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Emma Mercier

Biography

My research focuses on the relationship between social interaction and learning, with a particular focus on collaboration and computer-supported collaborative learning in classrooms. Most recently, I have been examining the use of multi-touch tables in classroom settings, examining how this technology influences group interactions and learning, the between group and whole class interactions, and the device ecologies, teacher tools and classroom contexts that influence the learning opportunities available when using these tools.

Key Professional Appointments

  • Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  • Associate Professor, Educational Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Publications

Planey, J., Kim, T., Mercier, E., & Lindgren, R. (Accepted/In press). Can you see Orion? knowledge construction and collaborative discourse while problem solving with virtual reality. Interactive Learning Environments.  link >

Planey, J., Rajarathinam, R. J., Mercier, E., & Lindgren, R. (2023). Gesture-mediated collaboration with augmented reality headsets in a problem-based astronomy task. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 18(2), 259-289.  link >

Ehrlich, G. S., Rajarathinam, R. J., & Mercier, E. (2022). Developing a boundary practice for collaborative task design in a design-centric research-practice partnership. In C. Chinn, E. Tan, C. Chan, & Y. Kali (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2022 (pp. 2082-2083). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Mercier, E., Lawrence, L. E. M., Ahn, J., Wegemer, C., Benichou, M., Kali, Y., Hod, Y., Borge, M., Gomez, K., Lee, U. S., McKenney, S., Poortman, C., Arce-Trigatti, P., & Cheng, B. H. (2022). Mapping the Complexities and Benefits of Research-Design Partnerships. In C. Chinn, E. Tan, C. Chan, & Y. Kali (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2022 (pp. 1794-1801). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Planey, J., Rajarathinam, R. J., Mercier, E., Lindgren, R., & Zhou, R. (2022). Gesture's Role in Collaborative Problem Solving With Augmented Reality. In A. Weinberger, W. Chen, D. Hernandez-Leo, & B. Chen (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2022 (pp. 431-434). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Rajarathinam, R. J., & Mercier, E. (2022). Impact of Instructor Intervention on the Conceptual Understanding of Undergraduate Engineering Students Working in a Group. In A. Weinberger, W. Chen, D. Hernandez-Leo, & B. Chen (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2022 (pp. 258-265). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Rajarathinam, R. J., D'Angelo, C. M., & Mercier, E. (2022). Speech analytics on individual and group audio data to understand collaboration. In A. Weinberger, W. Chen, D. Hernandez-Leo, & B. Chen (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2022 (pp. 599-600). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Tissenbaum, M., Lindgren, R., Danish, J., Kim, T., Zeng, L., Planey, J., Mercier, E., Kang, J., Vickery, M., Zhou, M., Headrick, K., Taylor, K. G., Shapiro, B. R., Gilliam, S., Slotta, J., Moher, T., Kumar, V., Kimball, N., Roberts, J., ... Pea, R. (2022). The Role of the Physical Space in Distributed Intelligence. In A. Weinberger, W. Chen, D. Hernandez-Leo, & B. Chen (Eds.), International Collaboration toward Educational Innovation for All: Overarching Research, Development, and Practices - 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2022 (pp. 533-540). (Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Tucker, T., Mercier, E., & Shehab, S. (2021). The Impact of Scaffolding Prompts on Students' Cognitive Interactions during Collaborative Problem Solving of Ill-structured Engineering Tasks. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings.

Tucker, T., Lawrence, L. E. M., & Mercier, E. (2021). Work in Progress: Investigating the Effectiveness of an Orchestration Tool on the Nature of Students' Collaborative Interactions during Group Work. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings.

