Opportunities in the College of Education

Overview: Behavioral Research and Teaching is comprised of a small group of researchers conducting research and development in student academic assessment. The shop is funded from federal grants and state contracts and is comprised of faculty, staff, and students committed to the development of effective educational programs for all students.  Contact BRT if you’re interested in getting involved.

Host Department: College of Education

Contact: Steffani Mast

Email: steffani@uoregon.edu

Phone: 541-346-5689

Website: http://www.brtprojects.org/about/

Guidance/Eligibility:

• Contact the department for more information.

Deadline: n/a

Host Department: Prevention Science Institute

Website: http://psi.uoregon.edu

Overview:

The Prevention Science Institute (PSI) at the University of Oregon is a multidisciplinary institute focused on understanding human development, preventing behavioral health problems, and implementing effective interventions in community settings. The core mission of the PSI is to improve the lives and well-being of children, individuals, and families throughout the lifespan. The PSI is a research institute designed for collaboration between faculty across disciplines, including psychology, social and affective neuroscience, development, and education, and others who are interested in prevention. The PSI has office locations in both the Eugene and Portland campuses.

Internship Activities:

There are opportunities as needed, throughout the academic year and summer, to work on several longitudinal studies in the Eugene or Portland area conducting research with children and families. Undergraduate students will be selected for available positions according to their interests, skills set, and availability. The PSI internship allows students to gain experience in a variety of research activities which include, but are not limited to: gathering data through in-person interviews and/or over the phone using standardized questionnaires, tests, and semi-structured interview protocols; organizing and coding behavioral interactions that have been digitally recorded; assisting in the management of data and data analysis; working in a research team environment. Other tasks may include data entry, data checking, attending regularly scheduled team meetings, and/or other procedures as required to support the needs of the research.

Student Time Commitment:

Variable, depending on the student’s interests and availability, and the needs of the project. For most positions, blocks of availability on at least 1-3 days during the week are required. For example: 9-12pm M, W, F or 1pm-6pm T/TH, etc. Some projects may require evening and/or weekend availability.

 Skills Needed:

Undergraduates selected to work with PSI researchers must be able to perform work within in a team-oriented environment, complete project-related tasks in a timely manner, maintain communication with supervisors and other team members, attend meetings as required, and maintain reliability in data collection and/or coding. Applicants must enjoy working with adults and children of a variety of ages, be motivated and organized, have good attention to detail, and be able to pass a criminal background check. No prior research experience is necessary.

Preferred skills include experience in research, experience with assessment procedures, and experience working with children ages 3 – 18. A one-year commitment is preferable on most projects.

Students may volunteer their time or receive course credit. Outstanding candidates who show dedication and commitment to the position may later qualify for other research opportunities and may receive letters of recommendation.

Application Procedure:

Interested applicants should e-mail a resume and answers to the following questions to http://psi.uoregon.edu

1. When are you available to start?
2. What experience do you have working with adults, children, and/or adolescents?
3. What do you hope to gain from working at the PSI?

Please include your current schedule as an excel file, spanning 9am – 8pm for both weekdays and weekends. Indicate times when you are not regularly available either due to class or other previous commitments by including an X in the appropriate cell.

Qualified applicants will be contacted for a follow-up interview as positions become available.

Principal Investigator:

Elizabeth Skowron, Ph.D.
Website: https://education.uoregon.edu/users/elizabeth-skowron

Lab Description:

Professor Elizabeth Skowron and her lab encourage motivated undergraduate students to apply to become FHS interns for the Coaching Alternative Parenting Strategies (CAPS) Project. As a member of our lab, you will gain valuable experience working with high-risk, DHS involved children and working in an intervention research setting. You would gain first-hand experience observing licensed therapists doing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a type of family therapy.

This is an amazing opportunity for individuals interested in graduate school and in careers in the social sciences.

Internship Activities:

As an intern, you would:

1. Gain direct client contact providing sibling support for family visits
2. Learn about and observe an evidence-based therapy intervention
3. Become familiar with many other aspects of a collaborative research lab, including data collection, data organization, and research writing

Student Time Commitment:

Applicants should have large blocks of availability on at least three days during the week (for example; 9-noon M,W,F or 1-6 T, Th, etc) and be able to work up to two weekends per month.

