Active Projects
Biology Guided Inquiry Learning Environments (BGuILE)
The Biology Guided Inquiry Learning Environments is a collaboration of learning scientists, teachers and biologists, working to bring biological inquiry into middle school and high school biology classrooms. The BGuILE project develops technology-infused curricula designed to help students learn about the process of scientific investigation and argumentation by doing science, working on puzzling and authentic problems. Current BGuILE activities include curriculum and technology development and studies of student learning and teaching practice. This is a LeTUS-affiliated project. BGuILE papers PI: Reiser, BrianCenter for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL)
CCL is dedicated to the creative use of technology to deepen learning. It develops tools and curricula for use in both classrooms and informal learning settings. CCL offers support to teachers and organizations that use its tools and materials and frequently offers workshops for teachers. Projects: Object-Based Parallel Models; Modeling Across the Curriculum; Connected Mathematics: Making Sense of Complexity; Participatory Simulations: Network-based Design for Systems Learning in Classrooms PI: Wilensky, UriCenter for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS)
CCMS is a collaboration among faculty in Learning Sciences at Northwestern, the University of Michigian, Michigan State University and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The center aims to create a knowledge base to enable development of science curricula, teaching strategies and technologies that reflect research on student learning. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the center provides fellowships for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows committed to science education reform. PI: Reiser, Brian Edelson, DanielChicago Public Schools NASA Capstone Course for Space Science
SESP and the Earth and Planetary Science department have partnered with the Chicago Public Schools, Adler Planetarium, DePaul University, Loyola University, and University of Chicago to offer high school students and teachers a 5-week summer research experience in studying climate change using NASA data. Students use their research experience as the basis for developing science fair projects to be presented at the Chicago city science fair. Researchers are creating classroom curriculum resources to support teachers in replicating the summer research experience as a 12th-grade elective NASA research course. PI: McGee, StevenChicago Transformation Teacher Institutes (CTTI)
CTTI is an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership of five universities (University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University Chicago, and Northwestern University) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Its aim is to increase the content, pedagogical, and leadership skills of teachers through a school leader-team approach. The CTTI teacher program includes several components in addition to networking programs: Coursework in mathematics, physical science, and life and environmental science. The courses provide for increased content knowledge by teachers, including how the content is embedded in contemporary issues and current research. They also support the growth of deep knowledge required for strong cross-curricula work. Workshops on leadership and teaching that provide increased skills in how to use content to understand classroom practice, including instructional design, selection of classroom materials, pedagogy, and assessment of student knowledge. Improved curricula for schools to use in 12th grade capstone and AP classes. These curricula will be part of a vertical alignment of all four years of high school science or mathematics. PI: McGee, Steven Brazdil, LindaCogSketch: Sketch understanding for research and learning
CogSketch is a project in the new NSF Sciences of Learning Center, the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC). We are extending our sketch understanding architecture into a system that can be used to support cognitive science research and education more broadly. Our vision is that, in ten years, sketch-based educational software will be widely available to learners.Computer-Supported Visual Representations for Learning Modeling
The goal of this project is to create a visual representation system with computer support that helps students learn how to articulate and reason with models of complex phenomena and systems. Sponsor: Research on Learning and Education Program, National Science Foundation PI: Forbus, Kenneth Sherin, BruceConceptual Dynamics Project
The goal of the Conceptual Dynamics Project is the development of new frameworks for capturing student learning in science. Through the development of these frameworks, we hope to inform the design and assessment of learning environments, as well as to contribute, more broadly, to research that seeks to understand thinking and learning in rich subject-matter domains. This is a LeTUS -affiliated project. PI: Sherin, BruceDistributed Leadership Study
The Distributed Leadership Study is a longitudinal study of urban school leadership. The study is designed to explore and understand leadership as a practice of instructional improvement and to examine the relations between leadership practice and teachers' classroom work. The goal is to construct a theoretical framework that is grounded in the day-to-day practice of leadership. PI: Spillane, JamesEcoCasting