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2020). Exploring the relationship between the types of interactions and progress on a task during collaborative problem solving. In M. Gresalfi, & I. S. Horn (Eds.), 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2020 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 1285-1292). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 3). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Shehab, S., Lawrence, L. E. M., Mercier, E., Margotta, A. S., Livingston, E. R., Silva, M., & Tucker, T. (2020). Towards the effective implementation of collaborative problem solving in undergraduate engineering classrooms: Co-designing guidelines for teaching assistants. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, 2020-June, Article 1439.  link >

Tucker, T., Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2020). The impact of scaffolding prompts on the collaborative problem solving of ill-structured tasks by undergraduate engineering student groups. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, 2020-June, Article 1375.  link >

Tucker, T., Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2020). Using the Gini Coefficient to Characterize the Distribution of Group Problem-Solving Processes in Collaborative Tasks. In M. Gresalfi, & I. S. Horn (Eds.), 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2020 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 1761-1762). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 3). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Borge, M., & Mercier, E. (2019). Towards a micro-ecological approach to CSCL. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 14(2), 219-235.  link >

Lawrence, L., & Mercier, E. (2019). A review of the evolving definition of orchestration: Implications for research and design. In K. Lund, G. P. Niccolai, E. Lavoue, C. Hmelo-Silver, G. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2019 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 829-830). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Lawrence, L. E. M., & Mercier, E. (2019). Co-Design of an Orchestration Tool: Supporting Engineering Teaching Assistants as they Facilitate Collaborative Learning. Interaction Design and Architecture(s), 42, 111-130.

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2019). Exploring teaching and course assistants’ interventions with groups during collaborative problem-solving. In K. Lund, G. P. Niccolai, E. Lavoue, C. Hmelo-Silver, G. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2019 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 581-584). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2019). Implementing collaborative learning in classrooms: science teachers' perspectives. International Journal of Innovation in Education, 5(4), 265-280.  link >

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2019). Visualizing representations of interaction states during CSCL. In K. Lund, G. P. Niccolai, E. Lavoue, C. Hmelo-Silver, G. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2019 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 871-872). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Tucker, M. T., Shehab, S., Mercier, E., & Silva, M. (2019). WIP: Evidence-based analysis of the design of collaborative engineering tasks. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings.  link >

Wise, A., Schwarz, B., Ludvigsen, S., Rummel, N., Hod, Y., Sagy, O., Kali, Y., Borge, M., Mercier, E., & Tchounikine, P. (2019). Eight provocations for the cscl field: Current significant discussions and the future of cscl. In K. Lund, G. P. Niccolai, E. Lavoue, C. Hmelo-Silver, G. Gweon, & M. Baker (Eds.), A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2019 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 975-976). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Borge, M., & Mercier, E. (2018). Towards a cognitive ecological framework in cscl. Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS, 1(2018-June), 336-343.

Paquette, L., Bosch, N., Mercier, E. M., Jung, J., Shehab, S., & Tong, Y. (2018). Matching data-driven models of group interactions to video analysis of collaborative problem solving on tablet computers. Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS, 1(2018-June), 312-319.  link >

Kelly, S. B., Lawrence, L., & Mercier, E. (2017). Engaging everyday science knowledge to help make sense of data. In B. K. Smith, M. Borge, E. Mercier, & K. Y. Lim (Eds.), Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL - 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2017 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 581-584). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Mercier, E., Vourloumi, G., & Higgins, S. (2017). Student interactions and the development of ideas in multi-touch and paper-based collaborative mathematical problem solving. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(1), 162-175.  link >

Mercier, E. M. (2017). The influence of achievement goals on collaborative interactions and knowledge convergence. Learning and Instruction, 50, 31-43.  link >

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2017). Designing engineering tasks for collaborative problem solving. In B. K. Smith, M. Borge, E. Mercier, & K. Y. Lim (Eds.), Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL - 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2017 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 235-266). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Shehab, S., & Mercier, E. (2017). The effect of the screen size of multi-touch tables on collaborative problem solving interactions. In B. K. Smith, M. Borge, E. Mercier, & K. Y. Lim (Eds.), Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL - 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2017 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 823-824). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Smith, B. K., Borge, M., Mercier, E., & Lim, K. Y. (Eds.) (2017). Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL: 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2017, Volume 1. International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Smith, B. K., Borge, M., Mercier, E., & Lim, K. Y. (Eds.) (2017). Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL: 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 2017, Volume 2. International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Smith, B. K., Borge, M., Mercier, E., & Lim, K. Y. (2017). Preface. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL, 1, ix-xi.

