Norma Chang, Psychology . (Advisors, Marsha Lovett, Ken Koedinger)
Primary research project (dissertation) :
Learning to Discriminate and Generalize through Problem Comparisons
Graduated 5/06
Current appt: Graduate School of Education, University of California-Berkeley

Description :
Novices often have difficulty identifying what is important when learning a new domain, giving undue weight to surface features rather than deep structure. This is evident both in their inappropriate use of surface features to categorize and solve new problems, and in their failure to transfer relevant knowledge to other problems lacking familiar surface features. Although instructing students to compare pairs of problems may help call attention to the appropriate features of the domain, the literature is mixed regarding the types of comparisons that are most beneficial. Comparisons that highlight common structures across different surface features are argued to promote rich understanding of those problem structures that can transfer flexibly to new contexts. Comparisons that vary the problem structures while maintaining common surface features are believed to develop necessary knowledge of the critical features that distinguish the different structures. My research suggests a possible reconciliation of these conflicting results by assessing students' current knowledge and intervening with the type of comparison that would most benefit students with that knowledge profile. Current results demonstrate the efficacy of using this approach to teach exploratory data analysis. Continuing research will further elucidate the specific knowledge gains conferred by each type of problem comparison, as well as the processes by which students perform these comparisons and the potential role of explicit instruction in moderating the effectiveness of these comparisons.

Research interests :
Problem design; learning from comparisons and analogies; the roles of similarity and variability in transfer.

Long term goals :
My plan is to develop a program of educationally-relevant, psychological research on mathematics and science problem-solving, focusing on the issues identified above. I would like to pursue this either in a psychology department that clearly values educational applications, or in an education school with a strong belief in the importance of rigorous methodology in advancing learning theory. Because of my interest in collaborating closely with teachers in conducting research as well as in improving instructional practice, I also would like to work in teacher training / faculty development.