The EcoCasting Project is a set of hands-on inquiry activities focused on ecosystems, food webs, bioaccumulation, and invasive species designed for use in environmental science and biology classes in grades 9-12. The curriculum uses computational modeling to help students learn about the scientific observations, measurement techniques, and computer models used in an ongoing National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ecological Forecasting project. This curriculum is based on research conducted in Calumet Harbor, Illinois, where a NOAA team is developing more precise food web models to better predict PCB toxin levels in Great Lakes fish. PI: Jona, KemiElementary Education Science Partnership (E2SP)
SESP has partnered with the CPS Office of Science, The Field Museum, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago Children's Museum, and Lincoln Park Zoo to develop a new school-based professional development program focused on improving K-3rd grade teachers' ability to effectively use informal resources to engage their students in learning science. SESP is providing professional development and coursework for E2SP teacher leaders and school-based instructional leadership teams. PI: McGee, Steven Haroutunian-Gordon, SophieFreezing Time: Using Digital Video to Help Teachers Reason About Classroom Events. Our research project is motivated by the belief that, in order to promote meaningful learning in the classroom, science and mathematics teachers need to substantively attend to their students’ thinking. The project is thus concerned with examining what teachers pay attention to in the classroom and how they interpret what they notice. In particular we are implementing new digital video technologies and designing new research methodologies to gain better access to teachers’ tacit thinking about what moments during instruction are pedagogically relevant. Through our work with pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers we hope to learn how to better help teachers tune their attention to their students’ thinking. PI: Sherin, Miriam Sherin, Bruce
GLOBE Watershed Dynamics
The Watershed Dynamics project is a partnership between the Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern University, the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) program, CUAHSI (the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.). Each organization represents a group of people interested in hydrology and science education. Working together, curriculum developers at OSEP, the worldwide network of science educators in GLOBE, and scientists and engineers from CUAHSI, have created tools and curricula to support student investigations of the watershed. PI: Jona, KemiHP Catalyst Grant – STEM ACCESS (Access to Curriculum, Computers, and Educational STEM Solutions)
With grants from the Hewlett-Packard Catalyst Initiative, Northwestern University has acquired HP tablet laptop computers and Fourier sensors that will be available for temporary loan to Chicago area schools. The goal of this project is to increase the use of cyberlearning tools in math and science classrooms and to facilitate access to online laboratories, such as the iLabs network (www.ilabcentral.org). PI: Jona, KemiiLabs
We are creating remote online laboratories that enable students and educators to use real scientific instruments, rather than simulations, to carry out experiments from anywhere at any time. Unlike conventional facilities, iLabs can be shared and accessed widely by audiences across the world that might not otherwise have the resources to purchase and operate costly or delicate lab equipment. PI: Jona, KemiIQWST: Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology
IQWST is investigating how to design middle school science curriculum materials that support students in learning ambitious science content and scientific practices through meaningful investigations. PI: Reiser, Brian Edelson, DanielLearning Leadership Study
The Learning Leadership Study, funded by the Institute for Education Sciences, is a collaboration collaboration between the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. These institutions will work with a large, urban school district to implement a method for improving school leadership, The Learning Walk routine, in participating schools. Researchers will then study the impact of this routine on improvements in teaching, learning, and student outcomes. The goal of the study, led by James P. Spillane, is to help us to understand the links between leadership, classrooms, and student achievement. PI: Spillane, JamesMeaningful Science Consortium (MSC)
MSC is a multiyear reform initiative for science departments in Chicago high schools. The mission is capacity building, and its approach is to work collaboratively with teachers and administrators to build new strengths through professional development, coaching, assessment, and professional networking—all geared towards helping teachers improve student outcomes. MSC supports adopted curricula and a course sequence for freshman, sophomore, and junior years at the targeted high schools. Teachers received 75 hours of professional development in their first two years of teaching an MSC course. Coaches, who met one-on-one with teachers weekly, provided content and pedagogical background as well as expertise in the specific MSC curriculum to assist teachers with their planning. MSC provides each course with 4 common assessments that are linked to the Illinois Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) that students take in spring of their junior year. Three of the exams, administered quarterly, are formative in nature and the fourth is the end of course exam. The exams have been designed to be predictive of performance on the PSAE exam. PI: McGee, Steven Brazdil, LindaModeling Designs for Learning Science (MoDeLS)
MoDeLS project, funded by the National Science Foundation's Instructional Materials Development program, is working to develop a theoretically-grounded and empirically-supported learning progression for late elementary and early middle school students with regard to their modeling practices and metamodeling knowledge. PI: Reiser, BrianNebraskaMATH
