Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education & Human Development

Shape the Future with SMU’s M.S. in the Learning Sciences

Posted on October 29, 2024Updated: November 7, 2024

Young smiling female data analyst in casualwear sitting by workplace with computer monitor and graphic data on screen.

Learning sciences is a fast-growing interdisciplinary field that embraces cognitive science, data science, and technologically enriched learning. Learning scientists are revolutionizing how knowledge is crafted and communicated, propelling educational practices into the future.

The online Master of Science in the Learning Sciences (MSLS) program at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development prepares students to excel in this rapidly expanding field through a 30-credit program featuring small class sizes and personalized instruction from award-winning educators and leading researchers—all delivered through a convenient online format that supports working professionals.

What are the Learning Sciences?

The learning sciences discipline is a multifaceted study of how people learn, drawing from domains like cognitive science, computer science, educational psychology and more. This field examines education’s psychological, social and cultural aspects, combining theoretical foundations with the practical design of learning environments.

Students in the online MSLS program begin by developing a deep understanding of learning processes, from memory and problem-solving to the impact of educational technology and policy in the core courses that anchor the program.

Who Is This Program Designed For?

This fully online program caters to innovative educators, corporate trainers, instructional designers and professionals who seek to deepen their expertise in data science, instructional design and immersive learning technologies. Some roles for which the MSLS prepares you include:

Instructional Designer
Learning Experience Designer
Educational Technologist
Data Analyst in Education
Learning and Development Manager
Corporate Trainer
E-Learning Developer
Learning Analytics Specialist

The learning sciences offer great potential for career growth in the knowledge economy. Learning science professionals are leading innovation in educational design and assessment in settings ranging from traditional classrooms to corporate and government training departments, cultural institutions and digital platforms.

How SMU Prepares You for Success

SMU’s MSLS program offers a dynamic curriculum with core requirements accounting for 15 credits, including a robust 6-credit research methodologies course and a practical capstone project. Students can tailor their educational journey through 15-credit specializations in Learning and Technology Design, Learning Analytics, or a custom path combining elective courses.

In addition to the research methodologies course, core courses include Introduction to the Learning Sciences and Theories and Trends in the Learning Sciences.

The Learning Analytics specialization focuses on data modeling and analysis in the educational context, including examination of the consequences of using learning analytics. The Learning and Technology Design specialization immerses students in innovative design with AR, VR, and AI applications in education.

The 3-credit Applied LS Capstone Project, part of the program’s core requirements, challenges students to integrate learning by addressing a significant issue within the learning sciences field. The project encompasses a thorough needs analysis and a strategic solution design, accompanied by a detailed discussion of the theoretical foundations of the design.

Students in the MSLS can also customize their degree by combining courses from both tracks. Online program delivery supports work-life balance, with the program leading to careers in instructional design, learning analytics, and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Admissions Requirements for This Program?

Admissions requirements include an accredited bachelor’s degree, or proof of equivalent training at a foreign university. A minimum 3.0 GPA, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, and an essay response to a writing prompt are required, as are official transcripts and a $75 application fee. Exceptions to the GPA requirement may be made based on expertise or GRE scores.

Do I Need Prior Experience in Education?

While prior experience is helpful, an educational background is not strictly necessary to succeed in this program. As a student in the online MSLS program, you are paired with a student success coordinator who can help navigate the online learning environment, find successful study strategies, connect you with additional resources and assist you in many other ways.

What Makes the M.S. in Learning Sciences Different From Other Programs?

The SMU M.S. in Learning Sciences stands apart as a fully online program integrating cognitive and data sciences with immersive learning technology, geared towards fostering leadership across diverse educational and professional settings. An admissions outreach advisor can answer any additional questions you may have.

2024 CERI Conference Celebrates and Promotes Collaboration in Education

Posted on October 18, 2024

Administrators, teachers and researchers from SMU and Dallas Independent School District, along with local educational non-profits came together for the 2024 Conference of the Consortium on Educational Research and Improvement (CERI).

CERI is a collaboration between SMU and the Dallas ISD to work together to identify and support mutually beneficial research, evaluation and improvement projects.

Dr. Annie Wright, Executive Director of the newly renamed, The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation, says, “The CERI conference is an excellent example of the growing and unique collaboration between our two institutions and that our mutual goal is to improve outcomes for K-12 students in Dallas and beyond.”

