News

In an Educational Publishing article, professor Brian Reiser comments on the significance of the science framework recommended by the National Research Council committee he served on. Major changes in U.S. science standards are expected in September.

To address the challenge of engaging young people in science and technology, SESP professors Kemi Jona, Reed Stevens and Mike Horn are launching a project called “YouSTEM.”

On WTTW public television, Chicago Tonight host Phil Ponce interviews SESP professor Steven McGee about reasons for Illinois's poor showing in science on this year's ACT test. According to McGee, science is marginalized as an unintended consequence of No Child Left Behind.

In a Chicago Sun-Times article about the new ACT scores, research associate professor Steven McGee blames Illinois’ poor showing in science on the increased marginalization of science in schools.

The University of Pretoria is awarding Carol Lee an honorary doctoral degree, the university’s highest form of recognition.

A project to develop high school students as science leaders will expand with a new focus on sustainability with an Innovation Generation grant from the Motorola Foundation.

Brian Reiser will participate in a public briefing on July 19 by the National Research Council to release a report that offers a new framework for K-12 science education.

Learning Sciences PhD alumni Ravit Golan Duncan (PhD06) of Rutgers, Victor Lee (PhD08) of Utah State University and Paulo Blikstein of Stanford University (PhD09) were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Awards.

Professors Uri Wilensky and David Figlio are launching a major innovative project to develop computer-based curricula that will help young students learn science, with a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

In a 10-week after-school program on community journalism, associate professor Eva Lam taught eighth and eighth graders in Chicago’s Chinatown how to produce their own multimedia stories.

Associate professor Eva Lam received a Mid-Career Award from the American Education Research Association's Second Language Special Interest Group, recognizing “a promising program of research."

A study by SESP faculty members Steven McGee and Linda Brazdil shows a positive link between the Meaningful Science Consortium curriculum, quarterly benchmark exams and student performance on state tests. SESP has provided this project-based science curriculum, professional development and teacher coaching to nine Chicago Public Schools for five years.

Professor James Spillane's latest book, Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement: Using a Distributed Perspective to Lead and Manage Change, highlights the importance of diagnostic and design work for school leaders.

Learning Sciences doctoral students Jessica Andrews and Elizabeth Dyer were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships to support their dissertation research for three years.

At the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA) from April 8 to 12, 53 Northwestern University faculty members and graduate students will give presentations about their research, and Carol Lee will be named an AERA Fellow.

The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Partnerships is providing high schools with access to iLabs -- its remote online laboratory project that enables students to use real instruments to carry out science experiments. An HP Catalyst Initiative grant extends network access and teacher training to underserved schools.

Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) ranks number seven in the nation, according to the new 2012 ranking of graduate schools of education by U.S. News & World Report.

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) named SESP professor Carol Lee an AERA Fellow in recognition of her exceptional contributions to education research.

A study led by learning sciences associate professor Michael Wolf found that many older patients are so confused by the vague instructions on multiple prescription bottles that they don’t realize they can combine their medications to take them more efficiently. Wolf and his colleagues propose a universal medication schedule.

Associate professor David Rapp's Reading with Pictures research project with Josh Elder is featured in a Wired article that explains the advantages of comics as a teaching tool.

Research assistant professor Steven McGee explains in Medill Reports the importance of integrating new technology such as iPads in schools.

Research associate professor Steven McGee comments in Chicago Sun-Times about a mentoring program called In Search of Genius that helps to fill a "gaping hole" in Illinois science education: Science teaching is concentrated in 4th and 7th grades because of the testing those years, causing students to fall behind.

The more you know a place, the more likely your memory will play spatial tricks. That's one conclusion from professor David Uttal's new study of spatial memory, based on students' perceptions of the Northwestern campus.

As president, Carol Lee addressed the American Education Research Association at its 2010 annual meeting on "Soaring Above the Clouds, Delving the Ocean's Depths: Understanding the Ecologies of Human Learning and the Challenge for Education Science." The address is now published in Education Researcher.

SESP professor of learning sciences Carol Lee, an internationally known education researcher, was named the Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University.

In the Freezing Time project, Miriam Sherin and Bruce Sherin are examining the ways teachers attend to the complexity of classroom interactions and are supporting teachers in learning to attend to consequential events that take place in the classroom through the use of video reflection.

The Office of STEM Education Partnerships hosted Evanston Township High School science students for a Lab Day featuring visits to five science labs and a panel discussion with industry representatives.

Northwestern University’s pioneering work in applying a complex systems approach to education policy was highlighted in the latest issue of Science magazine. SESP professor Uri Wilensky and PhD alumnus Spiro Maroulis are two of the key researchers.

Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky visited Evanston Township High School to observe the Reach for the Stars project that puts Northwestern graduate scientists into K-12 classrooms. SESP faculty member Kemi Jona is co-principal investigator for the project.

This year's Teacher in Residence is Paula Millerd, a sixth-grade teacher in the Omaha Public Schools system. Each year, the School of Education and Social Policy awards an academic-year sabbatical to a mathematics or science teacher to become part of the School's teaching and learning community.

At a School of Education and Social Policy film showing and panel discussion of Waiting for Superman on October 12, SESP professors James Rosenbaum and Carol Lee offered comments to put the film into perspective.

Assistant professor David Rapp is researching the use of comic books in the school curriculum, in partnership with the organization Reading with Pictures. The project is outlined in Chicagoist.

As top science students competing in the National Science Olympiad tournament created computer models for their event, they relied on software created by School of Education and Social Policy professor Uri Wilensky.

Science projects ranging from custom-designed roller coasters to habitat-sensitive buildings were on display at a project showcase for Chicago high school students hosted by SESP on May 24, where Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro addressed the 175 students from seven high schools.

The School of Education and Social Policy is pleased to welcome five new professors, Mesmin Destin, Matt Easterday, Jonathan Guryan, Kirabo Jackson and Diane Schanzenbach.

Northwestern University graduate scientists will spend a year teaching in area schools and sharing cutting-edge research, thanks to a $2.7 million National Science Foundation grant. SESP research associate professor Kemi Jona is co-principal investigator on the grant.

Growing students into science leaders is the ultimate aim of a new grant from the Motorola Foundation for the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Partnerships (OSEP) to develop a research program for high school students.

Northwestern University is a member of a multi-institutional research team awarded a $19.2 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to study and improve reading comprehension among middle school and high school students. Professor Carol Lee is leading the project for Northwestern.

Research assistant professor Rosemary Russ is one of 20 education scholars nationwide chosen to be National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellows.

SESP associate research professor Kemi Jona, the director of the office of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education partnerships, discusses the use of virtual labs -- and specifically OSEP's iLabs -- in science classrooms with Education Week.

Ben Shapiro (PhD09), a graduate of the Learning Sciences program at SESP, is developing a Facebook game, called Anatomy Pro-Am, which teaches players about biomedical imaging and cancer treatment and is intended to improve the effectiveness of medical treatments. His team just received a $2.7 million National Science Foundation grant.

A new collection of video resources for teachers is an outgrowth of the Cyberlearning Tools for STEM Education (CyTSE) conference organized by SESP professor Kemi Jona. In “What Is Cyberlearning?” Jona discusses computer-mediated learning, and examples are designing an astronomy game, using remote labs to assess radiation from cell phones and using handheld devices for an augmented reality game on climate change.

Research associate professor Steven McGee comments on the use of new technologies such as iPads to foster learning in school. McGee encourages evaluating any new technology from the perspective of "How does this support my philosophy? How does this support learning?"