Desired Qualifications:

Ideal applicants should enjoy working with children of a variety of ages, be motivated, organized, have good attention to detail, and must be able to pass a criminal background check. No prior research experience is necessary.

Students may volunteer their time or receive course credit. Students must agree to a 1-3 term commitment. Outstanding candidates who show dedication and commitment to the position may later qualify for a senior field placement including leadership opportunities, other job opportunities, and may receive letters of recommendation.

Application Procedure:

Interested applicants should e-mail a resume and answers to the following questions to Lisa Shimomaeda at lshimom2@uoregon.edu:

1. When are you available to start?
2. What experience do you have working with children 3-7 years old?
3. What do you hope to gain from working in our lab?
4. Please include your current schedule as an excel file, spanning 9am – 8pm for both weekdays and weekends. Indicate times when you arenot regularly available either due to class or other previous commitments by including an X in the appropriate cell.

Qualified applicants will be contacted for a follow-up interview.

Project Title: 

The KEEP-P Project at the Stress Neurobiology and Prevention Lab (SNAP lab)

Principal Investigator:

Phil Fisher, PhD
Website: http://psychology.uoregon.edu/profile/philf/

Project Description:  

The Stress Neurobiology and Prevention (SNAP) Laboratory is looking for several new research assistants to help us conduct intervention research in the community. As a research assistant in the SNAP lab, you will be gaining valuable experience for graduate school, and may be able to earn upper division credits.

KEEP-P is a clinical trial of a new group-based parenting intervention for parents with preschool age children. The research sample will include up to 240 preschoolers and their biological or foster parents and adoptive families. KEEP-P is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Phil Fisher, PhD, is conducting the study. We are looking for students to assist with the project including assessing families, providing childcare during assessments, data entry and tracking, as well as miscellaneous lab tasks.  This is a great project for students who are especially interested in early childhood education and working with high-risk families.

Our team works collaboratively with Early Childhood CARES and the Lane County Department of Human Services child welfare agency to recruit families. Families will be randomly assigned to KEEP-P (parenting support group) or KEEP-P+ (parenting support group + parenting video coaching intervention).

We will conduct four waves of data collection, starting with a baseline assessment followed by an assessment immediately post intervention and two follow-up assessments at 12 months and 18 months from baseline. Assessments will include interviews and questionnaires for the parents, developmental assessments with the children and parent-child interaction tasks, as well as behavioral coding. KEEP-P has a video component that utilizes Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND).  You may be asked to help with FIND project tasks.

Potential Benefits to Interns:

Working in the SNAP lab you will:

• Gain experience in a research setting
• Learn how interventions work
• Gain experience conducting standardized interviews
• Learn about different data collection methods and protocols

Student Time, Commitment, and Requirements: 

We assess the KEEP-P families between the hours of 8:30am and 7:30pm Monday – Friday and weekends generally between the hours of 8:30am – 6:00pm.  The assessments, including prep and clean up time can last up to 3 hours. We need students who can:

• Commit to 3 terms at the SNAP Lab
• Be available 6-9 hours a week, including some weekends and evenings (your schedule must permit for blocks of time that are several hours in length)
• Be in your sophomore year or higher
• Show an ability to meet deadlines and have a high attention to detail
• Be comfortable working with children 0-6 years of age
• Attend the weekly 1hr mandatory staff meeting
• To work with children you must be able to pass a background check

You should consider applying for this position if you have a passion for working with children and families, research, or science; are a quick learner; have the ability to work independently; are communicative; and have decent computer skills.

Application Procedure:

Briefly answer the questions below and include a letter of interest and your resume. Send items to: Alex Wagnon, KEEP-P Assessment Coordinator, awagnon@uoregon.edu

1. Describe any experiences you have had with data collection (populations, methods).
2. The children we see during assessments (age 2.5 – 6) can be very active and may have difficulty focusing on the task at hand.  With training, do you feel confident in your ability to keep such a child on the right track? What strategies do you think you would use to keep a child on task?
3. How flexible are you able to be with your schedule? What strategies do you use to keep your schedule in order?

When are you available to start? Are you able to commit to 3 terms?

Project Title:

Filming Interactions to Nurture Development

Principal Investigator:

Philip Fisher, PhD
Website: http://psychology.uoregon.edu/profile/philf/

Project Description:

The Fisher Stress Neurobiology and Prevention (SNAP) Lab focuses on the effects of early life adversity, developing and examining preventative interventions to improve outcomes for children and families, and impacting policy and practices towards high-risk children and families.

