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WPI’s Learning Sciences & Technologies Master's and Ph.D. program gives students and their teachers in K-12 schools the tools and techniques to make STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and English teaching more effective.

Our world-renowned faculty work collaboratively with WPI students to use a scientific and social approach that blends technology, psychology, cognition, and education practices to reach K-12 students in real classrooms and have them think about subjects in a new way. Our research identifies techniques that measure and reflect individual learning styles and help us understand how students learn, given various social, emotional, cultural, and scientific influences.

The revolution we seek is global—elevating U.S. students’ competitive edge in a connected world. Getting there requires applying what we understand about learning to transform the current U.S. educational system, classroom by classroom.

 

Programmatic courses we recommend for the 2019-2020 academic year:

  • Fall, 2019:
    • SS 590 Causal Inference on Wednesday 4-6:50 (Kooken) see syllabus here
    • CS 566 / SEME 566 Graphical Models Thursdays 6-8:50 (Beck) 
    • CS 525 Des & Anal Lg Online Exp Wednesdays 6-8:50 (Harrison)
  • Spring, 2020:
    • CS565 User Modeling Tuesday / Thursday 4-5:20 (Heffernan)
    • CS541 Deep Learning Monday / Wednesday 4-5:20 (Whitehill)
    • CS546 Human-Computer Interaction Tuesday / Friday 1-2:50 (Smith) 
    • PSY 501 Foundations of the Learning Sciences Mondays 4-6:50 (Ottmar)
    • PSY 590 ST: Path Analysis E&L Modeling Wednesdays 5:30 - 8:20 (Kooken)

 

Contact

Location: 
Fuller Laboratories
Salisbury Laboratories
Phone: 
508-831-5569
Fax: 
508-831-5776
lst@wpi.edu

Degrees & Certificates

Area of Study Bachelor Minor Certificate Master PhD
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STEM FOR ALL VIDEO SHOWCASE: RESEARCH & DESIGN FOR IMPACT

171 NSF and other Federally funded projects share three-minute videos of their innovative work to improve STEM and CS teaching and learning. During the week of May 15th - May 22nd, we invite you to:

  • Browse short videos highlighting 171 STEM education initiatives. Use the filters to find those of interest.
  • Join the conversation by posting to the discussion related to each video that you view.
  • Vote for your favorite videos by casting a Public Choice Vote. Spread the word!

Stem for All website: http://stemforall2017.videohall.com/. Professors Arroyo's and Ottmar's showcased videos:

Media Coverage

SEE ALL MEDIA COVERAGE
Boston 25
WPI's $8M Grant for ASSISTments

Boston 25 reported that WPI is getting an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to scale up ASSISTments, a middle-school math assessment tool. ASSISTments was created by Neil Heffernan, the William Smith Dean Professor of Computer Science and the director of the Learning Sciences and Technologies Program at WPI, and his wife, Cristina Heffernan.

The Hechinger Report
OPINION: Online homework tools trade ‘busy work’ for feedback to help end inequities in schools

Computer science professor Neil Heffernan’s opinion piece in the Hechinger Report takes a look at the need for new technology and evidence-based instructional practices, such as online homework tools, to address inequities in our public school system.

News

SEE MORE NEWS
WPI researchers (from left) Hannah Smith, Francisco Castro, Olivia Bogs, Gillian Smith, Ivon Arroyo, Erin Ottmar, Richard Valente and Luisa Perez. alt
WPI researchers (from left) Hannah Smith, Francisco Castro, Olivia Bogs, Gillian Smith, Ivon Arroyo, Erin Ottmar, Richard Valente and Luisa Perez.
WPI Awarded Grant to Help K-12 Students Design Math Games
December 05, 2019
From left, Erin Ottmar, assistant professor of learning sciences and psychology; and Jenny Yun-Chen Chan and Katharine Sawrey, post-doctoral fellows in learning sciences and technology. alt
From left, Erin Ottmar, assistant professor of learning sciences and psychology; and Jenny Yun-Chen Chan and Katharine Sawrey, post-doctoral fellows in learning sciences and technology.
U.S. Department of Education Funds Continued Development of Graspable Math
November 20, 2019
ASSISTments creators Cristina and Neil Heffernan alt
ASSISTments creators Cristina and Neil Heffernan
DoE Awards WPI $8m to Scale and Expand Online Learning Tool
October 21, 2019
ASSISTments creators Cristina and Neil Heffernan are working with Jacob Whitehill (right) and colleagues at Lesley University to develop a teacher feedback tool. alt
ASSISTments creators Cristina and Neil Heffernan are working with Jacob Whitehill (right) and colleagues at Lesley University to develop a teacher feedback tool.
NSF Funds WPI Work on Teacher Feedback Tool for Online Math Homework
October 03, 2018
Jacob Whitehill alt
Jacob Whitehill, assistant professor of computer science, hopes his artificial intelligence platform will help teachers boost their skills and improve their interactions with students.
WPI Professor Receives $750,000 to Analyze Classroom Dynamics With AI
September 06, 2018

