and instructional decisions around mathematical tasks. In addition to my experiences as a researcher, I have served as an instructor for mathematics methods and content courses for preservice elementary teachers. In regards to curriculum materials, little guidance and support is often provided for elementary preservice teachers in using math curriculum materials despite the prevalence of these materials in elementary classrooms. For this reason, I designed tasks and activities in my courses to help preservice teachers learn to use these materials effectively. In this talk, I will first describe my professional development work with inservice teachers in the BIFOCAL Project, and then talk at some length about my dissertation study, and finally move to discuss my research related to preservice elementary teachers' use of math curriculum materials in methods and content courses. Understanding the teacher-text relationship: Using mathematics curriculum materials to support teacher learning Learning how to use mathematics curriculum materials effectively is arguably an important part of the work of teaching. Through my work on the BIFOCAL Project, a multi-year professional development project aimed at supporting middle school math teachers' use of curriculum materials, I began to think about the precise role that these materials play in the work of teaching, which led to my dissertation study. Briefly, the focus of my dissertation is an examination of how experienced middle school math teachers use the teacher guide from the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) to inform their planning and instructional decisions around mathematical tasks. In addition to my experiences as a researcher, I have served as an instructor for mathematics methods and content courses for preservice elementary teachers. In regards to curriculum materials, little guidance and support is often provided for elementary preservice teachers in using math curriculum materials despite the prevalence of these materials in elementary classrooms. For this reason, I designed tasks and activities in my courses to help preservice teachers learn to use these materials effectively. In this talk, I will first describe my professional development work with inservice teachers in the BIFOCAL Project, and then talk at some length about my dissertation study, and finally move to discuss my research related to preservice elementary teachers' use of math curriculum materials in methods and content courses. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/AlisonCastro.mov Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:35:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=48 no 01:29:58 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Closing the Participation Gap: Creating a Technical and Learning Infrastructure to Support the Analysis of the Impact of Ubiquitous Computing on Urban Youth Closing the Participation Gap Closing the Participation Gap: Creating a Technical and Learning Infrastructure to Support the Analysis of the Impact of Ubiquitous Computing on Urban Youth http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/NPinkard.mov Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:35:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=37 no 01:29:28 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Standards-based reforms in mathematics education place issues of equity front and center. Indeed, curriculum and instruction that is aligned with national standards appear to lead to more equitable outcomes for students (NCTM, 2000; Schoenfeld, 2002). However, many scholars argue that the reform movement does not go far enough in terms of equity (Apple, 1992; Gutierrez, 2002; Gutstein, 2003). These scholars argue for the importance of "critical mathematics," that is, the infusion of political themes and goals into the standards-based mathematics curriculum. Proponents of critical mathematics claim that such an approach has the potential to be more equitable than standards-based instruction because, for example, it allows students to use mathematics to develop their understandings of personally relevant sociopolitical matters (e.g. racial profiling, gentrification) and what they can do to change them for the better. Problems with Context: The Curricular Effects of Infusing Sociopolitical Themes into Secondary Mathematics Standards-based reforms in mathematics education place issues of equity front and center. Indeed, curriculum and instruction that is aligned with national standards appear to lead to more equitable outcomes for students (NCTM, 2000; Schoenfeld, 2002). However, many scholars argue that the reform movement does not go far enough in terms of equity (Apple, 1992; Gutierrez, 2002; Gutstein, 2003). These scholars argue for the importance of "critical mathematics," that is, the infusion of political themes and goals into the standards-based mathematics curriculum. Proponents of critical mathematics claim that such an approach has the potential to be more equitable than standards-based instruction because, for example, it allows students to use mathematics to develop their understandings of personally relevant sociopolitical matters (e.g. racial profiling, gentrification) and what they can do to change them for the better. