Learning to read is one of the most complex tasks of the primary school years. How do children learn to read, and what changes in their brains as they acquire the skills involved in reading? How do the brains of young adult readers differ from the brains of beginning readers? These are the sorts of questions that we consider in our undergraduate research lab.
Our research addresses theoretical issues in the cognitive psychology of learning and memory that also have practical implications for education. We are especially interested in investigating study strategies and instructional manipulations that enhance the durability and/or efficiency of learning.
The U.S. income achievement gap is the widest it has been in some time and it persists across grade levels. What cognitive processes underlie this income-achievement gap? Are the cognitive processes that underlie the income achievement gap the same in urban and rural areas? If not, how can we design interventions to be the most efficacious? We investigate these questions by conducting lab- and school-based studies.
Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning Laboratory
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning is critical for success and innovation in numerous fields, and yet many students struggle in these subject areas in school and ultimately avoid STEM careers as a result. What experiences and strategies lead to successful learning of STEM concepts and how is this knowledge represented in the brain? How does negative emotion interfere with STEM learning and impede academic achievement, and what interventions are most effective for overcoming these effects? Research conducted through our lab focuses on these questions and others related to individual differences in STEM learning.