Research Projects

Thesis work

This research is about understanding why middle schoolers in India get into makerspaces. We want to add to what we know about motivation and makerspaces and ensure everyone feels included. We're uncovering what motivates them and what challenges they face. Using the socio-cognitive framework, we're exploring influences like society and makerspace culture, along with personal beliefs.

CALE

I was associated with the research team at the University of Toronto, Canada working on CALE (Critical Action Learning Exchange). CALE is a professional learning community for educators around the world who seek to empower their students in responding to pressing, complex socio-environmental issues such as climate change, social and environmental justice, pandemics, and more. Teachers engage in a ChangeLab methodology for professional development, where they consider the challenges in their current practice and visions for their practice change.

K, N. S., Raman, P., Carvalho, R., Vinay, K., Dasgupta, C., & Slotta, J. D. (2023). Exploring teacher beliefs around critical action curriculum: Outcomes from a learning exchange. In Blikstein, P., Van Aalst, J., Kizito, R., & Brennan, K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2023 (pp. 2165-2166). International Society of the Learning Sciences. https://doi.org/10.22318/icls2023.781947

Carvalho, R., Ghasempour, E., Khan, R., Slotta, J. D., Raman, P., Zhang, X., Chen, J., Chen, X., K, N. S., & Dasgupta, C. (2023). Teacher professional development in critical action pedagogy: A culturally responsive approach. In Blikstein, P., Van Aalst, J., Kizito, R., & Brennan, K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2023 (pp. 760-767). International Society of the Learning Sciences. https://doi.org/10.22318/icls2023.795166

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Our project addresses the gap in online libraries for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students, often excluded during COVID-19. Unlike typical resources, our library integrates content catering to K-12 DHH students' unique learning preferences, incorporating a picture book on photosynthesis and a home sign language video. We validated the online library's usability, and students affirmed its value, highlighting its significance in fostering inclusive education for DHH learners, ensuring accessibility anytime, anywhere.

K. Nisumba Soodhani, M. Pawar, J. Kolap, R. Priyadarshini and C. Dasgupta, "Online Library for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students," 2022 International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), Bucharest, Romania, 2022, pp. 284-286, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT55010.2022.00091

PwD Awareness Project

In our Instructional Systems Design project, we crafted a practical online training program addressing Persons with Disability (PwD) awareness. Through three phases, we built a website and instructional materials to foster sensitization and awareness of PwD needs. A user study validated the program's effectiveness, revealing its utility in sensitizing individuals to PwD challenges and promoting awareness of how to provide support. Our project not only addressed real-world issues but also showcased the value of practical learning within a structured course framework.

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