The NebraskaMATH study, funded by the National Science Foundation, is a collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The project aims to improve achievement in mathematics for all students and narrow achievement gaps among at-risk populations. Led by James P. Spillane, researchers at SESP collect and analyze survey data on social networks in schools. PI: Spillane, JamesNUBIO
NUBIO is a set of challenging, biotechnology-driven laboratory investigations designed for the high school biology classroom, which embeds inquiry-driven, hands-on learning in the context of Oncofertility. These labs, which can be used individually or in combination, motivate student learning through a “bench to bedside” approach that links traditional biology content to real-world clinical applications in oncology, human reproduction, and fertility preservation. NUBIO was developed at Northwestern University through in a collaboration between the Office of STEM Education Partnerships, the Woodruff Laboratory at the Feinberg School of Medicine, and local Chicago-area educators. PI: Jona, KemiPrincipal Policy and Practice Study
The primary goal of the Principal Policy and Practice Study is to examine the preparation, recruitment, retention and career paths of school principals through an in-depth look within Chicago Public Schools. Supported by funding from the Spencer Foundation, this work led by James P. Spillane is undertaken in collaboration with the Consortium for Chicago School Research. PI: Spillane, JamesReach For the Stars
GK-12: Graduate Student Fellows as Resident Scientists. This NSF program places STEM graduate student fellows in K-12 science classrooms for the academic year with the goal of enriching their education and strengthening their development as researchers by advancing their communication and teaching skills. The fellows work in partnership with a collaborating teacher to bring more inquiry-based teaching methods into the classroom and to further expose K-12 teachers and students to the research process. PI: Jona, KemiSpencer Research Training Grant Program (Spencer RTG)
Through the Research Training Grant Program, at the invitation of the Foundation, grants are made to schools of education to support the doctoral training of education researchers. The program's goals are: (1) to enhance the research training of graduate students in education by providing financial aid to students so that they can study full time; (2) to develop a larger and stronger national community of inquiry; and (3) to stimulate conversation about research training within and across institutions. SESP has been awarded a major Spencer Research Training Grant to study "Improving the Life Chances of Children and Families in Poverty." PI: Lee, CarolTangible Interaction Design and Learning Laboratory (TIDAL Lab)
Emerging interactive technology is rapidly transforming the ways in which we work, play, communicate, and learn. Research in tangible interaction attempts to blur the line between digital technology and the broader physical, social, and cultural worlds within which computer use is situated. At the TIDAL lab, we are exploring the use of tangible interaction to create innovative learning experiences. We take a cautious but optimistic stance towards technology. To this end, our work tightly couples theoretically informed learning research with iterative design processes. PI: Horn, MichaelUnderstanding the Role of Video in Teacher Learning
This National-Science-Foundation supported project examines the role of video in teacher learning, specifically how video can support the development of a particular kind of teaching expertise, "professional vision." Professional vision involves the ways in which teachers notice and interpret classroom interactions and is particularly important today as teachers are asked to make many teaching decisions in the midst of instruction. A central goal of this project is to develop a theoretical framework for examining teacher learning via video, and to apply this framework to several diverse video-based professional development programs. The framework will be used to study the micro-dynamics of teacher learning within each of these programs, as well as what teachers learn in each program over a longer time scale. The results of the research will be integrated into courses for pre-service and in-service teachers as well as for learning science graduate students. PI: Sherin, MiriamYouSTEM: Interest-Driven STEM Exploration Space
YouSTEM spaces will engage youth in STEM fields through low barrier, hands-on exploratory challenges. The project is exploring the deployment of YouSTEM programming in libraries and area high schools. Using a leveling up model from gaming, students will gain increasing science and engineering skills and interest. Connecting these spaces virtually will create a community of youth learners. PI: Jona, KemiInactive Projects
Adolescent Literacy Support Project
The aim of the Adolescent Literacy Support Project (ALSP) is to create classroom learning environments that support increased science achievement through better and more purposeful reading. We are building and employing three literacy support tools for students’ and teachers’ use in the classroom. The use of these tools is coupled to disciplinary text and science assessment. Teachers couple their use of the tools with disciplinary text and science assessment as they implement the curriculum “Investigations in Environment Science.” We want to examine if increased opportunities in reading allows high school learners to better engage in science inquiry and increase their reading achievement and if these more structured reading opportunities in science influence learners’ science achievement. PI: Gomez, Louis Gomez, Kimberley Herman, PhillipAnalyzing Scaffolding Software in Educational Settings in Science (ASSESS)
