Biography

My research focuses on children's learning—especially of mathematics in elementary schools—and the ways in which this can be supported. In my research, I attempt to understand and explain how students take up new concepts and contribute to the collective understanding of mathematics in the classroom.

With colleagues at the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, and New York University, and with support from the National Science Foundation, we are investigating how teachers learn online from an asynchronous professional learning website, designed to support their teaching of elementary mathematics.

With colleagues at the University of Illinois and Purdue University, and with support from the National Science Foundation, we are investigating how to support students’ developing understanding of statistical concepts. In this project, we aim to examine how prompting learners to gesture when learning statistics content in video-based learning environments may improve their understanding of statistical concepts.

Key Professional Appointments

• Dean's Fellow, College of Education , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Professor, Educational Psychology , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Professor, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research & Service

My research focuses on (1) children's acquisition of knowledge, especially of the sort taught in schools (e.g., children's acquisition of mathematical concepts), (2) the ways in which teachers understand and improve their teaching of mathematics, and (3) the ways in which the online space may provide supports and affordances for students underrepresented in STEM.