Faculty
Graduate students in the learning sciences and technologies program will work closely with the core faculty members and associated faculty committed to advancing this program.
Neil T. Heffernan
Associate Professor, Computer Science
Fuller Laboratories 237
+1-508-831-5569
nth@wpi.edu
Neil Heffernan, associate professor of computer science, is co-director of the learning sciences and technologies program. He graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College in History and Computer Science. Neil taught mathematics to eighth grade students in Baltimore City as part of Teach for America, a program that selectively recruits top candidates to teach in inner-city schools. Neil then decided to do something easier and get his doctorate in building intelligent tutoring systems. His Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University involved multi-disciplinary research in cognitive science and computer science to create educational software that leads to higher student achievement. For his dissertation, Neil built the first intelligent tutoring system that incorporated a model of tutorial dialog.
At WPI, Neil is focused on creating "cognitive models," computer simulations of student thinking and learning, which are then used to design educational materials, practices and technologies. Neil and his colleagues are working in close collaboration with the Worcester Public Schools, teams of teachers and WPI graduate students to create the next generation of intelligent tutoring systems. Neil has been recognized by the Worcester school system and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees for his work helping schools. Neil has written over 40 strictly peer-reviewed publications, and is one of the most successful grant writers at WPI.
Janice Gobert
Associate Professor, Social Science & Policy Studies
Salisbury Laboratories 317D
+1-508-831-5619
jgobert@wpi.edu
Janice Gobert, associate professor of social sciences and policy studies, is the co-director of the learning sciences and technologies program. Her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto (1994) is in Cognitive Science; her Masters is from McGill University, also in Cognitive Science. Her specialty is in technology-based with visualizations and simulations in scientific domains; her research areas are: adaptive tutoring for science, skill acquisition, performance assessment via log files, learning with visualizations, learner characteristics, and epistemology.
Before coming to WPI, Janice was a visiting scholar at Harvard University's School of Education, and senior research scientist at the Concord Consortium, an educational research and development organization in Concord, MA. Until December 2007, Janice served as North American editor for the International Journal of Science Education. She has been principal investigator on many projects, which address technology-based science learning and assessment.
Ryan S.J.d. Baker
Assistant Professor, Social Science & Policy Studies
Salisbury Laboratories 317A
+1-508-831-5355
rsbaker@wpi.edu
Ryan S.J.d. Baker, assistant professor of social science and policy studies, earned his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005. He is a world expert in educational data mining, serving as the chair of the 3rd International Conference on Educational Data Mining in 2010, and co-editor of the Handbook of Educational Data Mining, published 2010. His research involves combining quantitative field observations with educational data mining, in order to study engagement, robust learning, and emotion in real classrooms. His research on gaming the system and off-task behavior has influenced the design of educational software used worldwide.
Joseph E. Beck
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Fuller Laboratories 138
+1-508-831-6156
josephbeck@wpi.edu
Joseph Beck, assistant professor of computer science, has been a research scientist in WPI's Computer Science Department since 2007. His research focuses on educational data mining, a new discipline that develops techniques for analyzing large educational data sets to make discoveries that will improve teaching and learning. He established the first workshop in the field, and in 2008 was program co-chair (with Ryan Baker) of the first International Conference on Educational Data Mining. He holds a BS in mathematics, computer science and cognitive science from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in computer science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Associated Faculty
Note: All e-mail addresses end with @wpi.edu. All phone numbers begin with +1-508-831-
| Faculty | Ext. | Office | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doyle, James K. | doyle | 5583 | Salisbury Laboratories 311 | Associate Professor Department Head |
| Brown, David C. | dcb | 5618 | Fuller Laboratories 131 | Professor |
| Fisler, Kathryn | kfisler | 5118 | Fuller Laboratories 130 | Associate Professor |
| Heineman, George T. | heineman | 5502 | Fuller Laboratories B20 | Associate Professor |
| Heinricher, Arthur C. | heinrich | 5397 | Boynton Hall 108A | Professor Dean of Undergraduate Studies |
| Lindeman, Robert W. | gogo | 6712 | Fuller Laboratories B24a | Associate Professor |
| Rich, Charles | rich | 5945 | Fuller Laboratories B25b | Professor |
| Ruiz, Carolina | ruiz | 5640 | Fuller Laboratories 232 | Associate Professor |
| Skorinko, Jeanine | skorinko | 5451 | Salisbury Laboratories 317C | Assistant Professor |
Last modified: November 08, 2010 15:43:22