For a comprehensive collection of all research produced by our research partners, please see our Reports page.
CATHERINE ASHCRAFT
Dr. Catherine Ashcraft is focusing on Globaloria student achievement in traditional measures of academic success, including standardized tests and classroom grades, and Globaloria’s effect on enhanced computational thinking. She is a Senior Research Scientist with the National Center for Women & Information Technology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She conducts research, publishes, and presents on issues related to gender, diversity, and information technology. She also consults with NCWIT’s Workforce Alliance, an alliance of more than 200 K-12, higher education, and industry organizations, identifying and disseminating effective practices for gender reform. Dr. Ashcraft has published widely and presented at national and international conferences on issues related to diversity, technology, and popular culture. She has also taught a variety of courses in diversity, education, and organizations. Her most recent work includes the recently released reports Women in IT: The Facts and Who Invents IT?: An Analysis of Women’s Participation in Information Technology Patenting. Her past research appears in a variety of interdisciplinary journals, including Teachers College Record, American Educational Research Journal, Anthropology & Education, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Men & Masculinities, and Youth & Society. Before coming to NCWIT, Catherine served as Assistant Professor of Multicultural Education at Western Washington University. She obtained her M.A. in Communication and her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Colorado. Catherine also has worked extensively in public schools and taught at both the elementary and secondary level.
CAMERON FADJO
Cameron L. Fadjo (EdM) is currently leading a team of researchers at Teachers College who are conducting a meta-analysis of all Globaloria studies to date. He is a PhD student in Cognitive Studies in Education and a Research Associate with the Institute for Learning Technologies, both at Teachers College of Columbia University. He has an M.A. in Instructional Technology and Media and an Ed.M. in Educational Psychology: Cognitive, Behavioral, and Developmental Analysis from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.M. in Music Synthesis from Berklee College of Music. He is currently the Project Leader of the iWorld (Imaginary World) project which examines the use of grounded embodied cognition and Imaginary World Construction to teach abstract mathematical and computational concepts and the DM-S3 (Direct Manipulation of Stories, Systems, and Symbols) project which examines how gestural interfaces can be used to improve understanding of novel terminology and complex systems. His research interests include action, perception, and imagery, in particular grounded embodied cognition, gestures and Imaginary Worlds, and their implementation through technology to improve learning, memory, and understanding of abstract concepts and/or complex systems.
JOHN B. BLACK
Dr. John B. Black is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Departments of Human Development, and Mathematics, Science, and Technology. He is Chair of the Department of Human Development, Coordinates the Program in Cognitive Studies and is the Director of the Institute for Learning Technologies. He has a BS in Math form MIT and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Stanford. He was an Assistant and Associate Professor in Psychology and Computer Science at Yale University. He is the author of over 100 journal articles and four books. His current research focuses on basic research in cognition, especially grounded/embodied approaches to cognition, and its application to improving learning, memory, understanding, problem solving and motivation. He is especially interested in using technologies like multi-user virtual environments, video games, TV/videos, intelligent tutoring systems and robots to improve learning, memory, understanding, problem solving and motivation.
SUSAN LOWES
Dr. Susan Lowes is Director of Research and Evaluation at the Institute for Learning Technologies, at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has conducted research at both the university and K-12 levels, with a focus on the impact of technology on teaching and learning. Dr. Lowes has directed evaluations of multi-year projects funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, the National Science Foundation, state and local departments of education, and private foundations, and has served on U.S. Dept. of Education and NSF Advisory and Review panels. NSF-funded projects that Dr. Lowes has evaluated include ITEST, IGERT, REU, CCLI, GK-12, BPC, C-PATH, and STEP. U.S. Dept. of Education projects include PT-3, FIPSE, AEMDD, 21st CCLC, and MSP. Dr. Lowes specializes in research on online learning and has evaluated online professional development initiatives for teachers and administrators, as well as courses and programs for students. Dr. Lowes is also Adjunct Professor in the Program in Computers, Communication, Technology, and Education at Teachers College, teaching courses on methodologies for researching technology and education and on online schools and online schooling. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1994.
