Heris a list of ongoing and completed research projects:
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Marylanders Online
Funded by Department of Housing and Community Development of the State of Maryland. This project aims to bring digital inclusion to Maryland by provding quality resources and education that help improve digital literacy. Click here for more information about Marylanders Online. [ONGOING] |
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Ready NOW: Supporting Youth and Families during Crises
Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. This project aims to enhance the capabilities of library staff to serve as proactive community partners before, during, and after times of crisis. Click here for more information about Ready NOW. [ONGOING] |
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Connected learning at the library: Developing librarians’ capacity to support today’s digital youth
Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. This project brought together researchers and public library partners to develop a suite of professional development resources aimed at building public librarians’ capacity to leverage digital media and connected learning principles to promote 21st century skills among the youth they serve. Click here for more information about ConnectedLib. [COMPLETED] |
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Improving Assessment of Computational Thinking in Libraries
Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. In this project, my team is currently developing computational thinking assessments for youth library programs offered via libraries. These assessment tools will be used by library staff to accurately capture the CT literacy development via libraries Click here for more information about the IMPACT project. [COMPLETED] |
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Safe Data Safe Families
Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. In this project, my team will develop educational resources for families to reduce risky behaviors and enhance overall privacy-related digital skills, and for librarians and other information intermediaries to better support the families they assist. Click here for more information about the Safe Data Safe Families project. [COMPLETED] |
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Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Youth Experience
Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. In this project, my team developed and implemented a new post-master's certificate aimed at building the capacity of librarians who serve teens and children, to adapt to the changing landscape of youth learning and technology. The core of the certificate is it's emphasis on learning sciences, including critical aspects of promoting learning using technology such as adult mentorship, partnership, participatory design, and design thinking in the context of learning in libraries. Click here for more information about the YX Certificate. This certificate program is no longer offered. [COMPLETED] |
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HackHealth: Improving Health Literacy through Facilitation of Scientific Inquiry and Information Literacy Skills
Funded by the National Library of Medicine. HackHealth is an after-school program that runs for 12 consecutive weeks in selected Prince George's County middle schools. I am leading a research team that works with school librarians at these schools to lead after-school sessions that engage disadvantaged youth in (a) conducting scientific inquiry into health maintenance and/or disease prevention and management; (b) acting as health information intermediaries; and (c) taking action based on what they learn. Our overarching goals are to increase the interest of youth in the health sciences, their health information literacy, their health-related self-efficacy, and their understanding of the crucial link between their daily health-related behaviors and their ability to maintain their health and prevent disease. Click here for more information about HackHealth. [COMPLETED] |
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Sci-dentity: Developing STEM Identities Through Sci-Fi Storytelling and Online Peer Networks
Funded by the National Science Foundation. In this 3-year research project, we created an after-school program for inner-city, middle school youth in Washington DC Public Schools (DCPS) where students create science inspired stories with different media (e.g. graphic novels, short stories etc.) [COMPLETED] |
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Leveraging Technology for Mathematics Learning
Funded by the University of Maryland ADVANCE. Ann Ryu Edwards, Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Maryland and I (co-PI) received a seed grant for a research project, Leveraging Technology for Mathematics: Exploring Instructional Collaboration between School Librarians and Mathematics Teacher. This one-year ADVANCE grant served as a pilot study for the development and deployment of a collaboration model between mathematics teachers and school librarians that helps underrepresented, disadvantaged and underserved youths in middle schools increase engagement and achievement in mathematics. [COMPLETED] |
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Safe Space and Knowledge Discovery: Social Media in the National Parks
Funded by the Future of Information Alliance - Deutsch Foundation. In partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), I led a group of students to develop a guidebook that will allow NPS (and similar learning institutions) to incorporate social media platform that promotes awareness and learning of new media literacies and privacy practices for tweens. Learn more about this project via our promo video. Learning institutions that are interested in implementing social media and including children under 13 may refer to this Guidebook to Virtual Space for pointers on safe privacy practices, community moderation and parent involvement. [COMPLETED] |
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Improving Museum Experiences of Children with Autism and Their Families
Funded by the University of Maryland, College Park and The Smithsonian Institution. iPAC researchers, Paul Jaeger, Lesley Langa and myself (Lead PI) and The Smithsonian Institution researchers, Pino Monaco and Beth Ziebarth, received a prestigious seed grant for a research project, The Museum Experience of Children with Autism and Their Families: Improving Access through Web and Electronic Resources. This research project is one of the first concrete efforts to explore the integration of web resources as a means to promote greater inclusion of people with disabilities in museums. [COMPLETED] |
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Information and Diverse Population Concentration
Funded by IMLS iPAC researchers - Paul T. Jaeger, John Carlo Bertot, Lesley A. Langa, and myself (co-PI) - in conjunction with Jonathan Lazar of Towson University and Renee E. Hill (nee Franklin) of Syracuse University received an IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant to provide scholarships for a cohort of 20 full-time students to enter the iSchool Information and Diverse Populations Masters program in Fall 2011. For these scholarships, students were recruited based on a commitment to working in diverse service and learning environments, and were involved in a series of mentoring activities (see mentoring handbook) and internships that helped prepare them to work in diverse environments. [COMPLETED] |
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