The lab is looking for students who can work on our FIND programs. FIND stands for Filming Interactions to Nurture Development, and is a strength based video coaching program for parents and other caregivers of high-risk children. FIND uses video of naturally occurring child-parent interaction to encourage developmentally supportive caregiving.

Potential Benefits to Interns:

• Learn about early brain development, toxic stress and parenting
• Gain experience with clinical intervention and research
• Learn innovative video editing

Student Time, Commitment and Requirements:

• Commit to a minimum of one full academic year (3 terms) in the SNAP Lab
• Commit to 6-9 hours of work per week
• Be in your junior year or higher
• Demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, communication and dependability

Application Procedure:

Please send your resume to Kyndal Howell, Assistant Director of Operations for the SNAP Lab, kyndalh@uoregon.edu

In your email, please note whether you are available and willing to intern over the summer months.

Principal Investigator:

Directed by Anthony Hornof, Associate Professor
Website: https://www.cs.uoregon.edu/People/Faculty/Anthony_Hornof.php

Department:

UO Department of Computer and Information Science

Project Description:  

Students specializing in early childhood intervention, music therapy, developmental disorders, special education, human services, and other related fields, are sought for a directed research project that will investigate opportunities for semi-automated music therapy in the homes of children with disabilities. The project will explore possibilities for computer-mediated music therapy, and focus largely on girls with Rett Syndrome, a severe motor and intellectual disability affecting girls and women. Musical interventions have been shown to ameliorate the regressive symptoms of Rett Syndrome (Elefant & Meir, 2004; and others). The project will explore how new interactive systems might be used to deliver (a) music therapy and music-motivated interactive activities and (b) opportunities for girls with Rett Syndrome to participate in fun social activities.

Skills Needed/Required Experience:

We are looking for a highly motivated undergrad or graduate student who has a passion for working with individuals with disabilities, and has experience or would like to gain experience learning about and working with these populations. Applicants should have a strong interest in research that focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

Applicants should be able to perform the following tasks:

• Read, take notes on, and write short responses to research articles relevant to the study, to learn about Rett syndrome and the goals of the project.
• Performing literature searches to explore new questions that arise.
• Develop study materials, such as recruitment fliers, parent questionnaires, and parent interview questions.
• Accompany faculty member or graduate student(s) on trips to the homes of girls with Rett syndrome to observe parent interviews and data collection.
• “Code” videos of girls with Rett syndrome interacting with music-playing devices to note locomotive behavior and indicators of happiness.
• Work with MS Excel to assist in the analysis of single-case research design.
• Attend research team meetings to discuss project timelines, weekly duties, and project goals.

Potential Benefits to Interns:

• Valuable field and research experience working with children with disabilities.
• Experience coding video and analyzing data.
• Knowledge of single-case research design and how it may be used to work with unique and specific populations.
• Experience collaborating with a faculty member and graduate student(s) in a real-world, scientific, practical research project.
• Depending on the level of commitment and contribution, possibly a co-authorship on a conference or journal paper.

Student Time & Commitment: 

Minimum 10 hours per week. Highly motivated outstanding students may be considered for full-time summer work and a stipend.

Application Procedure:

You can learn more about Anthony and his research at <http://ix.cs.uoregon.edu/~hornof/>.

Please contact Anthony via phone (541-346-1372) or email <hornof@cs.uoregon.edu> if you have any questions at all about this position.

If you are interested, please submit: (a) 1-page letter of interest, and (b) resume/CV to Anthony Hornof at hornof@cs.uoregon.edu.

Research Unit:

Although an impressive body of empirical research has increased our understanding of child abuse and neglect intervention, it has also shown that intervention alone does not decrease the rates of child abuse and neglect; they remain very high in the United States.  A new kind of effort is needed to translate existing and emerging knowledge into significant reduction in the rates of child abuse and neglect.

The Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect is designed to develop, implement and research a collective impact and public health approach to child abuse/neglect prevention. For more information, please visit the center’s website. 