CERI is a research-practice partnership developed to help support the next generation of SMU research by faculty and graduate students and promote the sharing of new knowledge to Dallas ISD educational leaders. One goal of CERI is to make research endeavors between the two institutions more efficient and impactful.

Dr. Michele Broughton, Dallas ISD Deputy Chief of Academics agrees, “Dallas ISD has always valued collaborative work with SMU, and it has come to fruition through CERI. The mutual benefits of this partnership work ultimately to support our teachers and students.”

Held at Pegasus Park in Dallas, the conference featured speakers from SMU and Dallas ISD as well as participants from community-based partners with topics such as: early learning, summer learning loss, Advanced Placement course enrollment, and math reasoning. Participants even got to put on Virtual Reality headsets and experience innovations in VR learning. Representatives from Dallas ISD and SMU’s respective research boards also coached participants through the process of developing collaborative research projects.

The Institute for Leadership Impact Making a Difference in Education in Texas and Beyond

Posted on October 14, 2024Updated: October 16, 2024

Twenty-eight leaders from 22 school districts are among the 2024-2025 Institute for Leadership Impact’s District Leadership Fellows cohort who recently attended the Fall Retreat on the SMU campus.

Dr. Eric G. Bing, Director of the Institute, says the purpose of the Fellows program is to help participants be more effective in their leadership roles. “Generally, these are superintendents or part of executive teams making decisions for entire districts. We give them the tools to collaborate and work to solve issues they have in their districts.”

Since its inception in 2016-2017, the cohort has provided training for 134 leaders from 108 school districts in 7 states. Districts have ranged in size from 150 to 63,000 students. This year the program welcomed leaders from throughout Texas and Arkansas. Leaders from ISDs and, charter schools are part of the current cohort. Superintendents like Dr. Bobbie Treviño from Zapata County ISD, says, “It was important for me to participate in a program that will elevate me as a leader so that I can go back to my district and share what I’ve learned to help build strong leadership on all levels at home.”

The program has steadily increased in diversity. The first cohort was 92% male, 100% white and all were superintendents in rural districts in Texas. The current cohort is 71% female, 46% people of color occupying diverse district leadership roles in Texas and Arkansas. While a number still come from small or rural districts, an increasing number of leaders from larger, suburban districts are attending. To best meet the needs of leaders, the program is now fully hybrid with in-person sessions at the beginning and mid-year periods, weekly interactive sessions online in the fall, and monthly online sessions in the spring.

Each year the program begins with leaders examining the mission and purpose and learning how to best utilize their individual and team strengths. The communication technique Active Listening is taught using multiple methods including Mursion simulations. Throughout the program, each leader focuses on creating impact in their district, applying the skills and techniques learned in the sessions to a problem of practice in their districts.

Dr. Bryan Williams, Community Superintendent of Secondary Schools in the Spring Branch ISD said he was excited to attend after hearing about the program from a colleague. “A leader in my school district recommended this program very highly. The program and SMU have such excellent reputations.” Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will open in spring 2025. Contact Christine Ferguson at cjferguson@smu.edu to be added to the mailing list and notified when applications open.

Leveraging Data to Drive Educational Impact

Posted on October 1, 2024Updated: October 15, 2024

A $3.5 million gift from The Addy Foundation to the SMU Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development will ensure the long-term success of the Center on Research and Evaluation, a vital community partner for education-related organizations across Dallas and Texas.

The Addy Foundation’s investment directs $3 million toward endowment of the center and an additional $500,000 in operational support until the endowment matures in five years. The center will now be known as The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation.

“This gift from The Addy Foundation benefits our entire community, driving meaningful, data-informed change throughout our region, improving the effectiveness of programs and services across our education system,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “The research done by the Addy Center will continue to both spark innovation and ensure best practices that will benefit our children.”

Newly named in its tenth year of operation at SMU, The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation conducts comprehensive evaluations that focus on improving programs and demonstrating impact. Its researchers and analysts provide actionable data to partners about how program implementation is proceeding, how well goals are being reached, and what changes could and should be made to improve outcomes. For example, the center collaborates with Big Thought, Dallas Afterschool and Dallas ISD to provide a shared system that streamlines and supports data collection and data usage for after school and summer school sites across the city of Dallas.

