About
As a learning scientist, I explore how students learn science through their bodies while using advanced digital technologies such as gesture-detecting devices to support their thinking. My dissertation research was focused on how middle school students made sense of heat transfer using a gesture-augmented computer simulation supporting where I show how gesturing with a computer simulation supported students to build sophisticated explanations of heat transfer.
As a curriculum specialist, I work on various curriculum development projects related to science. I am currently exploring how to incorporate sustainability into science curriculum. I have previously worked on blending science and environmental science through a culturally-relevant pedagogy lens, and I developed teaching videos for supporting inquiry science teaching in India.
Publications
Nitasha Mathayas, David E Brown, Robert C. Wallon, Robb W Lindgren
Science Education, vol. 103(4), 2019 May 30, pp. 1047-1079
Nitasha Mathayas, David E Brown
icls, International Conference of Learning Sciences, 2017 Nov 31, pp. 56-63
Sahar Alameh, Jason Morphew, Nitasha Mathayas, Robb Lindgren
icls, International Conference of Learning Sciences, 2016 May 30, pp. 1006-1009
Exploring middle school students' sense making of a computer simulation about thermal conduction
Nitasha Mathayas, David E. Brown, Robb Lindgren
icls, International Conference of Learning Sciences, 2015 Nov 31, pp. 1267-1268
Robb W Lindgren, Robert C. Wallon, David E Brown, Nitasha Mathayas, Nathan Kimball
icls, International Conference of Learning Sciences, 2015 Nov 31, pp. 1014-1017
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Projects
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 (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...
ELASTIC3S (Embodied Learning Augmented through Simulation Theaters for Interacting with Cross-Cutting Concepts in Science) is an NSF Cyberlearning research project conducted by an interdisciplinary team of learning scientists and computer scientists a...
Learning to Teach for Epistemic Agency
The objective of this project is to examine teacher learning around supporting students’ epistemic agency: having students take ownership over the intellectual work of doing science and making decisions about how that work should proceed. This project ...
The goal for this project is to pilot the development of a linked series of courses within the established elementary teacher certification program at the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, that is focused on unders...
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Courses
Fall 2014, Fall 2019
This course prepares pre-service teachers in elementary education for teaching science
Methods of Educational Inquiry
Fall 2019
This in an introductory methods course introducing graduate students to research methods of the social sciences and humanities
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Contact
Nitasha Mathayas
Post Doctoral Researcher
nmathaya@iu.edu
Center for Research on Learning and Technology