Biography

Kelly Mix's research focuses on the development of number concepts and mathematical reasoning, with a particular interest in the use of cognitive science principles to improve children's learning. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1995 and held faculty positions in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University and the College of Education at Michigan State University prior to joining the faculty at the University of Maryland in 2016. She has published over 50 journal articles, books, and book chapters, and she has received research funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Spencer Foundation. She received the Boyd McCandless Award (APA Division 7) in 2002.

Website: http://umdmixlab.weebly.com/

3-001 - What Can Cognitive Science Say to Teachers?

Session Type: Invited Address

Integrative Statement

This talk will describe two programs of research based on the idea that children’s learning of mathematics in school can be enhanced by applying findings from cognitive science. One program of research focuses on the relation between spatial skill and mathematics, and asks whether teachers can leverage this connection instructionally. The second program of research focuses on children’s understanding of place value, and asks whether mathematics learning can be improved by engaging basic cognitive processes such as categorization, labeling, and structure mapping. The talk will emphasize not only the potential benefits of cognitive science research for educational practice, but also ways that research may be shaped and improved through close collaboration with teachers.

Sub Unit

• Invited Program

Chair

• Catherine Bredemann, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Speaker

• Kelly S. Mix, University of Maryland