The National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program supports the recruitment and preparation of  K-12 STEM teachers who will work in high-need school districts. We have two opportunities: Scholarships for Juniors and Seniors in the NIU Secondary Science Licensure Program and an annual one-week science teaching experience called STEPup to help students decide if teaching is right for them! This project runs through March 2027.

Analogical reasoning is an essential mechanism of learning. The use of analogies is pervasive in the geosciences because of the large temporal and spatial scales of geologic features. This project is lead by cognitive science researchers at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and includes collaborators at Mississippi State University. We lend our geoscience expertise to inform the study materials and research aspects particularly interesting to geoscience instructors.

This National Science Foundation-funded S-STEM grant provides scholarships for academically talented undergraduates with financial need. Our role in this project is to provide peer support and research the lived experiences of students in this program. This project ends May 2024. 

This project was funded by the Illinois Innovation Network and examines the needs of Illinois Earth Science Teachers to create a meaningful Geo-STEM learning ecosystem that networks Illinois teachers with scientists.

This National Science Foundation-funded IUSE Engaged Student Learning project investigates how click-on-diagram questions reveal students' conceptual errors about spatial geologic processes and features. This project was completed January 2024.

This National Science Foundation-funded International Research Experience for Students (IRES) brings together a research team of community college students, a teacher, and graduate students to reconstruct past climate dynamics in Estonia. This project is no longer recruiting students. 

This laboratory-based study evaluated the use of prediction and feedback to improve topographic map skill. Focusing students on the two-dimensional projection of the sandbox topographic map led to greater improvement in map skill. This project was led by Justin Moore, M.S. 

To support student construction of knowledge during class meetings, there is a growing demand to incorporate more active learning practices. However, the “active learning” umbrella is broad and diverse. The VGER lab investigated different types of active learning activities, and how they affect student outcomes BOTH in terms of content knowledge AND self-efficacy and interest in science. The publication of this work was led by postdoctoral scholar, Nicole James.