“We have long believed in the important work this center does, both for the organizations it supports and for the broader Dallas community,” said Ben Leal, president of The Addy Foundation. “This grant aligns with our mission because The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation will continue to support innovative and proven solutions that best serve those in need. The foundation is committed to working with like-minded partners such as SMU Simmons that lift, support and strengthen communities. Together, we will continue to drive positive change in North Texas and beyond.”

The gift supports SMU Ignited: Boldy Shaping Tomorrow, the University’s $1.5 billion campaign for impact.

“Donors like The Addy Foundation play a significant role in the impact SMU makes in communities across the country,” said Brad E. Cheves, SMU senior vice president for Development and External Affairs. “By combining operational and endowment support to academic centers, these donors fuel work that makes an immediate difference – and provide enduring support that will pay dividends for generations to come.”

Supported by William and Lydia Addy and based in Dallas, The Addy Foundation has previously worked with the SMU Center on Research and Evaluation, finding affinity with its education-focused mission. The center has a “cradle to career” focus, capturing and analyzing information from early childhood to the twelfth grade, and bridging support into college and career.

“We are deeply grateful to The Addy Foundation,” said Annie Wright, executive director of The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation at SMU. “In addition to broad-based support, this gift will also ensure the center’s capacity to provide low-cost assistance to nonprofit organizations and sustain our staff year-round, ultimately delivering more effective services that improve lives across the region.”

The work of The Addy Foundation Center on Research and Evaluation complements efforts throughout the SMU Simmons School of Education and Human Development to promote educational excellence through scientifically based research and to collaborate with other schools and institutions that further positive learning experiences in all stages of life.

“The Addy Foundation’s generous commitment marks a tremendous moment for SMU Simmons,” said Stephanie Knight, Leon Simmons Endowed Dean of the SMU Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. “This investment will allow us to expand vital, far-reaching work to make an even greater impact in education.”

Seeing Student Homelessness Through Their Eyes: New Graphic Short Story is Resource for K-12 Educators

Posted on August 30, 2024Updated: October 15, 2024

Imagine yourself in a shelter for homeless women and children – the noise, the communal meals, the anxiety that starts every day when the school bus driver assumes you are going to be trouble. That’s the opening for a new comic, Uprooted: Voices of Student Homelessness, that tells the stories of four students experiencing homelessness from their points of view.

Demonstrating the fear, shame and lack of stability that many students and their families experience, the book is the brainchild of SMU education researchers Alexandra Pavlakis and Meredith Richards, and former SMU postdoctoral fellow, Kessa Roberts, now assistant professor at Utah State University. The researchers have spent a combined 30 years studying how homelessness affects students and the best ways to help them succeed in school.

Their comic aims to provide a compelling snapshot of the diverse realities that students experiencing homelessness face, countering the myths that surround them and deepening educators’ policy awareness and sensitivity to the issue.

“We are passionate about research,” says Pavlakis, associate professor of education policy and leadership in SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development. “But we’re equally passionate about helping students. Charts and graphs don’t hook people the way narratives do.”

“We wanted to find a way to share our data with the educators and nonprofit workers who interact the most with students experiencing homelessness.”

The book was inspired by the team’s research. For example, according to a research brief Pavlakis, Richards, and Roberts co-authored, 1.2 million schoolchildren were homeless in the 2020-21 school year, the most recent statistics available. In Texas, 97,200 students were homeless, 20,000 of them in Dallas. Both statistics are underestimates, Richards says. Students and families rarely self-identify as homeless to school officials due to the stigma attached to the term.

Research also shows that students experiencing homelessness tend to have lower attendance, poorer achievement, higher rates of drop-out, and lower rates of graduation, Richards says.

The U.S. Congress passed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 1987, which defines students experiencing homelessness as those who “lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” The majority, 77 percent, share housing or “double up” with someone else due to economic hardship or loss of housing, according to EdResearch for Action.

McKinney-Vento is designed to help students succeed in school by guaranteeing their rights, Pavlakis says. Research shows that students’ education outcomes improve when schools follow policy guidelines:

Students must be enrolled immediately in school, even if they are missing documents or have missed deadlines.
Students may stay in their school of origin, even if their housing changes.
When requested, districts must provide transportation to and from school.
Schools must remove barriers to full participation in school activities such as fees, required uniforms and fines.

