50% GRA; summer work included, timeframe negotiable
The focus of this research assistantship will be to collect and analyze data about middle school students’ learning and interactions with immersive simulations of science phenomena. The simulations we have built and are building involve “metaphor-based interactions” where students embed themselves within a simulation and make scientific predictions using their bodies. A few simulations have already been built, and faculty at the Supercomputing Institute at UIUC are in the process of building additional prototypes that we wish to test with local students. This RA will assist the project PI (Dr. Robb Lindgren) in designing learning studies and analyzing data collected.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Assist Project PI in creating and iterating design specs for new science simulations aimed at middle school students
- Assist Project PI with the design of learning studies with the intent of testing the efficacy of body-based metaphors for learning
- Collect and analyze data from studies conducted in the summer and fall of 2014
- Write-up study descriptions and findings for conferences and other outlets
- Participate in team meetings and other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Currently enrolled as graduate student
- Interested in science education
- Familiar with mixed methods research in education (elements of both quantitative and qualitative approaches)
- Strong written and verbal communication and organization skills
- Tech-savvy and self-directed learner
Preferred Qualifications:
- Interested in learning technologies; some familiarity with gaming tools such as Unity and virtual environments
- Basic proficiency with statistical applications such as SPSS or R
If interested in the position, please send an email to Robb Lindgren (robblind@illinois.edu) with a CV/Resume or a short description of your previous research experience and academic interests/program.
