Learning Research and
Development Center (LRDC)

Message from LRDC Director Charles Perfetti


The Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) is home to multidisciplinary research on human learning and education. Our research spans a wide range from the neural bases of learning and memory, through literacy, language, reasoning, and STEM learning, the social and developmental contexts that affect educational attainment and equity, and to large-scale efforts for educational improvement. We are pleased to share some of our research with the University of Pittsburgh community and the wider learning and educational sciences communities through these occasional reports of the LRDC Research News, prepared by Elizabeth Rangel, LRDC Director of Communications. See the LRDC website for more on Center research. 

November 2023

 
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Novel Approaches to Functional Laterialization


Led by Marc Coutanche, a multi-institutional research team introduces and tests two methods — one anatomical, one functional — that allow hemispheric information asymmetries to be detected. Summary of article on the LRDC website.

The Cognitive Science of Medical Expertise


Cognitive Research: Principles & Implications published a special issue on medical expertise. Scott Fraundorf was a co-editor and Timothy Nokes-Malach, Benjamin Rottman, and Zachary Caddick co-wrote articles. Read the full articles on the LRDC website.  

Applying a Developmental-relational View of Compassion in Adolescence


Brian Galla and Michael Tumminia and colleagues conducted a yearslong longitudinal study to better understand the developmental processes that may support compassion during adolescence. Summary on the LRDC website.

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NSF Racial Equity Award

Angela Stewart received a National Science Founcation (NSF) Racial Equity in STEM Education award for "Black Girls as Creators: An Intersectional Learning Ecosystem Toward Gendered Racial Equity in Artificial Intelligence Education." Read more here

Hanson's COVID Study in the News

Jamie Hanson and colleagues' article "Childhood adversity and COVID-19 outcomes in the UK Biobank" discovered that those who experienced childhood trauma had a 20% greater risk of suffering negative effects from COVID-19. Read the article.

Yiden Prize symbol

Passings

Lloyd Bond, an influential scholar and researcher in the field of psychometrics, and former LRDC faculty member, passed away on September 28. Read more about Lloyd's life and contributions to the field.

LRDC Learning Sciences Video Series artwork

LRDC Learning Sciences Videos

Highlighting the importance of research for improving classroom environments, these exciting new videos aim to improve learning outcomes for all students. Watch the videos here.

Pitt Day of Giving 2024

On February 27, 2024, LRDC will participate in the Pitt Day of Giving. Details on donating to LRDC will be shared with the LRDC community in January.

Recent Publications


Chen, L., Xu, Y., & Perfetti, C. (2023). A character-word dual function model of reading Chinese: evidence from reading Chinese compounds. Springer Link.

Coutanche, M.N., Sauter, J., Akpan, E., Buckser, R., Vincent, A., & Caulfield, M.K. (2023). Novel approaches to functional lateralization: Assessing information in activity patterns across hemispheres and more accurately identifying structural homologues. Neuropsychologia.

Crosson, A., C., Correnti, R., Matsumura, L., C., & McKeown, M., G. (2023). Effects of the Triple Q intervention on argument writing: Findings from a small-scale cluster-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness.

DeAngelo, L., . . . E. T., Binning, . . . Schunn, C. D., . . ., Conrique, et al. (2023). Board 404: The process of building faculty buy-in for course-based adaptations of an ecological belonging intervention to transform engineering representation at scale. In 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.

Godwin, A., Perkins, H., DeAngelo, L., McChesney, E. T., Kaufman-Ortiz, K., Dorve-Lewis, G., & Conrique, B.(2023). Belonging in engineering for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students: Promising results from an educational intervention in an introductory programming course. In IEEE Transactions on Education.

Kalinowski, S. T., & Pelakh, A. (2023). A hypothetico-deductive theory of science and learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Leyva, D., Yeomans-Maldonado, G., Weiland, C., Shapiro, A., & Leech, K., Pilot, I., & Wolf, S. (2023). Literacy measures that leverage Spanish-speaking Latino children’s strengths. Journal of Literacy Research.

Malespina, A., Schunn, C., D., & Singh, C. (2023). Bioscience students’ internalized mindsets predict grades and reveal gender inequities in physics courses. Physical Review Physics Education Research.

Nur, A, A., Leibbrand, C., Curran, R, S., Votruba-Drzal, E., & Gibson-Davis, C. (2023). Managing and minimizing online survey questionnaire fraud: Lessons from the Triple C project. International Journal of Social Research Methodology.

Premo, A. E., & Goldstein, H. G. (2023). Developing exit tickets in an improvement network. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Research Brief.

Sherman, D., K., Gibbs, W., C., & Binning, K., R. (2023). Self-affirmation and intergroup biases: Changing the narrative and the potential for conflict reduction. Psychological Intergroup Interventions.

Steiner, M. A., Knutson, K., Crowley, K., Heller, N., McGill, B., Giarranti, L., Russell, J., & Nelson, T. (2023). Taking time to listen and learn: a museum partnership designed to engage rural audiences in climate change conversations. Museums & Social Issues.

*LRDC researchers' names appear in boldface


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