“We know that interactions with educators often shape a student’s day,” Pavlakis says. “Schools track academic achievement, but that’s not the only way school personnel have an impact on students’ lives.”

Here’s how researchers say schools can help students experiencing homelessness:

Prioritize identifying students experiencing homelessness to help them access resources.
Collaborate and share data with community providers to ease access to support.
Build relationships with trusted adults in students’ lives.
Avoid stigmatizing students.

Implementation of McKinney-Vento is patchy across the country, researchers say. And families often don’t know their schoolchildren have rights.

“We hope Uprooted resonates with readers in a way that numbers don’t,” Richards says. “We’d like to see kids have access to their rights, along with more empathy and compassion.”

Uprooted is available at no cost here. The book was written and illustrated by Ashley Robin Franklin and edited and designed by Kacy McKinney. The comic was funded in part by the Spencer Foundation and American Institutes for Research.

Simmons-led team awarded $2.48M research grant from National Science Foundation focused on equity in undergraduate STEM

Posted on August 26, 2024Updated: October 15, 2024

Dr.Quentin Sedlacek, assistant professor of STEM education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, received a $2.48M collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation’s Racial Equity in STEM and Improving Undergraduate STEM Education programs.

The five-year grant, Amplifying Diverse Voices in STEM Education (ADVISE), will fund an SMU-led collaboration among nine colleges and universities to study the role that invited guest lecturers can play in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and student success in undergraduate STEM education.

Learn more about the project here. Faculty in natural sciences, mathematical sciences, or engineering interested in participating in the project should contact Dr. Sedlacek.

Students’ Work Considered as Possible Option for City Improvements

Posted on July 19, 2024Updated: September 4, 2024

Students from Dr. Bing's Katy Trail-Alternate Route pose for group shot in the foyer of Frances Anne Moody Hall

Students in Dr. Eric G. Bing’s Creating Impact in Global and Public Health class learned how important their work can be in changing the community for the better. The City of Dallas used the students’ design in a recent survey as one of four options under consideration for improving Dallas’ hike and bike trails. The survey was part of the city’s plan to engage the public and garner input on the best ways to grow a comfortable, safe, and direct bicycle network that serves the diverse communities in Dallas.

Teams of undergraduates in Bing’s class presented their comprehensive strategies in the ninth Battle to Save Lives, a global and public health case competition in April. The Katy Trail-Alternate Route strategy was selected by judges to win the competition. The plan was designed to improve user safety on the proposed Dallas LOOP Bikeway and builds upon work from the previous year that identified bicycle speeds as a key problem for overall safety on the Katy Trail.

The Department of Transportation will consider the students’ proposal in selecting the most suitable and feasible route to recommend to the Dallas City Council. DOT is expected to finalize that recommendation later in the calendar year.

Students from Dr. Bing's Katy Trail-Alternate Route present their research during the ninth Battle to Save Lives event.

Simmons Dean Stephanie Knight says the fact that an SMU student proposal is one of the plans considered speaks highly of what and how students are learning. “I was fortunate to witness the presentations and was so impressed with the keen analysis, creativity, and professionalism that went into these proposals. Thank you Dr. Bing and your students for being a great example of SMU Simmons’ engagement in the community and the future of Dallas.

Visit https://blog.smu.edu/globalhealthimpact/2024/05/20/the-2024-battle-to-save-lives-an-smu-global-and-public-health-case-competition/ for more on the students’ work.

Walkington Awarded NSF ITEST Grant to Study Middle School Math Large Language Models

Posted on July 18, 2024Updated: July 18, 2024

A grant totaling nearly $1.3 million has been awarded to Candace Walkington, Ph.D., the Annette and Harold Simmons Centennial Chair and Professor Gerald J. Ford Research Fellow.

Professor Walkington learned that she received the $1,296,683 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) on July 11. Walkington, Principal Investigator for the project, says the research will involve working with teachers and using large language models to write math problems that are personalized to the interest areas of middle school students.