Principal Investigator:

Jeff Todahl, jtodahl@uoregon.edu, CPAN Co-Director, Director of Research
Website: https://education.uoregon.edu/users/todahl

 Projects’ Description:  

Established in April, 2012, the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect is designed to develop, implement and research a collective impact and public health approach to child abuse and neglect prevention. Most CPAN research activities are directly related to the 90by30 Initiative (described below), though additional current projects include an evaluation of a child sexual abuse curriculum (Stewards of Children) and measurement of child abuse and neglect prevalence rates across Oregon (Oregon Prevalence Study).

If you have an interest in primary prevention, violence prevention, and population-level implementation science (translating research into community-based change), you will likely have high interest in CPAN’s work. We have many active research projects that you could participate in right away, and opportunities for research that can be tailored to your particular interests and areas of expertise. Your time commitment to any given project also can vary based on your availability and other factors.

The mission of the Center is to act as a convening body to design, coordinate, facilitate, and measure a community-campus collective impact initiative toward violence prevention, with initial priority to reducing child abuse and neglect in Lane County 90% by 2030.

Available Projects and Tasks:

1) Stewards of Children (Protect Our Children) Evaluation.

Stewards of Children is a facilitated, video-based child sexual abuse prevention curriculum designed for adults. It is being delivered across 10 Oregon rural regions (n=20,500+). CPAN is conducting a developmental program evaluation in partnership with The Ford Family Foundation. The evaluation is underway, with the following current activities:

• pilot data analysis (n=505+)
• study 1; pre-post analysis
• study 2; 6, 12 and 18-month longitudinal analysis
• Participant focus group interviews, English and Spanish language formats
• Spanish language Knowledge Measure development
• Random-digit comparator data collection and analysis

For more information about this intervention, please see: Stewards of Children

2) Oregon Prevalence Study

The Oregon Prevalence Study (OPS) is designed to more accurately measure child abuse and neglect prevalence rates. Data, to date, relies on child abuse report rates (which significantly under-represent actual rates) and retrospective research with adults. National survey data has several additional limitations. The OPS will survey middle and high school students (stratified random sample). At this time, CPAN is adapting existing measures (JVQ, CTQ), developing items for additional constructs, and modifying ACE items. In the 2015-2016 academic year, the measure will be piloted and refined for implementation in 2016-2017. Activities include:

• Measure development (including age-appropriate modifications)
• Pilot
• Analysis
• Review and finalizing of methodology and sampling frame plan

3) Child Abuse Prevention Climate Survey

The Child Abuse Prevention Climate Survey (CAPCS) is a 50-item measure that was recently administered (random-digit dial) in Lane (n=503) and Whatcom (n=410) counties. It will be re-administered every 4 years through 2032. The measure is designed to identify public beliefs, attitudes, self and collective efficacy, and perceptions of child abuse primary prevention strategies. Current CAPS research activities include:

• Qualitative analysis of open-ended items
• CAPCS measure development (e.g., additional principle component analyses, validity and reliability testing)
• Comparator analysis of Whatcom and Lane County data (analysis of Lane County data is completed and is in preparation)

4) Child Abuse Primary Prevention Systematic Literature Review

The CPAN Systematic Literature Review Team has nearly completed an exhaustive systematic literature review of child abuse primary prevention evidence-based programs. This review has direct application: It is informing strategies that are being considered and selected by 90by30 Regional Leadership Teams and CPAN. Current needs with this project:

• 6 month update of systematic review
• Search and review of promising and highly recommended strategies by national organizations (e.g., Chapin Hall, FRIENDS Network, USDHHS, CDC, Center for the Study of Social Policy)
• Publication of findings, peer review
• Publication of findings, public consumption

5) COAMFTE Intimate Partner Violence Curriculum Survey and Review

The Intimate Partner Violence Survey is in a follow-up phase. This study investigated COAMFTE training programs’ inclusion of IPV content (including universal screening). Current activity:

• Follow-up with eligible training programs
• Administer survey
• Analysis and publication

Student Time & Commitment: 

Negotiated per need and student availability.

 Skills Needed/Preferred for Internship: 

Primary preference: A career interest in violence prevention (e.g., sexual violence, child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence). Additional preferences: An interest in health promotion or implementation of population-level prevention strategies.

Materials Requested for Application:

A brief description detailing how a research internship with the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect is a good fit for you; 2) resume/vita.

For more information about CPAN and the 90by30 Initiative, please visit: http://90by30.com.

