The newly established ICAP Center, at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, is funded by the Yidan Foundation and led by Michelene Chi, the 2023 Yidan Laureate. ICAP, an acronym for “Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive,” is a theory about how students learn. It can be translated into how instructors should teach in active learning classrooms.

The ICAP Center is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to explore training for effective collaborative learning. The candidate will help design and develop a training module to optimize productive interactions during collaborative learning activities, particularly for students in college STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine) classes. Additionally, the postdoctoral fellow will conduct controlled studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the training module and its impact on student learning outcomes. This design and development phase of the training module will be evaluated first in the laboratory followed by evaluation in the context of actual classes. The training module will be embedded in in-person and online classes and will involve collaboration with STEMM instructors. The research will generate quantitative empirical evidence on the efficacy of such a training module. This is an on-site, Tempe campus, position at the Center and may require occasional traveling to other college campuses. Remote or hybrid participation is not available.

This is a benefits-eligible fiscal year (12-month) position that could start as soon as September 2, 2024. The position includes a competitive stipend with health benefits. The initial appointment is for one year, with renewal for two subsequent years, contingent upon satisfactory performance, the needs of the university, and the availability of resources.

Essential Duties:

The candidate will be involved in carrying out empirical in-person and online classroom studies to assess the efficacy of different components of our fully developed training module. This requires working closely with STEMM instructors to implement the activity as designed and collecting students’ learning outcomes. In addition, duties include analyzing the collected qualitative (coding the designed activities) and quantitative data, carrying out the appropriate statistical analyses, writing the results, and submitting the paper(s) to journals. The candidate will also assist the Center’s Project Director when she delivers professional development training to college STEMM instructors locally and globally. Other duties may be assigned, such as identifying STEMM example activities and relevant literature to be shared as resources for STEMM instructors on the Center’s website.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree in cognitive psychology, educational psychology, the learning sciences, or related fields. (Degree must be awarded before the start date)
• Experience or background in carrying out empirical studies of collaborative learning.
• Candidates must be within five years from receipt of their doctoral degree.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledgeable about current research findings on collaborative learning, including both computer-supported and non-computer-supported approaches.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing controlled evaluation studies
• Knowledge of statistical analyses and methodological design
• Demonstrated ability to design and develop learning/training modules for in-person or online delivery for post-secondary learners
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating with instructors and students across disciplines, particularly STEMM fields
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Application Deadline and Procedures

The application deadline is July 24, 2024. Applications for a reserve pool will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. Only electronic applications will be reviewed.

To apply, submit the following:

• Letter of application/interest
• Curriculum vitae
• Statement of Research Interest
• One professional recommendation letter
• Contact information for two professional references

About the College

ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College creates knowledge, mobilizes people, and takes action to improve education. Nationally recognized as a leader in teacher preparation, leadership development, and scholarly research, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College prepares over 8,000 educators annually. MLFTC faculty create knowledge by drawing from a wide range of academic disciplines to gain insight into important questions about the process of learning, the practice of teaching, and the effects of education policy. MLFTC mobilizes people through bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, through non-degree professional development programs and through socially embedded, multilateral community engagement. MLFTC takes action by bringing people and ideas together to increase the capabilities of individual educators and the performance of education systems.

Aligned with ASU’s charter, MLFTC is committed to advancing inclusive excellence in our curricula, programming, and institutional relationships. The college’s core value of Principled Innovation connects individual decision-making to the pursuit of inclusive excellence.

For more information about the College, please visit our website at http://education.asu.edu/.