Lowes, Susan (sl498)

Susan Lowes

Adjunct Full Professor
Director, Research and Evaluation, Institute for Learning Technologies, Adjunct Professor
212-678-8198

Office Location:

548 GDodge

Office Hours:

By appointment; please email.

Educational Background

B.A. in History, Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
M.Phil. in Anthropology, Teachers College, Columbia University
Ph.D. in Anthropology, Columbia University

Scholarly Interests

Online teaching and learning. Teaching and learning with technology. Geography learning.  Technology in developing countries.  Class, ethnicity, race, and gender.

Selected Publications

Online Teaching and Learning

Lowes, S., Lin, P., & Kinghorn, B. (2016). “Gender Differences in Online High School Courses.” Online Learning 20 (4).

 

Lowes, S., Lin, P., & Kinghorn, B. (2015). “Exploring the Link Between Online Behaviours and Course Performance in Asynchronous Online High School Courses.” Journal of Learning Analytics 2(2), 169-194.

 

Lowes, S. & Lin, P. (2015.) “Learning to Learn Online: Using Locus of Control to Help Students Become Successful Online Learners.” Journal of Online Learning Research 1(1).

 

Lowes, S. (2014). “A Brief Look at the Methodologies Used in Researching Online Teaching and Learning.” In R. E. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of Research on K-12 Online and Blended Learning. Pittsburgh, PA: ETC Press, pp. 83-104.

 

Lowes, S. 2014. “How Much “Group” Is There in Online Group Work?” Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 18 (1). Online at http://sloanconsortium.org/jaln/v18n1/how-much-group-there-online-group-work

 

Kennedy, K., Lowes, S., DeBruler, K., Freidhoff, J. & Lin, P. (2014). Panel on Research in the K-12 Online Learning Environments. In M. Searson & M. Ochoa (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (pp. 1545-1546). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. 

 

Lowes, S., Hamilton, G., Hochstetler, V. & Paek, S. (2013). “Teaching Communication to Medical Students in a Virtual World.”  The Journal of Interactive Technology & Pedagogy, 3. Online at http://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/teaching-communication-skills-to-medical-students-in-a-virtual-world/

 

Lowes, S. (2010) “The Teacher as Migrant: How Teaching Online Can Change Classroom Practice.”  Distance Learning (US Distance Learning Association publication), June 2010.

 

Lowes, Susan. (2008). “Online Teaching and Classroom Change: The Trans-Classroom Teacher in the Age of the Internet.” Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 4 (3). http://innovateonline.info. (Research funded by the U.S. Department of Education to Learning Point Associates.)

 

Lowes, S. (2007). “Trends in Professional Development for K-12 Virtual Schools.” Chapter in C. Cavanaugh and R. Blomeyer, eds., What Works in K-12 Online Learning?  Washington, DC: The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

 

Lowes, S., Lin, P., and Wang, Y. (2007). “Studying the Effectiveness of the Discussion Forum in Online Professional Development Courses.” Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 6 (3).

 

STEM Education

 

Holahan, P., McKay, M., Sayres, J., Lowes, S., Camins, A., & McGrath, B. (2015). WaterBotics: A Novel Engineering Design Curriculum for Formal and Informal Educational Settings. Hoboken, NJ: Stevens Institute of Technology.

 

Hotaling, L., Lowes, S., Stolkim, R. & Lin, P. (2012). “SENSE IT: Teaching STEM Principles to Middle and High School Students Through the Design, Construction and Deployment of Water Quality Sensors. Journal of Engineering Education, 101 (2).

 

 

McGrath, E.W., Lowes, S., McKay, M., Sayres, J., & Lin, P. (2012). “Robots Underwater! Learning Science, Engineering and 21st Century Skills: The Evolution of Curricula, Professional Development and Research in Formal and Informal Contexts.” In B. Barker, G. Nugent, N. Grandgenett, and V.I., Adamchuk, eds.,  Robotics in K-12 Education (Hershey, PA: IGI Global).

McGrath, E. W., Lowes, S. (2011). “Infusing Non-Traditional Engineering Projects into Traditional Classrooms: Where Do They Fit? How Are They Assessed?” Paper presented at the ASEE 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, Canada, July.

