[xmca] Fwd: DBR/DBIR fellow position

[mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>]

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Design-based Research Fellow.

This individual will help start a new National Science Foundation
Transforming STEM Learning project, SciGames: a Technology-enhanced Model
for Bridging Informal and Formal Science Learning.  This project will focus
on designing sensor-based technologies to augment playground equipment to
turn students’ playground play into a game, wherein learning standards-based
physics content is integrated into the game play.  This project will also
design computer- or mobile device-based digital applications to support
students' inquiry into data collected during game play.  These two
components together comprise a new playful environment for STEM learning
that bridges informal and formal science learning environments.  The project
targets 600 New York City middle school students and their teachers, and
will explore further dissemination through New York City schools and through
the New York City Parks Department.

The Design-based Research Fellow will lead an interdisciplinary team of
learning scientists, museum educators, learning technologists, game
designers, and middle school science teachers, to design the portable
technology kits designed to support the game on any playground and the
associated digital application.  This person will head up the process by
which the team designs both kits and digital apps, being responsible for
developing instruments that focus on science learning and affect, collecting
a variety of data in museum, playground, and classroom contexts, and
analyzing this data using mixed methods to support the design-based research
cycles.

Requirements:
- Enthusiasm for and prior experience designing technology-enhanced learning
environments
- Research experience conducting trials and analyzing data using mixed
methods
- Experience analyzing observational data using a rubric
- Proficiency with statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, or STATA
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work well with a team from a diversity of disciplines
- Ideal candidates have (or will soon complete) a Ph.D. or a Masters in the
learning sciences, science
education, learning technologies, museum studies, or related field
- Prior experience in informal science learning is a plus
- Prior experience teaching science is a plus

Salary is commensurate with qualifications: $45,000 - $55,000 with full
benefits.  This position is funded for two years.

==========

Learning Research Fellow

There will also be a position opening up for a Learning Research Fellow on a
new National Science Foundation Research and Evaluation on Education in
Science and Engineering project, Investigating the Capacity of Game-based
Design Elements to Enhance Affective Dimensions of Genetics Learning.  This
project will focus on three game-based design elements: narrative, conflict
toward achieving a quantifiable goal, and community. We aim to empirically
test the extent to which adding these game-based design elements to a
project-based high school genetics curriculum, Concord Consortium’s
well-researched BioLogica, can enhance students’ affect, while still
supporting gains in meaningful understanding, including for students from
underrepresented groups.  Students work to figure out the genetics that
govern a fictional dragon species, using technology to breed dragons and
inspect their chromosomes and DNA. We aim to empirically test 1) if the
addition of each of the aforementioned game-based design elements to this
curriculum enhances students’ affect and learning, and 2) if the affect and
learning of
students from underrepresented groups are preferentially impacted by
specific game-based design elements.  We will use a cluster randomized
experimental design with 28 public high school biology classrooms from New
York City schools.  We will provide teachers with professional development
to support implementation. The Learning Research Fellow will construct,
collect, and analyze pre and post observations and measures of students’
affect including intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; behavioral, emotional,
and cognitive engagement; and attitudes. The Learning Research Fellow will
also construct, collect, and analyze pre and post observations and measures
of students’ depth of genetics knowledge.  The Learning Research Fellow will
receive oversight by an expert in Measurement and Quantitative Methods.

Requirements:
- Experience running experimental trials
- Proficiency with statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, or STATA
- Experience in mixed methods analysis
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ideal candidates have (or will soon complete) a Ph.D. or a Masters in the
learning sciences, education psychology, science education, or a related
field
- Prior experience doing research in informal science learning is a plus
- Prior experience teaching high school science is a plus
- Background in biology, esp. genetics, is a plus

Salary is commensurate with qualifications: $45,000 - $55,000 with full
benefits.  This position is funded for two years.
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