About Me

Hello!

I study the teaching, learning, and writing of computational texts — things like data visualizations or computer simulations — and the stories about science and society that they tell.

The video below provides an overview of my work and trajectory.

Methods

I am a participatory design-based researcher, which means I collaborate with teachers, learners, software and curriculum developers, and after-school professionals at every stage of design. Together, we work to create software tools that are usable, curricular supports that fit into current classroom practice, and pedagogical theories that can really help us understand and improve how people teach and learn. There are a few examples below; to learn more about what I’ve been up to lately, check the latest news posted to the right or visit my Publications page.

Biography

I joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education in January 2016. I lead the Computational Representations in Education (CoRE) research group, and teach classes in science education and educational research. Before moving to Berkeley I was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Tufts University from 2011-2015.

My work has been featured in journals including Educational Researcher, Journal of the Learning Sciences, Science Education, Instructional Science, Educational Studies in Mathematics, Educational Technology Research and Development, Interactive Learning Environments, and the Journal of Science Teacher Education. In 2014 I was honored to receive a National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award to pursue research on young learners’ data visualization competencies, and in 2020 I was awarded the AERA Division C Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies.

Current Work

Most recently, I have been working with colleagues at the Concord Consortium and North Carolina State University on the Writing Data Stories project, to develop materials and tools that support data storytelling in middle school classrooms. We leverage literacy-based pedagogical approaches to support students in enriching data investigations using reflective, journalistic, and ethnographic approaches. I am also currently serving as a co-chair (with Nick Horton) of the planning committee for the upcoming National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics workshop on the Foundations of K-12 Data Science Education.