Post Doctoral Associate – Studying Collaborative Learning with a Teachable Robot

This position is at the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), a multi-disciplinary center for research to advance the science of learning by bringing together leading researchers in the cognitive, social, and educational sciences.

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral position for researchers with interest in human learning, collaboration, and human-computer interaction. We are looking for a cognitive or learning sciences PhD (e.g., education, computer science, learning science, psychology) to join Drs. Erin Walker (Computer Science, LRDC), Timothy Nokes-Malach (Psychology, LRDC), Diane Litman (Computer Science, LRDC), and Adriana Kovashka (Computer Science) in a NSF-funded project that investigates the factors underlying effective collaborative learning with a teachable robot. The project focuses on how the strategic design of two channels of communication of the robot – gesture and gaze – can be combined with dialogue to enhance middle school students’ collaborative interactions within math. The post-doc will be involved in helping to design, conduct, code, analyze, present, and write-up research at the Learning Research and Development Center.

Candidates with a strong grounding in one or more of the following areas will be highly competitive: cognition (e.g., learning and problem solving), collaboration (e.g., dialogue, gesture), math education (e.g., ratio), and human-computer interaction (e.g., teachable agents). Background and research skills in experimental design, statistics (e.g., ANOVA, regression, multi-level models), dialogue analysis (e.g., verbal protocols) and classroom research are preferred but not required. The position is for two years with the appointment to be made at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

We value diversity, inclusion, and equity in our work and in our team. Members of under-represented minority groups are especially encouraged to apply for this position.

Please include Research Statement and Diversity Statement with submission.