The KDI/ASSESS project seeks to both theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role and effectiveness of scaffolds, embedded in learning environments comprised by software and curricula. PI: Reiser, Brian Edelson, DanielArticulate Software for Teaching Science and Engineering
Sponsor: Computer-Aided Education and Training Initiative, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency PI: Forbus, KennethArticulate Virtual Laboratories for Science and Engineering Education
Sponsor: Applications of Advanced Technology Program, National Science Foundation PI: Forbus, KennethBuilding an Infrastructure for Generative and Sustained Change in Science Instruction This is a National Science Foundation-funded study that seeks to develop innovative curricula to reverse science illiteracy. PI: Gomez, Louis
Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS)
Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools, a joint project involving SESP, University of Michigan, and the Chicago, Evanston, and Detroit public schools. LeTUS is working to bring more ambitious teaching and learning into middle grades science classrooms, through a systemic program of inquiry-based curriculum design, pervasive use of learning technologies, and professional development opportunities for science teachers. PI: Gomez, Louis Edelson, Daniel Reiser, BrianChicago Urban Systemic Program
The Chicago Public Schools Urban Systemic Program is a five-year professional development reform effort funded by the National Science Foundation. The goals of CUSP are to significantly increase the mathematics, science and technology content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of the CPS instructional workforce. This is a LeTUS-affiliated project. PI: Reiser, Brian Gomez, LouisCollaboratory Notebook Project
The Collaboratory Notebook Project is investigating the role technology can play in supporting collaborative learning. The Collaboratory Notebook is a shared hypermedia database that provides a structure to assist learners engaged in open-ended projects or discussions. This Internet-based environment allows participants to collaborate from different locations at different times. The development of the Collaboratory Notebook was supported by Northwestern University and by the National Science Foundation through the CoVis Project. PI: Edelson, DanielCoVis Project
Learning Through Collaborative Visualization PI: Gomez, Louis Edelson, DanielDesigning to Learn Project The Designing to Learn Project is exploring the use of design tasks to provide a context for learning fundamental principles. As part of that research, we are developing an architecture for self-contained, simulation-based learning environments that allow students to learn fundamental science principles by designing everyday devices that rely on those principles. Goin' Up? is the first example of a Designing To Learn simulation that teaches force and motion concepts for introductory college physics through a scenario in which students design an elevator. PI: Edelson, Daniel
Developing Teacher Leaders in Science: Professional Development Supported by the National Science Foundation, this project designs, implements and evaluates the graduate-level course, "Making the Body Go," for Chicago and Evanston middle school teachers in science and science pedagogy focused on energy transformation in the human body. PI: Kanter, David
Engineering Scaffolded Work Environments (SWEets) for Science Education Project A multi-university collaboration developing an integrated suite of tools for conducting inquiry in science classrooms. It incorporates investigation tools as well as inquiry support tools for planning, reflection, collaboration, argumentation, and presentation. PI: Edelson, Daniel Reiser, Brian
GEODE Initiative
The GEODE Initiative is dedicated to the improvement of earth and environmental science education through the use of data visualization and analysis tools to support inquiry-based pedagogy. Through an integrated program of research and development, the GEODE Initiative is advancing our understanding of learning in the earth and environmental sciences, design of curriculum and educational software and teacher professional development. This is a LeTUS-affiliated project. PI: Edelson, DanielImplementation of the 'I, Bio' Curriculum in Chicago Public School Middle School Classrooms This Quaker Oats Foundation-supported project allows for the science of exercise curriculum to be implemented, including the technology kits that support it. PI: Kanter, David
Investigations in Environmental Science
Investigations in Environmental Science is a yearlong high school environmental science curriculum developed by researchers in Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy. It is the product of a 7-year iterative research and development process led by Daniel Edelson. Investigations in Environmental Science uses a case-based approach to environmental science and places an emphasis on environmental decision-making. It incorporates the use of Geographic Information Systems to support inquiry with scientific data.IOPD: Impact of Online Professional Development
The IOPD project is comparing the effectiveness of professional development conducted primarily face-to-face with professional development conducted primarily on line. The participants in this study will be teachers implementing the "Investigations in Environmental Science" curriculum developed by the GEODE Initiative at Northwestern University. This project is joint with the University of Michigan. PI: Edelson, Daniel Konstantopoulos, SpyrosLearn-While-Teaching Mathematics Curriculum This project explores the relationship between curriculum design and teacher learning. Our work takes place in the context of the development and implementation of the new reform-based curriculum, Children's Math Worlds. We investigate the process through which teachers use new curriculum materials, how professional development can support this process and how curriculum materials themselves can be a source for teacher learning of pedagogy and of mathematics. PI: Fuson, Karen Sherin, Miriam
