Dr. Bradley Morris
School of Lifespan Development & Educational Sciences
Dr. Bradley J. Morris is a Developmental Cognitive Scientist whose research program includes basic research in cognitive development and its application in designing effective Pre K-12 STEM instruction. His research focuses on the development of Scientific and Mathematical reasoning and Motivation. The goal of his research program is to identify the mechanisms underlying children’s reasoning (e.g., strategy acquisition) and motivation (e.g., praise type) using a variety of experimental methods (e.g., eye tracking) and computational modeling.
Dr. Morris’s current work includes the large-scale Food for Thought project funded by the National Science Foundation that incorporates STEM learning into family food preparation. The Food for Thought project is a collaboration of the Science of Learning and Education (SOLE) center at Kent State University, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and LaSoupe (a food education and food rescue organization that serves food insecure families in the Cincinnati area) that engages families with cooking activities at partner locations and encourage families to learn about science while making foods like popcorn and french toast. Families are given Carry Out Science kits that contain food preparation activities to do at home, as well as questions to promote discussions about the science of food.
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Dr. Elena Novak
School of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Studies
Dr. Elena Novak is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at Kent State University, and program coordinator for the Educational Technology program. She earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University in 2012. Her research examines the intersections of design, technology, and learning. Elena’s current projects focus on the integration of learning technologies such as 3D printing, video games, and simulations in teacher education to provide educators with research-informed guidelines on how to integrate technology in various educational settings. In addition, she is interested in how video games and game-like learning environments foster cognitive and motivational processes that enhance learning.
Her recent collaboration with the Department of Computer Science has led to the development of the Computer Science endorsement and a $2 million Choose Ohio First grant to support computer science education at Kent State University. Her research has been recognized with several international awards sponsored by the American Educational Research Association as well as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Elena is a managing editor of Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning and a consulting editor of Educational Technology Research & Development. Her research has been published in leading peer-reviewed international journals, such as Computers & Education, Computers in Human Behavior, The Internet & Higher Education, Educational Technology Research & Development, and British Journal of Educational Technology.