Principal Investigator:

Kent McIntosh, kentm@uoregon.edu & Rob Horner, robh@uoregon.edu

Research Unit:  

Educational and Community Supports (ECS) is a research unit within the College of Education at the University of Oregon that has operated since 1972.

ECS focuses on the development and implementation of practices that result in positive, durable and scientifically substantiated change in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. Federal and state funded projects support research, teaching, dissemination and technical assistance activities.

For more information, please visit http://ecs.uoregon.edu/

Project Description:  

The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. This internship will support the Technical Assistance Center by developing and publishing Evaluation Briefs based on the PBIS database of 40 million office discipline referrals. Please visit this website to view examples of evaluation briefs already completed to date: PBIS Evaluation Briefs

Internship Activities:  

• Attend weekly research meetings on Mondays from 12:30-1:45 at Lokey 143
• Identify evaluation questions that can be answered from the existing PBIS database
• Collaborate with Dr. McIntosh on analysis and writing of Evaluation Briefs
• Briefs are then posted on the www.pbis.org website and used by the states, districts, and schools implementing PBIS.

 Student Time & Commitment: 

Negotiable and variable depending on the students’ needs, interests, and availability.

Skills Needed for Internship: 

Some experience completing statistical analysis and in preparing a professional manuscript.

Principal Investigator(s)/Supervisor(s):

Fatima Terrazas-Arellanes, Ph.D., fatima@uoregon.edu
Website: https://education.uoregon.edu/users/rogers

Project Description:

Project ESCOLAR is a five-year study conducted by the University of Oregon’s Center for Equity Promotion (CEQP). ESCOLAR is creating and evaluating high-quality Collaborative Online Learning (COL) units to help middle-school students explore science, collaborate with others online, and enhance learning. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Internship Activities:

• Working with a team of researchers in designing and teaching online science curriculum, developing content lessons, and lesson plans. Specifically:
• Design instructional lessons and lesson plans
• Conduct classroom observations and instructional coaching to middle school science teachers
• Prepare materials for instructional coaching activities
• Conduct professional development workshops for middle school science teachers
  

Potential Benefits to Interns:

• Gain classroom experience working with teachers and students
• Apply science knowledge in a real-world environment
• Network with schools and districts
• Collaborate with researchers in education studies
• Earn credit hours while getting job experience

Potential Benefits to the Project:

The project would benefit greatly from the involvement of an intern who would assist teachers in the field when needed, creating a smoother implementation for teachers and students; teachers would also benefit from having a science expert with whom they could communicate about the topics their students are studying. Overall, the intern would be an asset to the project in that s/he would provide the needed science instruction and discussion to collaborative meetings with teachers and within the classroom environment.

Student Time & Commitment:

Negotiable and variable depending on the student’s needs, interests, and availability.

Skills Needed/Required Experience:

Applicants should have strong communication skills and be highly responsible; preference is given to applicants with a science background and an interest in education or teaching.

Key Words Associated with the Project:

Science, teaching, online, coaching, collaborative learning, classroom observations

Application Procedure:

Submit a letter of interest and resume, including a list of biology, chemistry, physics, and closely related courses taken and grades received (unofficial copies of transcripts are acceptable) to Emily Walden at ewalden@uoregon.edu.

Project Title:

Project S-SOAR (Stepping Up to SOAR: Strategies for Online Academic Research)

Principal Investigator(s)/Supervisor(s):

Fatima Terrazas-Arellanes, Ph.D., fatima@uoregon.edu

Project Description:

Project S-SOAR is a five-year study conducted by the University of Oregon’s Center for Equity Promotion (CEQP). S-SOAR is testing and disseminating strategies for conducting effective online research and teacher professional development resources. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Internship Activities:

Intern will assist with professional development and implementation activities in schools to support teachers as they teach middle school students how to conduct online research. The intern will take part in professional development workshops with teachers and provide coaching support to teachers.

Potential Benefits to Interns:

• Gain classroom experience working with teachers and students
• Apply what you’ve learned in COE classes in a real-world environment
• Network with schools and districts
• Collaborate with researchers in education studies
• Earn credit hours while getting job experience

Potential Benefits to the Project:

The project would benefit greatly in having an intern with strong communication skills and a passion for teaching, as s/he would be a great asset out in the field, coaching teachers and providing them with needed professional development. The project needs an intern in the classroom to provide support to participating teachers in the project so that both students and the research would be benefited by the intern’s involvement.

