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DEVSCI STUDENT DATA BLITZ
On March 8th, DevSci cluster students presented at our Data Blitz, hosted by the Center for Transdisciplinary Training. Four graduate students spoke on their current research relating to early life and lifespan health, exemplifying DevSci's vision toward interdisciplinary modes of inquiry. If you missed the event, read about the presenters below.
Ava Jackson on “Racial/Ethnic Identity Development in Critical Pedagogies” with Onnie Rogers
Ava Jackson, a 4th year PhD student in Learning Sciences spoke on the development of ethnic identities, as well as how such identities and learning environments inform each other. Jackson questioned how we develop identity, especially racial identity, and what forms of identity development emerge from explicitly political learning environments. As part of her research, she surveyed students from a US history class in which the instructor uses a form of critical pedagogy. Through student interview surveys,she was able to gauge how an individual student's personal view on racial identity and how that student considered race to be relevant in their daily life.
Sarah Pila on “Parent-Child Interaction and Children’s Learning from a Coding App” with Ellen Wartella
Sarah Pila, a 4th year PhD in Media, Technology, and Society, presented a study on maximizing children’s learning from touchscreen media. Looking specifically at a STEM app, Pila’s research questioned how parents could help children learn STEM concepts with co-play. Pila's study focused on the conversation between parent and child during co-play, observing interactions such as question asking and comparing the volume of interactions against the child's learning measurement.
Naomi Polinsky on “Promoting Families’ Use of Comparative Language during Informal Engineering” with David Uttal
Naomi Polinsky, a 2nd year PhD in Cognitive Psychology described a study with the Tinkering Lab at the Chicago Children’s Museum. Polinsky’s research asked how children learn STEM concepts in a tinkering lab, and focused on two types of learning processes: parent-child conversations and relational reasoning. Polinsky looked at comparative language coding, such as when parents used causal explanation comparisons or connecting prior knowledge when giving directions to their child. By examining comparative language parents use while in the Tinkering Lab, the study aims to connect such interaction to an increase in children's STEM learning.
Sirada Rochanavibhata on “Influence of Maternal Scaffolding on Children’s Developing Narrative Skills: A Cross-Cultural Comparison” with Viorica Marian
Sirada Rochanavibhata, a 4th year PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders, lead a study looking at American and Thai parent-child dyads to compare the cross-cultural variation in conversation styles. The study examined monolingual mothers with four-year-old children in the US and Thailand using a battery of language assessments. Rochanavibhata then looked at the correlations between Thai and US mother/child use of affirmation, negative feedback, and subjective perspectives to find a distinctive discourse pattern. Findings showed such patterns congruent with linguistic and cultural backgrounds, suggesting maternal elicitation styles influence a children's developing narrative skill.
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