Brief intro about myself

I am a first year Ph.D. student in the Learning Sciences program at Indiana University. Currently, I am working with Dr. Daniel Hickey looking at how innovative assessment practices can foster discourse, understanding, and achievement in technology-supported learning environments. In particular my research interests are:

1) Socioscientific inquiry and mathematics and I currently am refining discursive formative assessment practices in the Quest Atlantis immersive environment and analyzing productive mathematical discourse around mathematical concepts in 4th graders.

2) Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Building Pedagogy literature. From both research lines, it is possible to draw some principles to design web 2.0-based learning environments to foster participation and deep understanding around socioscientific issues and mathematical concepts . Some principles of this literature has been used in the current discussions about refinements in Taiga - a particular world in Quest Atlantis, being implemented during March and April 2009.

3) Program evaluation, social science methods and instrument construction. I have a strong interest in multivariate techniques such as hierarchical linear model and its application in value-added studies in the context of a test-based accountability system. Currently, I am in conversations with colleagues in my country about a recent study with 11.000 students from public schools where the value-added model of H. doran it is being used. Another interesting project is about looking at changes in performance over time of grade-12 students in the NAEP mathematics results in Indiana. Initial project work will focus on student performance on clusters of NAEP items that measure the same topic, type of reasoning, or ability, using the Item Response Theory (IRT) to further enhance the statistical analysis of change over time .

4) Educational policy, equity and quality of education. The ways in which education can afford more and better opportunities for people to close the social gap and the inequity of many countries nowadays and also assess to what extent other initiatives and polices outside education are needed if we want to have societies with justice, participation and democracy for the wellbeing of all.