Research
Our Research
At the STEM Teaching and Learning Lab, we investigate how cognitive processes and instructional practices shape learning and achievement. Our research bridges cognitive and educational psychology to better understand how students acquire, represent, and apply knowledge, and how educational experiences can support these processes. Through research spanning K–12 and higher education, we seek to advance theories of learning and inform effective instructional practices.
1. Cognitive Processes in Learning
How do cognitive skills shape the ways students learn and understand new information?
We investigate how cognitive processes, particularly spatial thinking and memory, contribute to learning and academic achievement. Our research examines how these skills develop, how they interact, and how individuals use them to acquire, organize, and apply knowledge across different learning contexts.
2. Instructional Practices and Student Learning
How can instruction be designed to support cognitive processes and improve learning?
We examine how instructional approaches influence students' understanding, engagement, and achievement. Our research investigates how strategies such as gestures, drawing, and visual representations can support learning, as well as how instructional design and learning environments shape students' educational experiences.
3. Instructor Cognition and Instructional Practices
What influences the instructional decisions educators make?
We investigate how instructors' cognitive skills, beliefs, and experiences shape their instructional practices. Our research also examines how professional development and collaboration with educators can support the integration of research-informed teaching strategies into classroom instruction.
Current Research Projects
1. Exploring Spatial Cognition Through Minecraft
How do people learn, navigate, and remember spatial information, and what can these processes tell us about learning in educational settings?
Spatial thinking and memory play important roles in how individuals learn, organize, and apply information across educational contexts, particularly in STEM disciplines. Our research uses Minecraft, a popular video game, as a virtual environment to investigate how individuals navigate unfamiliar spaces, develop spatial representations, and remember the locations of objects and landmarks. We also examine how Minecraft has been used as a research tool to study spatial cognition and learning. By investigating these processes, we aim to advance our understanding of spatial learning and memory and their potential implications for educational research, assessment, and the development of learning experiences that support spatial thinking.
2. Improving Undergraduate STEM Learning Through Embodied Instruction
How can gestures, drawing, and other embodied learning strategies help students understand challenging STEM concepts?
Understanding abstract concepts in mathematics and science can be challenging for undergraduate students. In this NSF-funded project, we collaborate with STEM instructors to develop and investigate instructional approaches that incorporate embodied learning strategies, including gestures, drawing, and physical models. Our research examines how these strategies influence students' conceptual understanding and academic outcomes in introductory mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses. We also investigate how professional development and collaboration with instructors can support the integration of embodied learning approaches into undergraduate STEM instruction.
3. Student Resistance to Active Learning in Higher Education
Why do students sometimes resist instructional approaches designed to promote active learning?
Active learning approaches encourage students to engage more directly in the learning process through activities such as collaborative problem-solving, discussion, and hands-on learning. Despite their potential benefits, students sometimes resist these approaches, creating challenges for instructors seeking to implement them. Through a review of existing research, we examine the factors that contribute to student resistance to active learning in higher education, with the goal of better understanding students' experiences and identifying ways instructors can support student engagement and participation.