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/a_brant_060221.mov Thu, 2 Mar 2006 11:35:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=47 no 01:29:58 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development Learning Sciences Research Institute Recent advancements in educational technologies have led to an explosion of visualization software for teaching and learning science, particularly chemistry. To varying degrees, visualization tools help teachers and students perceive the imperceptible objects and phenomena of the chemical world. Although some visualization tools have seen great success in the classroom, others have had little impact on student learning and understanding. The present talk explores a novel cognitive model that both motivates the use of computer-based visualization tools for teaching chemistry and explains the variability in learning outcomes that result from their use. First, I argue for a more complete model of teaching and learning in chemistry that empirically defines the role of visualization tools in the classroom. Using data from tandem psychometric and protocol studies, I identify some unique difficulties with learning chemistry that constrain the possible affordances of visualization tools. Enhancing Science Education with Novel Approaches to the Design of Visualization Tools Recent advancements in educational technologies have led to an explosion of visualization software for teaching and learning science, particularly chemistry. To varying degrees, visualization tools help teachers and students perceive the imperceptible objects and phenomena of the chemical world. Although some visualization tools have seen great success in the classroom, others have had little impact on student learning and understanding. The present talk explores a novel cognitive model that both motivates the use of computer-based visualization tools for teaching chemistry and explains the variability in learning outcomes that result from their use. First, I argue for a more complete model of teaching and learning in chemistry that empirically defines the role of visualization tools in the classroom. Using data from tandem psychometric and protocol studies, I identify some unique difficulties with learning chemistry that constrain the possible affordances of visualization tools. http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/m_stieff_060228.mov Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:35:00 -0600 Higher Education http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=46 no 01:25:00 education, university, illinois, chicago, psychology, center, study, learning, instruction, teacher, development http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=45 Preservice Elementary School Teachers' Conceptions of Multidigit Whole Numbers http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/e_thanheiser_060214.mov Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:35:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=44 Learning to reason with visual data http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/j_radinsky_060222.mov Wed, 22 Feb 2006 11:35:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=43 Decisions, Decisions: Assessing Students' and Preservice Teachers' Use of Scientific Evidence http://litd.psch.uic.edu/podcast/video/m_siegel_060220.mov Mon, 20 Feb 2006 11:35:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=42 Educators seeking to motivate students often do so by inquiring into students’ interests and designing instruction anchored in such interests. This approach is based on psychological theories of individual (long-term) interests, which propose that a person’s extended, self-motivated pursuit of topically related activities flow directly and simply from her relationship to the topic or domain. As an example, a child’s continued engagement with a set of dinosaur-related activities is said to stem from her interest in the topic of dinosaurs. Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=35 Scaffolding Students in Writing Evidence-Based Scientific Explanations: Developing evidence-based explanations is a critical aspect of science. Recent science reform documents and efforts advocate that students develop scientific inquiry practices, such as the construction and communication of scientific explanations. Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=41 Race, Identity, and Mathematics Literacy: African American Counternarratives Thu, 12 Jan 2006 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=34 Design of Learning Environments and Roles for Technology. Geologists, biologists, climatologists, seismologists and other scientists nowadays use a diversity of sensing devices and measuring instruments to record aspects of the earth, in order to investigate, predict and reason about a particular aspect of the environment. A major part of their research involves mapping, matching and noticing patterns and anomalies from the masses of datasets that they collect over time. However, it is very difficult to become... Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=33 The New Instructional Leadership: Creating Data-Driven Instructional Systems in Schools. Abstract Recent policy demands for external accountability are challenging instructional leaders to rethink how they have traditionally guided the practices of teaching and learning in schools. I will discuss how a new conception of instructional leadership is emerging across the country that focuses on how local leaders and teachers build data-driven instructional systems (DDIS) in their schools. Fri, 16 Sep 2005 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.lsri.uic.edu/newsevents/speakers1.asp?id=5 Preparing Teachers to Foster Algebraic Thinking: Conducting and Studying Development within the STAAR Project. Dr. Hilda Borko’s presentation focuses on the teacher professional development component of the STAAR project. STAAR – Supporting the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebraic Thinking – is a multi-year, multi-site research program funded through an IERI grant. The research team at the University of Colorado at Boulder is developing and studying a professional development program intended to help teachers foster algebraic thinking in their classrooms. Fri, 12 Nov 2004 12:00:00 -0600