ALEX GAMES
Dr. Alex Games is focusing on how Globaloria affects students' understanding of algorithmic thinking, mathematical aspects of computation, and the use of abstractions. He is Assistant Professor in Serious Games Design, as well as Research Scientist in the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab at Michigan State University. His research work concentrates on exploring the ways in which new game technologies shape the way children learn in the 21st century, particularly with respect to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills. His current work focuses on educational game design, where he studies the ways in which easily accessible game-making tools may provide learners with tools to think about and understand the STEM systems underlying modern games, and their application to problems in the real world. He also studies the ways in which reward systems and social organization in game design communities can serve as incentives for children to engage in deep and reflective forms of learning they would otherwise ignore during play, and the ways in which aspects such as gender roles and ethnic and national identities shape and are shaped by the learning process of minority and disadvantaged youth. He is currently implementing these studies in Globaloria classrooms in West Virginia, Texas, and New York. He is originally from Mexico, holds a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), a Master's in Educational Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Learning Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
CINDY E. HMELO-SILVER
Dr. Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver's work with Globaloria focuses on collaborative knowledge construction, facilitation by teachers and peers, critical use of information resources and how student understanding is embodied in the artifacts they create. She is a professor of Educational Psychology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the United States. She received her PhD from Vanderbilt University. Her current research interests focus on how people learn about complex phenomena and how technology can help support that learning. As part of this work, she studies problem-based learning and collaborative knowledge construction in both face-to-face and computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Prof. Hmelo-Silver has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and edited two books in these areas and is co-editor of Journal of the Learning Sciences. Click here for her faculty research page at Rutgers University.
LAURA MINNIGERODE
Laura Minnigerode (EdM) is responsible for evaluating the implementation of Globaloria at the East Austin College Pre Academy (EACPA) a new charter school in Austin Texas where Globaloria is integrated into the daily core curriculum. Laura is an experienced educational researcher who began her career working with research departments at Children's Television Workshop and WGBH. During 1992-96, Laura worked as a founding researcher for the Living Books series, as well as other early learning software products. She has been a classroom teacher, leading writing workshop classes with middle grade students. Before joining the World Wide Workshop, Laura was a School Reform Specialist in the Houston Independent School District as part of the Houston Annenberg Challenge, focused on professional development for technology integration and project based learning. From 1995-2009, with Barbara Flagg’s Multimedia Research Group, Laura was an evaluator of more than 40 educational media projects for organizations such as WGBH and WNET. She has a BA in Telecommunication from Indiana University in Bloomington, California teaching credentials in multiple subject areas, and a Master’s in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
BOBBI NICHOLSON
Dr. Bobbi Nicholson is focusing on assessing the potential transferability of Globaloria skills to other academic contexts; investigating if Globaloria skills in critical thinking and problem-solving affect the academic performance of students in other academic pursuits. She is a Professor in the Leadership Studies Program at Marshall University’s Graduate School of Education and Professional Development. She received her Ph.D. from Ohio University in 1987, and has spent 38 years in public education at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. She’s served as a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, at Charles University in the Czech Republic, and at the Universidade do Espirito Santo in Brazil. Nicholson is also a former Fulbright Scholar, teaching and conducting research at Uppsala University in Sweden, and received fellowships from the Council for the International Exchange of Educators to teach and conduct research at the University of Moscow and St. Petersburg University in Russia, and at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Her research focuses primarily on evaluation and assessment issues.
DORIS REDFIELD
Dr. Doris Redfield and her team at Edvantia are analyzing the effect of Globaloria on student achievement; specifically, how participation in Globaloria affects student scores on West Virginia’s standardized math, reading/language arts, science, and social studies tests. She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Edvantia. In addition to having a rich background in the world of research, Dr. Redfield has applied her skills as a psychologist and teacher in the K‐20 arena. Her prior experience includes tenure as chief of research, evaluation, and assessment for the Virginia Department of Education. She has also served as consultant to the Council of Chief State School Officers; visiting scholar at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST); senior associate at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI); and professor of educational psychology at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Redfield is coauthor of Scientifically Based Research: A Guide for Education Publishers and Developers and serves on the Kentucky and West Virginia Technical Advisory Committees for Assessment and Accountability. She has presented more than 200 papers and keynote addresses at professional conferences. She holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Arizona.