Announcements

February 14, 2020
School of Arts & Sciences
Application Open for A&S Graduate Student Travel Awards
September 13, 2019
Learning Sciences
ASSISTments Mentioned in U.S. Department of Education Report to Congress
January 10, 2019
Faculty, Learning Sciences, News & Events, Learning Sciences & Technologies, Social Science & Policy Studies
Professor Erin Ottmar gives plenary speech
October 01, 2018
Learning Sciences, Learning Sciences & Technologies
ASSISTments in the news
September 26, 2018
Learning Sciences
National Science Foundation fund $750,000 to develop Automatic Classroom Observation Recognition Neural Network
SEE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Math in Motion at: https://www.wpi.edu/news/math-motion

Efficacy Study Results - Immediate Feedback with ASSISTments Improves Learning

ASSISTments

ASSISTments a free web-based intelligent tutoring system was developed by a team led by Neil Heffernan, director of WPI’s Learning Sciences & Technologies program. This innovative technology uses many approaches to help students learn and help teachers assess student progress. A recent four-year study showed that completing mathematics homework using ASSISTments improved learning by 75 percent over normal gains. The study, by SRI International, was conducted with 7th and 8th grade students in Maine. Watch this video or read more to learn how this technology improved learning outcomes.

Learn Graspable Math

See How Graspable Math Works

Professor Erin Ottmar helped create Graspable Math, an online tool to help researchers understand how children learn about math. With that new understanding, researchers can help educators teach math in a way that will be more useful and efficient for everyone in the classroom. Students can explore their genuine curiosity, even learning to play with math equations, while gaining flexibility in their thinking about math. Watch this video to hear Professor Ottmar explain how her research improves learning.

Ivon Arroyo Researches Big Data, Intelligent Tutoring

Professor Ivon Arroyo’s well-funded, pioneering research uses technology to improve learning outcomes. Whether it’s with the NSF’s “Big Data Spokes” project or her work with the intelligent tutoring product MathSpring, Arroyo investigates the transformations that take place when education, technology, and a human angle align.

Students Immerse Themselves in LS&T Research

Alongside an interdisciplinary and collaborative team of WPI professors and K-12 teachers, WPI graduate students immerse themselves in real classrooms while using the latest technology and methods to gather and interpret data. With that insight, they develop and test techniques to foster increased subject interest, better learning, and effective teaching.

Facts and Figures

13:1

student-to-faculty ratio 

#6

best career placement

Princeton Review (2019)
$9.1M

National Science Foundation Research awards

(2017-18)

nth.jpg

Neil Heffernan
Neil Heffernan

iarroyo.jpg

Ivon Arroyo
Ivon Arroyo

erottmar.jpg

Erin Ottmar
Erin Ottmar

Faculty in LS&T merge cutting-edge technology with real human response to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Our professors investigate everything from building wearable devices so children can create and play augmented reality math games to using software to challenge how children think about math problems. The department’s well-funded research is constant and always evolving to provide excellent opportunities for students to perform hands-on, transformative scientific inquiry. 

Neil Heffernan
Ivon Arroyo
Erin Ottmar
Joseph Beck
Jacob Whitehill

Career Outlook

The rapidly growing educational technology field is looking for employees with the kind of technical and real classroom experience WPI graduates have. Students often move into consulting or academic roles or launch entrepreneurial start-ups.

Career Development Center Profile
Computer Science
Social Science & Policy Studies
Data Science
The STEM Education Center
Interactive Media and Game Development
Office of Sponsored Programs Proposal Forms

Admissions Information

Graduate Admissions about Admissions Information