Scholarly work at the Robert B. Davis Institute for
Learning (RBDIL) focuses on the nexus of research and educational practice,
particularly issues of learning and teaching in the content areas of
mathematics and science. Its mission is twofold: (1) to conduct detailed
studies over time and across a variety of educational settings to identify how
individual learners and groups of learners construct mathematical and
scientific ideas and forms of reasoning; and (2) to use findings and products
of research in teacher education for promoting instructional practices through
which students develop critical thinking and reasoning abilities grounded in
their understanding of mathematics and science.
A particular strength of the Davis Institute is
fostering innovative and academically robust collaborations that bridge
boundaries of departments, campuses, institutions, and nations. Intellectual
leadership emanates from the Newark and New Brunswick campuses of Rutgers, and
faculty from diverse departments--computer science, digital library systems,
educational psychology, learning and teaching, mathematics, and urban
education--are among the Davis Institute's research scientists. Its
collaborative partners include faculty researchers at universities in the
United States and internationally.
Graduate students at Rutgers pursuing an Ed.M., an
Ed.D., or a Ph.D. degree become active partners in research and teacher
development initiatives through working with faculty affiliated with the Davis
Institute. Projects include: a longitudinal study (now entering its 23rd year)
of development of mathematical ideas and reasoning; a three-year study of informal
math learning at the middle-school level; eMath studies of collaborative
problem-solving in an online environment; a study on development conceptual
understanding of complex natural systems in middle-school science; and
cyber-enabled design research using videos on children's learning in
preservice and in-service teacher education.
For additional information, contact Professor Carolyn
Maher, Robert B. Davis Institute for Learning, Rutgers, The State University of
New Jersey, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183 (phone: 732-932-8848,
or email: carolyn.maher@gse.rutgers.edu).
