I am pursuing a self defined phd program in Computer Science Education at Carnegie Mellon University. My advisors are Mark Stehlik(CS) and Sharon Carver(psych). I am very interested in the underlying cognitive processes that contribute to student learning and motivation in complex problem solving environments. I am a predoctoral fellow in the Institute for Education Sciences sponsored PIER program at CMU and participate in the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center activities as well.
In the 21st century, education is expanding to include new technologies, new standards and new concepts while remaining true to the rigor of foundational disciplines. Educational researchers are exploring not only how students learn, but also trying to determine the best tools to make the most of modern technology and the best methods for analyzing the data collected by those tools. Each of these three education research areas have their own methodologies and skill sets. As an interdisciplinary computer science and psychology PhD candidate, as well as an experienced mathematics educator, my work has sought to explore the cognitive science, computer science and data mining involved in all aspects of education research to prepare me to explore educational outcomes from a variety of angles.
For more information and day to day ramblings about research and cognitive psychology as well as educational policy please see my blog.