Learning Science Through Design Project
The Northwestern Physics Project is a collaborative research and software design effort by the departments of physics and computer science. PI: Edelson, DanielLighthouse Partnership
A partnership between the School of Education and Social Policy and Evanston-Skokie District 65 involving math and science curricula, leadership and bilingual education. G. Alfred Hess Jr. is coordinator of the project. PI: Hess, Jr., G. AlfredLiteracy in Science and Technology
Literacy in Science and Technology is a two-year project funded by the Joyce Foundation to study the literacy demands of the LeTUS inquiry-based science middle school curricula. PI: Gomez, LouisLiving Curriculum Project
The Living Curriculum Project is creating a performance support system to help teachers learn to implement the project-based curriculum units developed in the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS). The Living Curriculum is a Web site that enables teachers to access video cases of teachers enacting Center curricula in their classrooms. PI: Gomez, Louis Edelson, DanielMonitoring the CPS High School Restructuring Initiative
This project monitors how the Chicago high schools implement "The Chicago Public Schools Design for High Schools," adopted in March 1997 by the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees. The project also evaluates the effectiveness of the high school restructuring initiative. PI: Hess, Jr., G. Alfred Cytrynbaum, SolomonMy World GIS
My World GIS is being developed at Northwestern University as part of a research program in the adaptation of expert data visualization and analysis tools to support inquiry-based learning. My World is a Geographic Information System (GIS) designed specifically for use in middle school through college classrooms. My World provides a carefully selected subset of the features of a professional GIS environment. They have been selected to provide the greatest value to students without overwhelming them with complexity The features are accessed through a supportive interface designed with the needs of students and teachers in mind. Research on My World GIS is designed to understand the challenges and benefits of incorporating GIS tools into inquiry-based geoscience, environmental, and geography education. PI: Edelson, DanielNU-PEAK Northwestern University Projects of Extended Activities at Kelly High School PI: Gomez, Louis
Online Earth Science Course Our two-semester online high school Earth Science course demonstrates how a "lab" science course can be delivered at a distance. The course, developed for the Illinois Virtual High School, contains a set of “hands on” investigations using My World GIS, a geographic information system (GIS) developed specifically to meet the needs of students. This project is investigating design techniques for fostering a coherent, effective online inquiry-based learning experience for students. PI: Jona, Kemi
Reality Based Learning
Papers available PI: Gomez, LouisResearch Experience for Teachers Supplement to the VaNTH ERC in Bioengineering Educational Technologies This National Science Foundation-supported grant funds teachers to engage in curriculum design research on the "I, Bio" project-based inquiry life science curriculum. PI: Kanter, David
SIBLE (Supportive Inquiry-Based Learning Environments) Project
The SIBLE Project is looking at how to foster reflective inquiry. The SIBLE project has developed the Progress Portfolio, an inquiry support environment, that allows students to record and organize the intermediate products of a scientific investigation. This is a LeTUS -affiliated project. PI: Edelson, Daniel Gomez, Louis Reiser, BrianSmall School Project Small School Development Research PI: Gomez, Louis
SSciVEE (Supportive Scientific Visualization Environments for Education) Project
SSciVEE was an NSF-sponsored project that investigated the use of scientific visualization to support inquiry-based science learning. This project led to the development of WorldWatcher, a visualization and data analysis tool for geographic data that has been used in a wide range of Earth science, geography, and environmental science curricula. PI: Edelson, DanielSupporting Student and Teacher Inquiry in Bioscience
This project represents a collaboration among Chicago-area middle and high school teachers, researchers from Northwestern University's Learning Sciences researchers and its department of biomedical engineersing and informal educators from Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. PI: Reiser, Brian Kanter, DavidThe Practice of School Leadership and the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Instruction in Urban Elementary Schools Supported by the National Science Foundation, this project examines the practice of school leadership and the improvement of mathematics and science instruction in urban elementary schools.
The Transition to Teaching Study With support from the Joyce Foundation, this study is designed to gain a better understanding of the role of the student teaching placement in teacher preparation and subsequent entry of individuals into the teacher labor market. Michelle Reininger is working with Chicago Public Schools to investigate a new selection process for identifying pre-service teachers who show promise for becoming effective teachers in the future. PI: Reininger, Michelle