Essick, R., West, M., Silva, M., Herman, G. L., & Mercier, E. (2016). Scaling-up collaborative learning for large introductory courses using active Learning Spaces, TA training, and Computerized team management. ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, 2016-June.  link >

Mercier, E. (2016). Teacher orchestration and student learning during mathematics activities in a smart classroom. International Journal of Smart Technology and Learning, 1(1), 33-52.  link >

Mercier, E. M., Higgins, S. E., & Joyce-Gibbons, A. (2016). The effects of room design on computer-supported collaborative learning in a multi-touch classroom. Interactive Learning Environments, 24(3), 504-522.  link >

Mercier, E., Fong, C., Cober, R., Slotta, J. D., Forssell, K. S., Israel, M., Joyce-Gibbons, A., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Messina, R., Murray, J., Peebles, B., Moher, T., Shehab, S., & Rummel, N. (2015). Researching and designing for the orchestration of learning in the CSCL classroom. In O. Lindwall, P. Hakkinen, T. Koschmann, P. Tchounikine, & S. Ludvigsen (Eds.), Exploring the Material Conditions of Learning: Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Conference 2015, CSCL 2015 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 599-606). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Mercier, E., Shehab, S., Sun, J., & Capell, N. (2015). The development of collaborative practices in introductory engineering courses. In O. Lindwall, P. Hakkinen, T. Koschmann, P. Tchounikine, & S. Ludvigsen (Eds.), Exploring the Material Conditions of Learning: Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Conference 2015, CSCL 2015 - Conference Proceedings (pp. 657-658). (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).

Mercier, E. M., & Higgins, S. E. (2015). The four Ts of the collaborative classroom. CEUR Workshop Proceedings, 1411, 15-19.

Mercier, E., Rattray, J., & Lavery, J. (2015). Twitter in the collaborative classroom: micro-blogging for in-class collaborative discussions. International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 3(2), 83-99.  link >

Tse, E., Kharrufa, A., Mercier, E., & Fong, C. (2015). Architecting collaborative learning places. In Proceedings of the 2015 ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces, ITS 2015 (pp. 475-478). (Proceedings of the 2015 ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces, ITS 2015). Association for Computing Machinery.  link >

Mercier, E., & Higgins, S. (2014). Creating joint representations of collaborative problem solving with multi-touch technology. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(6), 497-510.  link >

Mercier, E. (2014). Device ecologies to support collaborative learning in classrooms. In 2014 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems, CTS 2014 (pp. 217-218). Article 6867567 (2014 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems, CTS 2014). IEEE Computer Society.  link >

Mercier, E. M., Higgins, S. E., & da Costa, L. (2014). Different leaders: Emergent organizational and intellectual leadership in children’s collaborative learning groups. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 9(4), 397-432.  link >

Mercier, E. M., & Higgins, S. E. (2013). Collaborative learning with multi-touch technology: Developing adaptive expertise. Learning and Instruction, 25, 13-23.  link >

Mercier, E., Vourloumi, G., & Higgins, S. (2013). Idea development in multi-touch and paper-based collaborative problem solving. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL, 2, 313-314.

Minjarez, M. B., Mercier, E. M., Williams, S. E., & Hardan, A. Y. (2013). Impact of Pivotal Response Training Group Therapy on Stress and Empowerment in Parents of Children With Autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 15(2), 71-78.  link >

Evans, M. A., Rick, J., Horn, M., Shen, C., Mercier, E., McNaughton, J., Higgins, S., Burd, E., Tissenbaum, M., Lui, M., Slotta, J. D., Maldonado, R. M., & Clayphan, A. (2012). Interactive surfaces and spaces: A learning sciences agenda. In 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Future of Learning, ICLS 2012 - Proceedings (pp. 78-85). (10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Future of Learning, ICLS 2012 - Proceedings; Vol. 2).

Higgins, S., Mercier, E., Burd, L., & Joyce-Gibbons, A. (2012). Multi-touch tables and collaborative learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(6), 1041-1054.  link >

Mercier, E., Higgins, S., Burd, E., & McNaughton, J. (2012). ITS in the classroom: Perspectives on using a multi-touch classroom. In ITS 2012 - Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces (pp. 375-378). (ITS 2012 - Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces).  link >

Mercier, E., Higgins, S., Burd, E., & Joyce-Gibbons, A. (2012). Multi-touch technology to support multiple levels of collaborative learning in the classroom. In 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Future of Learning, ICLS 2012 - Proceedings (pp. 187-191). (10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Future of Learning, ICLS 2012 - Proceedings; Vol. 2).