 

McGrath, E. W., Lowes, S. (2011). “Infusing Non-Traditional Engineering Projects into Traditional Classrooms: Where Do They Fit? How Are They Assessed?” Paper presented at the ASEE 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, Canada, July.

 

McGrath, E. W., Lowes, S., Jurado, C., Squires, A. (2011). “SE Capstone: A Pilot Study of 14 Universities to Explore Systems Engineering Learning and Career Interest through Department of Defense Problems.” Paper presented at the ASEE 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, Canada, July.

 

Hotaling, L., Stokim, R., Lowes, S. (2011). “Student-Created Water Quality Sensors.”Paper presented at the ASEE 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, Canada, July. (Best paper Honorable Mention.)

 

Macalalag, A.Z., Tirthali, D., McGrath, E., McKay, M., & Lowes, S. (2011). “Teacher Professional Development Programs in Grades 3-8: Promoting Teachers' and Students' Content Knowledge in Science and Engineering.” Paper Presented at the National Science Foundation's Mathematics and Science Partnerships Learning Network Conference, Washington, D.C.

 

Macalalag, A., Lowes, S., Guo, K., and McKay, M. (2010). “Teacher Professional Development in Grades 3-5: Fostering Teachers’ and Students’ Content Knowledge in Science and Engineering. Paper presented at the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Louisville, KY, June.

 

Macalalag, A.Z., Lowes, S., Guo, K., Tirthali, D., McKay., M., and McGrath, E. (2010). “Advancing Science and Engineering in Elementary Schools: Fostering Teachers’ Knowledge and Scientific Inquiry.” National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, March.

 

McGrath, E., Lowes, S., Lin, P., Sayres, J. (2009). “Analysis of Middle- and High-School Students’ Learning of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Concepts Through an Lego Underwater Robotics Design Challenge.” Paper presented at the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, June.

 

McGrath, E., Lowes, S., Lin, P., Sayres, J., Hotaling, L., Stolkin, R. (2008). “Build IT: Building Middle and High School Students’ Understanding of Engineering, Science and IT through Underwater Robotics.” American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference Proceedings, Pittsburgh, PA, pp. 2008-781. 

McKay, Mercedes, Lowes, Susan, and McGrath, Beth. (2006). “Do ‘Real World’ Learning Objects Make aDifference?” In C. Crawford et al. (eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2006, pp. 2975-2980. Chesapeake, VA: AACE, 2006.

 

Geography Education

Lowes, S. (2008). “Mapping the World: Freehand Mapping and Children’s Understanding of Geography Concepts.” Research on Geography Education, 10 (2). (Research funded by the National Geographic Education Fund.)

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Director, Evaluation and Research, Institute for Learning Technologies, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1999 - Present

Direct evaluations of, and research on, projects at the K-12, university, and community levels. Current and recent evaluations of projects funded by NSF include: ITEST, MSP, STEP, C-PATH, GK-12, CCLI, IGERT, REU, BPC, and outreach initiatives from the EMSI, MRSEC, NSEC, and Genomics centers at Columbia University. Current and recent evaluations of projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education include 21stCCLC, FIPSE, AEMDD, PT-3 and TICG. Current and recent evaluations also funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the New York City Dept. of Education, the New Jersey Dept. of Education, the International Baccalaureate Organization, the National Geographic Education Foundation, and other private foundations.

 

Consultant to U.S. Dept. of Education State Educational Technology Partnerships.

Serve on Technical Working Groups for U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Education Technology.


TEACHING

Teachers College, Columbia University
Adjunct Professor, 2010-present
Adjunct Associate Professor, 2004-2010
Adjunct Assistant Professor, 2002-2004
Hunter College School of Education, City University of New York
Adjunct Assistant Professor, 1997 - 2003

PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

Institute for Learning Technologies, Teachers College, Columbia University
Associate Director, 2004- present
Manager, Professional and Curriculum Development , 1999 - 2001
Assistant Director, Classroom Applications, 1996 - 1997
I teach two courses, one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester. Both are online but in different modalities. Fall semester: Researching Technology in Educational Environments. Synchronous, via Adobe Connect. Spring semester: Online Schools and Online Schooling for K-12. Asynchronous, in Moodle.
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