Student Time & Commitment:

Negotiable and variable depending on the student’s needs, interests, and availability.

Skills Needed/Required Experience:

Applicants should have good communication skills and basic technology skills; preference is given to students interested in teaching or education research.

Key Words Associated with the Project:

Professional development, teaching, online, coaching, online research, classroom observations, technology

Application Procedure:

If interested, applicants must submit: (a) letter of interest, and (b) resume to Emily Walden at ewalden@uoregon.edu.

Project Title: 

NTACT Systematic Literature Review

Principal Investigator:

Dawn A. Rowe, drowe3@uoregon.edu and Valerie L. Mazzotti, vmazzott@uoregon.edu

 Project Description:  

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition is conducting a systematic review of the literature to identify evidence-based, research-based, and promising practices in the area of secondary transition.

Internship Activities:  

• Assist PIs in searching multiple databases to identify articles to include in review
• Coding articles for research quality and content
• Keeping reference list up-to-date

 Student Time & Commitment: 

Negotiable and variable depending on the students’ needs, interests, and availability.

 Skills Needed for Internship: 

Critical reading skills, skills to conduct electronic searches via the library website, APA, ability to follow directions, written and oral communication skills.

Materials Requested for Application:

Writing sample.

Research Unit:

Center on Teaching and Learning, https://ctl.uoregon.edu/

Faculty Members:

Gina Biancarosa, Ed.D ginab@uoregon.edu and

Sarah Carlson, Ph.D, carlsons@uoregon.edu

 Project Description:

The MOCCA Project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to validate and refine a new measure (MOCCA) for diagnostic purposes in reading comprehension.  MOCCA was originally developed to identify the cognitive processes that take place during reading comprehension, and whether such processes are associated with reading comprehension problems in struggling readers.  To do so, readers are asked to complete a missing sentence in a short narrative text with the “best” sentence out of four options in the multiple-choice assessment.  Each option represents a specific cognitive reading comprehension process that has been identified in previous research (e.g., paraphrase, different inferences).  The “best” option completes the text in a causally coherent way so that the goal, subgoal, and resolution causally fit together.  Preliminary results from the original development of MOCCA indicate that two types of struggling readers tend to overly-rely on processes that do not help them develop causal coherence during reading when they are not choosing that “best” option.  Thus, in the current project, we will expand, test, and validate MOCCA by developing additional items that will range in grades 3-5.  Each grade level assessment will have 3 forms and will be piloted each year, including with a nationally representative sample in Years 2 and 3.  This is also a multi-site project in which data will be collected in Chico, CA with our partner Ben Seipel, Ph.D., and IRT analyses will be conducted at the University of Minnesota with our partner Mark Davison, Ph.D.

Internship Activities:

Working with a team of researchers to organize and code verbal protocol data, as well as assist in various analyses throughout the project (e.g., identification of comprehension groups based on project data; observation of IRT analyses).

Student Time Commitment:

Negotiable and variable depending on the students’ needs, interests, and availability.

Skills Needed:

Some practical experience in working with data in a research team.

Keywords: 

Reading comprehension, assessment, struggling readers, data analysis

Project Title: 

Mathematics eText Research Center (MeTRC) 

 Principal Investigator:

 Mark Horney, PhD, mhorney@uoregon.edu

 Research Unit:  

The Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE) is a research and outreach unit approved by the Oregon State System of Higher Education (OSSHE) and dedicated to investigating and promoting the use of advanced technology in education. CATE is committed to transforming teaching and learning through the use of computing and communication technologies.

Current projects focus on:

• Promoting and sharing information on advanced technology in education
• Providing professional development on integrating technology across the curriculum
• Investigating innovative technology for supporting at-risk learners
• Assisting educational agencies with technology planning
• Developing effective strategies for computer-based studying
• Promoting Internet connectivity and interactivity for teaching and learning

For more information on the center, please visit cate.uoregon.edu

Project Description:  

MeTRC is funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to investigate reading and writing in mathematics, particularly by students with learning disabilities or vision impairments. MeTRC is currently analyzing two large data sets from research projects conducted over the past two years. The first involves a database of student interactions with an online supplemental mathematics curriculum, and seeks to understand the patterns of student behaviors as they make use of the various features available in a digital reading and study environment.

The second data set is a collection of mathematical explanations written by students studying fractions. This study is focused on the differences between explanations written using traditional pencil and paper tools and those available in a multimodal digital writing environment.

