Education

• B.A., Boston University
• Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Background

I joined the faculty at SDSU in 1985, and I became Director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE) in 1987. As a professor of psychology, I teach courses in graduate statistics and cognitive psychology.

Research Interests

I am the Director of the Cognitive Ergonomic Research Facility at SDSU and President of EyeTracking, Inc., a privately-held company that uses eye tracking to evaluate visual products. For the past 15 years I have conducted basic research sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Science Foundation, and National Institute of Education. Currently I direct three major research projects, all of which involve the use of eye-tracking measures to investigate aspects of cognitive processing and decision making. My research has focused on two main areas: cognition and assessment. I am also working with new methods for assessing cognitive workload with psychological and physiological measures.

Teaching Philosophy

From my theoretical perspective and teaching experience, students'
constructing examples for application is important for their developing deep understandings of theoretical constructs. While students are certainly responsible for constructing their own understandings, my role as an instructor is to provide mediating tools around which socially situated cognition can occur. I accomplish this through having students work in groups to solve complex problems. As a teacher-scholar, I am constantly reflecting on my own teaching practice, reading current research on learning and instruction, and modifying my pedagogy to better serve my students.