Nitasha Mathayas

Post Doctoral Researcher

About


Hi and welcome to my website. I am Dr. Nitasha Mathayas and I am a science educator and learning scientist exploring how children engage with science through their bodies. 

As a former classroom teacher and curriculum developer for K-8 science curriculum, I am committed to making science more hands-on and engaging for children. My past research explores students’ hand gestures as a tool to support their scientific modeling, my current research broadens this exploration to see how groups of children collective science model. I use Mixed reality technology to design spaces that leverage these body movements for scientific thinking. I am also moving toward studying how embodiment can help us see science beyond normative views and how that can help broaden participation in science from those typically underrepresented in STEM fields. 

Publications


Representational gesturing as an epistemic tool for the development of mechanistic explanatory models


Nitasha Mathayas, David E Brown, Robert C. Wallon, Robb W Lindgren

Science Education, vol. 103(4), 2019 May 30, pp. 1047-1079


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Projects


Generalized Embodied Modeling to support Science through Technology Enhanced Play (GEM-STEP) - current


The project will develop and research a new Mixed Reality environment (MR) that leverages play and embodiment as resources for integrating computational modeling into the modeling cycle as part of science instruction for elementary students.




Gesture Augmented Simulations for Supporting Explanations (GRASP)


GRASP (GestuRe Augmented Simulations for supporting exPlanations) is an NSF-funded collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Concord Consortium. The goal of this project is to understand the role that gestures play in rea...


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Posts


Jun 7, 2021

Presenting at ISLS Conference

Presenting at International Society of Learning Sciences Annual Conference 2021: https://2021.isls.org/ I'll be presenting my research at one symposium and one poster at the conference. On Thursday June 10, 1 pm ET I discuss how embodied learning inte...


Read more

Jun 7, 2021

Presenting at ISLS Conference

Presenting at International Society of Learning Sciences Annual Conference 2021: https://2021.isls.org/ I'll be presenting my research at one symposium and one poster at the conference. On Thursday June 10, 1 pm ET I discuss how embodied learning inte...


Read more

Contact


Nitasha Mathayas

Post Doctoral Researcher


[email protected]


Center for Research on Learning and Technology

Indiana University


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