Internship Activities:  

Working with a team of researchers in organizing and coding data, and identifying patterns in learning outcomes using a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures.

Student Time & Commitment: 

Negotiable and variable depending on the students’ needs, interests, and availability.

 Skills Needed for Internship: 

Some practical experience in working with data in a research team and in preparing manuscripts for publication.

 Key Words: 

Mathematics, reading, writing, multimodal, data analysis

Project Description

Interested in classroom-based research? Want to build your resume?

Kate Ascetta, a doctoral student in the Special Education Department, is conducting an intervention study in preschool classrooms.  The study will be exploring how different supports for teachers can influence their use of strategies with the children in their classroom.

Internship Activities:

• 5-10 data collectors for a year long project (Sept–March: only 5-10 hours per term).
• Interested people should be up-to-date with CITI training (if not Kate will assist).
• Previous data collection experience is not required, but helpful.
• People who are reliable, responsible and strong attention to detail.

Potential Benefits to Assistants:

• Training in coding language samples.
• Training in conducting assessments with adults (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-PPVT).
• No travel required – all coding & assessments will occur on campus or online.

Application Procedure:

If interested, applicants should contact Kate Ascetta – Kascetta@uoregon.edu for more information.

Overview: The Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) Program allows full-time juniors and seniors in Education and related fields the opportunity to work as Research Fellows throughout the University of Oregon. Admission to the program is competitive. Accepted students will work as valued members of a research team and will be granted a tuition waiver for the academic year. This program is specifically designed to encourage undergraduates to continue their studies in graduate school with a commitment to research and the process of scientific inquiry.

Host Department: Center on Teaching & Learning

Contact: Tanya Sheehan, Quality Assurance Manager & Research Specialist

Email: tsheehan@uoregon.edu

Website: http://ctl.uoregon.edu/research/urf

Eligibility:

• Students from any major who exhibit substantial interest in research and who intend to pursue graduate school may apply to the program.
• The program is designed to support full-time students of junior or senior class standing with a GPA of at least 3.50.
• Applicants must be Oregon residents and should provide a one-page personal statement that describes their goals, career aspirations, and topics of interest and experience in research.
• Two letters of recommendation are required from faculty at the University of Oregon or another recently attended university.
• Applicants must complete an URF application and provide an unofficial transcript from all universities attended.

Deadline: TBA, see website for more details.

Overview: The McNair Scholars Program (TRiO) prepares qualified juniors and seniors for graduate study leading to PhD degrees. McNair Scholars receive comprehensive support to earn undergraduate degrees, complete research projects in their fields of study, and apply to graduate schools. The program’s limited size provides a close-knit community while helping students gain a broad understanding of research and university culture.

Host Department: Teaching & Learning Center

Contact: Gail Unruh

Email: gqunruh@uoregon.edu

Website: http://mcnair.uoregon.edu/

Guidance/Eligibility:

• Have earned at least 75 undergraduate credits, but not yet have a bachelor’s degree.
• Have a GPA that is competitive for entry into graduate school.
• Be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Be low-income and first-generation (neither parent has a bachelor’s degree) or be from a group under-represented in graduate education.
• Be enrolled in upper-division course work in the major.
• Be committed to success.

Deadline: TBA, see website for more details.

Overview: 10 awards of $500 will be provided each year to students for the purpose of travel for research or a conference.

Host Department: Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement

Contact: Josh Snodgrass

Email: uocure@uoregon.edu

Website: https://cure.uoregon.edu/award-funding/

Guidance/Eligibility:

• Visit website.

Deadline: TBA, see website for more details.

Overview: $4,000 Student Summer Research Fellowships will be provided to five students each year.

Host Department: Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement

Contact: Josh Snodgrass

Email: uocure@uoregon.edu

Website: https://cure.uoregon.edu/award-funding/

Guidance/Eligibility:

• Visit website.

Deadline: TBA, see website for more details.

Overview: A maximum of four students each year can receive up to $500 in emergency funding for research for special circumstances.

Host Department: Center for Undergraduate Research and Engagement

Contact: Josh Snodgrass

Email: uocure@uoregon.edu

Website: https://cure.uoregon.edu/award-funding/

Guidance/Eligibility:

• Visit website.

Deadline: TBA, see website for more details.