Mercier, E. M., Higgins, S., & Burd, E. (2012). TableTops in the classroom: Reflections on a multi-year project. In Workshop Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Computers in Education, ICCE 2012 (pp. 525-532). National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

Hatch, A., Higgins, S., Joyce-Gibbons, A., & Mercier, E. (2011). NumberNet: Using multi-touch technology to support within and between-group mathematics learning. In Connecting Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning to Policy and Practice: CSCL 2011 Conference Proceedings - Long Papers, 9th International Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference (pp. 176-183). (Connecting Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning to Policy and Practice: CSCL 2011 Conference Proceedings - Long Papers, 9th International Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference; Vol. 1).

Higgins, S. E., Mercier, E., Burd, E., & Hatch, A. (2011). Multi-touch tables and the relationship with collaborative classroom pedagogies: A synthetic review. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6(4), 515-538.  link >

Minjarez, M. B., Williams, S. E., Mercier, E. M., & Hardan, A. Y. (2011). Pivotal response group treatment program for parents of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(1), 92-101.  link >

Phillips, J., Mercier, E., Feinstein, C., & Hardan, A. Y. (2011). Autism spectrum disorders. In Handbook of Developmental Psychiatry (pp. 463-490). World Scientific Publishing Co..  link >

Barron, B., Martin, C. K., Mercier, E., Pea, R., Steinbock, D., Walter, S., Herrenkohl, L., Mertl, V., Tyson, K., & Miyake, N. (2009). Repertoires of collaborative practice. In Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Practices, CSCL 2009 Community Events Proceedings - 9th International Conference (pp. 25-27). (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Practices, CSCL 2009 Community Events Proceedings - 9th International Conference; Vol. 2). International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  link >

Booker, A., Goldman, S., & Mercier, E. (2008). Interdisciplinarity in learning technology design courses. In C. DiGiano, S. Goldman, & M. Chorost (Eds.), Educating Learning Technology Designers: Guiding and Inspiring Creators of Innovative Educational Tools (pp. 122-144). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.  link >

Goldman, S., Mercier, E., & Booker, A. (2008). Partnering with K-12 educators in collaborative design of learning technology. In C. DiGiano, S. Goldman, & M. Chorost (Eds.), Educating Learning Technology Designers: Guiding and Inspiring Creators of Innovative Educational Tools (pp. 62-79). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.  link >

Mercier, E. M., Goldman, S., & Booker, A. (2008). Focusing on process: Evidence and ideas to promote learning through the collaborative design process. In C. Digiano, S. Goldman, & M. Chorost (Eds.), Educating Learning Technology Designers: Guiding and Inspiring Creators of Innovative Educational Tools (pp. 36-61). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.  link >

Mercier, E., Goldman, S., & Booker, A. (2006). Collaborating to learn, learning to collaborate: Finding the balance in a cross-disciplinary design course. In ICLS 2006 - International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Proceedings (pp. 467-473). (ICLS 2006 - International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Proceedings; Vol. 1).

Mercier, E. M., Barron, B., & O'Connor, K. M. (2006). Images of self and others as computer users: The role of gender and experience. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 22(5), 335-348.  link >

Courses

CI 424: Child Development & Technology (CI 424) Theories of development will inform an analysis of current technologies marketed for pre-school children; issues related to technology and childhood will be explored. One class each week will focus on lectures and discussions about child development, the second class will focus on presentation of technology or technology genre and evaluation of their value for young children.

CI 499: Issues and Development in Education (CI 499) Seminar course on topics not treated by regularly scheduled courses; requests for initiation may be made by students or faculty member.

CI 507: Problems & Trends in Special Fields (CI 507) Intensive examination of problems and trends in the subject fields.

CI 519: Methods of Child Study (CI 519) Studies ways in which teachers can evaluate child behavior and development with an emphasis on classroom application; instruction and practice in the use and interpretation of observations, anecdotal records, rating scales, interviews, achievement tests, intelligence tests, questionnaires, and sociometric and projective techniques.