KRISTINE CHADWICK
Dr. Kristine Chadwick, Executive Director of Edvantia’s Evaluation and Applied Research Initiatives, has 20 years of experience managing research and evaluation projects of all sizes and scopes. Her areas of expertise include research and evaluation designs and methodologies. Research and evaluation projects have included studies of web-based professional development programs, analyses of statewide assessment data, and effects of game and academic subject software. Chadwick received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Rhode Island, and completed the Institute of Education Sciences’ Summer Research Training Institute on Cluster Randomized Trials.
JESSICA GORE
Dr. Jessica Gore is a research and evaluation associate with Edvantia in Charleston, WV. She is experienced in many aspects of research and evaluation, including development of research and evaluation plans and protocol; project task coordination; instrument development; qualitative and quantitative data collection, management, and analysis; and formative and summative report writing. Research and evaluation projects have included a case study of five West Virginia counties in response to HCR 53, an exploratory study on the relationship between technology use and student achievement for ClassLink, Inc., a pilot and replication study of the effects of Globaloria on student achievement, as well as evaluations of the National Science Foundation funded Spatial Intelligence Learning Center and Visual Language and Visual Learning Center, the National Science Teachers Association’s Integrating NASA Digital Educational Assets (IDEA) grant, and RESA 7’s Teachers of American History (TAH) grant. Before joining Edvantia, Ms. Gore managed research labs at the University of Charleston in Charleston, WV and Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Ms. Gore holds an associate’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Charleston in Charleston, WV. She completed her master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology at Appalachian State University in December 2010.
REBECCA REYNOLDS
Dr. Rebecca Reynolds is studying how Globaloria changes student technology habits, attitudes, and understanding. She is an assistant professor of Library and Information Science in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on the learning that occurs during young people's active social media use and digital media content creation, and the ways in which such activity contributes to the development of new literacies, in the context of both naturalistic digital environments/ communities, and, educational interventions designed with explicit learning goals and objectives. Dr. Reynolds has worked with the Globaloria program founders of the World Wide Workshop since its inception, to help establish methodology for measuring the success and impact of the program among students, and to report upon its outcomes. She has written a series of Foundation Research Reports and several conference papers and journal articles on student engagement, motivation and learning in Globaloria. Prior to Rutgers she was a postdoctoral fellow in the AERA and the American Institutes for Research (AERA/AIR2) program, working on federally-funded educational technology initiatives in Washington DC. She holds a BA in sociology from Tufts University, and an MA and Ph.D. from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Her early professional experience includes key roles in product management and interactive marketing for Pearson's Family Education Network, ZDNet Ziff Davis, Peoplestreet, and TechTarget.
PAMELA WHITEHOUSE
Dr. Pamela Whitehouse studies cognition and teacher learning in networked learning environments: specifically trying to understand how and to what extent Globaloria educators change their overall teaching style as a result of participation in the network, and how this might inform 21st century teacher professional development. She is an assistant professor of Instructional Design and Technology in the Technology, Learning, & Culture Department at West Virginia University College of Human Resources and Education. She works with several programs at the university, including the Benedum Collaborative 5 Year Teacher Education Program and the Education Leadership Program, and acts as an Action Research liaison with K‐12 schools in the Benedum Collaborative. Dr. Whitehouse’s fundamental interests are in infusing new technologies into educational innovations that support the development of teaching as a profession and encourage the personal and professional growth of educators. Her teaching models the use of new technologies in both online and distributed learning environments that orchestrate learning across time, space and interactive media. Her research focuses on how teachers learn through analysis of online teacher professional development models, developing best practices for design and implementation, and design‐based research (DBR) methods that blend theoretical, empirical and evaluative analyses. Dr. Whitehouse completed her doctoral research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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