2011 TC Research
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College Columbia University

Research

Section Navigation

Xiaodong D Lin

Professional Background

Educational Background

B.A., Teachers College, HeNan University (China)
M.A. in Information Technology and Science Education, Louisiana State University
Ph.D., Purdue University

Scholarly Interests

Metacognition and problem solving, technology-mediated cultural interactions and their impact on teacher professional development and reflection, and student domain subject understanding, influence of technology-rich learning environments on lesson development, trans-cultural collaboration among teachers and students

Selected Publications

"Technology, culture and adaptive mind" (Mind, Culture & Activities, co-author, in press)

 "Reflection at the crossroad of cultures" (Mind, Culture & Activities, co author, in press)

 "Reflective adaptation of a technology artifact: A case study of classroom change" (Cognition & Instruction)

 "Designing metacognitive activities" (Educational Technology Research & Development))

 "Supporting learning of variable control in a computer-based biology environment: Effects of prompting college students to reflect on their own thinking" (Journal of Research In Science Teaching)

 

biographical information

Dr. Lin studies metacognition and problem solving, and the ways that cultural interactions with the help of technology can facilitate domain subject learning and personal reflection. She develops technology-rich learning environments and explores how such environments influence cross-cultural collaboration and reflection. She finds that technologies make it possible for teachers and students from different cultures to collaborate in fundamentally new ways. This offers exciting opportunities for metacognitive awareness. Her most recent research explores the creation of 3D Virtual Learning Environments that permit teachers from different cultures to collaborate. She hopes that these studies will lead to design principles that can transform the obstacles of geographical and cultural distance into new opportunities for learning.

honors and awards

  • Recipient of Year 2000 American Educational Research Association Jan Hawkin's Early Career Award to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies.
  • Outstanding Journal Article Award by the Division of Instructional Development, Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
  • Spencer Fellowship Recipient, National Academy of Education
  • Outstanding Research Award Recipient, American Educational Research Association
  • Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient, Purdue University
  • Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient, The Association of Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)
  • Outstanding Contribution Award Recipient, Arthur Andersen & Co.

MSTU 4028: Technology and Culture

An exploration of the impact of technology broadly defined upon cultural evolution as currently discussed in anthropology and related disciplines. Special fee: $35.

MSTU 4083: Instructional design of educational technology

The nature of instructional technology, systems approaches to planning, managing, and evaluating instructional processes and materials. Emphasis is on instructional design. Special fee: $45.

MSTU 5035: Technology and Metacognition

This course explores how theories of learning, development and cognition can shape the design of instruction. Readings cover a range of instructional theories and highlight the underlying influences of those theories. Although the course includes a brief survey of historical trends in the field, the primary course focus is on current and emerging theories of instruction, such as distributed and dynamical views of cognition and learning. Students are encouraged to present and discuss their research interests and projects as they relate to the focus of the course. Special fee: $45.

MSTU 6532: Seminar in cognitive science

Permission required. In-depth discussion and critique of research proposed and conducted by others and by students in the class. Topics vary from term to term. Course is for advanced students who are designing and conducting their own research projects; they may take the course as many times as they like. Special fee: $45.

Centers and Projects

Center on Chinese Education
Website: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/coce/

The Center on Chinese Education, Teachers College Columbia University (CoCE) is aimed at contributing to a better understanding of education in China and to educational exchange between the United States and China. It seeks to achieve this mission through three categories of activities: research and development, education and training, as well as outreach and exchange. These activities will draw upon the historically special relationship between Chinese education and Teachers College, the interests and expertise of the faculty at Teachers College, as well as expertise and resources outside of Teachers College. Major funding for the Center's activities is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

Contact: Mun C. Tsang
E-mail: mct27@columbia.edu