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 C2STEM (Collaborative Computational STEM) is a collaborative problem-solving environment where students work in pairs to develop computational models of scientific processes such as Physics and Marine Biology. It is a multi-institutional project aimed at designing and developing a learning environment that integrates visual programming with domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs). This… Read More

Betty’s Brain is a computer-based learning environment that utilizes the learning-by-teaching paradigm to engage students in learning about science topics. Students teach a computer agent named Betty by constructing a causal model of the systems or processes relevant to the topic (e.g., ecosystems, climate change, thermoregulation). This requires students to… Read More

Dementia presents a pressing challenge significantly impacting cognitive functions of millions of persons, eventually leading to their complete reliance on care partners. While cognitive decline is inevitable in dementia, active engagement in preferred daily tasks can slow down its progression and support relearning. Our project aims to develop a framework… Read More

The very first concepts that a person learns when they pick up a new instrument are the names of pitches, how those pitches are annotated musically, and how to manipulate their instrument to reliably produce a pitch corresponding to each note. To date, this type of note- and pitch-based knowledge… Read More

BeatBlox is the latest extension to the NetsBlox block-based programming environment developed at Vanderbilt University. NetsBlox was built on top of the open-source codebase of Snap! from UC Berkeley and was specifically designed to teach cutting edge computing concepts such as distributed computing, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity to… Read More

Literacy has long been recognized as fundamental to academic success, as well as broader economic and health-related outcomes for both individuals and society. Whether due to developmental disability or socioeconomic impediments, as many as 40% of children enter Kindergarten a full year behind in fundamental language and literacy skills (Fielding… Read More

We are developing annotation schemes to detect potential misconceptions that underlie students’ errors in their math responses and annotating large datasets of students’ math responses. A data science challenge will then invite teams to develop algorithms that automatically detect misconceptions in the responses. These algorithms could then be used in… Read More

The iTELL (intelligent Texts for Enhanced Life-long Learning) framework ingests static texts on any content do-main using a custom content preparation system that guides content editors through the process of formatting the text and reviewing AI-augmented content prior to publication. Text content in iTELL is augmented with keyphrase generation (used… Read More

The project is designed to create an immersive environment for testing sensory development in children from birth until young adulthood. The environment will be a cave that will allow high resolution video projection via four 4k projectors, spatial audio via an ambisonics array of 25 speakers, and tactile and haptic… Read More

In the age of GenAI and with code generation tools, CS pedagogy is facing new challenges and opportunities. This series of projects aims to investigate the impact of GenAI on students’ learning performance in CS education and develop new pedagogical approaches with GenAI to enhance CS education. Read More