According to Walkington, the research will advance theories of interest development where there is a lack of intervention studies targeting motivation and guidance on how to support students at different interest development phases. “Interest in math has been shown to decline over adolescence and this research will explore how to make math meaningful to middle school students. This grant allows us to conduct research foundational to the future of personalized learning, capitalizing on very recent advances in AI that offer novel opportunities to bring these approaches to scale.” Walkington says the project will also advance theories of teacher problem-posing, examining teacher characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes, and the problems teachers encounter when teaming with AI.

Walkington says she is thrilled to begin working with her distinguished Co-PIs including Dr. Tiffini Pruitt-Britton, a Ph.D. graduate of SMU, currently at American Institutes for Research (AIR) as well as other national leaders in Generative AI and Large Language Models Ryan Baker, Andrew Lan, and Neil Heffernan.

The research has a start date of August 1, 2024, when Walkington and her team will begin recruiting and working with 7^th grade teachers using ASSISTments. The team will conduct studies looking at the effect of deep authentic forms of personalization using LLMs versus other alternatives. They will test generating visual illustrations to accompany math problems using LLMs. And they will explore approaches teachers can use for prompt engineering to create the best personalized math problems. They will examine teacher and student outcomes in each of these studies.

Upward Bound Camps at SMU Help First-Generation Students Chart a Course for College

Posted on June 20, 2024Updated: June 20, 2024

Students from high schools throughout the Dallas area are staying on the SMU campus to get a better idea of what it is like to be a college student. The Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math Science summer residential camps sponsored by College Access, a program in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, help low-income, first-generation students prepare for college.

The camps offer students helpful classes on everything from English, chemistry, calculus and sign language to college writing, filling out admissions forms and understanding the financial aid process. It also gives the campers a taste of being on a college campus, eating in the dining halls and living in the dorm.

Forty-four students from partner high schools in Dallas ISD, Lancaster ISD, Duncanville ISD, and Garland ISD are attending the camps. Dr. LaChelle Cunningham, College Access Director, says the camps and the program are life-changing for the participants. “These students have the aptitude and desire to continue learning. They also know a college degree can lead to a better future not only for them but for their families. We are pleased that, through these camps, we help them navigate what is most often unchartered territory for them and their parents.”

Adriana Reyes, a rising 12^th grader at Skyline High School says the information they are learning at the camp is already making an impact. “I am more confident about successfully getting into college and what steps I need to take. I am a first-generation student, so I am taking in everything to help me be successful and succeed.”

One of those providing that information is Phylisha Smith, a camp alum, who came back to work for College Access after graduating college. She is now a camp class instructor. “I teach them how to fill out an admissions application, apply for financial assistance, and research their first college choice. I know how much this camp helped me and how important it is to help them understand the process.”

The campers are enjoying making new friends with students from other area schools. They say one of the best things about the camp is that they all have the same goal – to graduate from college.

Desmond Minger, a rising 12^th grader from Kimball High School, says, “I have social anxiety and really didn’t talk much. I have come out of my shell here and have learned so much from communicating with the other students. My American Sign Language class has really taught me a lot about communicating with others and that it doesn’t always have to be verbal. I now have the confidence that I can attend college”

Simmons Dean, Dr. Stephanie Knight, says “I am so proud of the good work being done through College Access. It is just another way we fulfill SMU’s commitment to community outreach. The camp runs through July and is funded by an Upward Bound grant from the United States Department of Education.

Simmons has a Strong Presence at 2024 ISLS Conference

Posted on June 4, 2024Updated: June 6, 2024

A group made up of Simmons faculty, post doctoral and PhD students will present at the 2024 International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) Conference in Buffalo, New York, June 10-14. The Simmons academics are presenting topics such as: Students’ Representational and Relational Caring in STEM; Exploring STEM Identity and Belonging in Minoritized Girls at a Summer Camp; and Pedagogical Issues in Virtual Reality Mathematics Education.With these presentations and those of other university researchers from around the country, the conference promises to offer discussion of meaningful issues and innovative approaches in the world of learning sciences today.

ISLS works to further scientific, humanistic, and critical theoretical understanding of learning and to engage in the design and implementation of learning innovations and the improvement of instructional methodologies. Learning Sciences (LS) research traditionally focuses on the cognitive-psychological, social-psychological, cultural-psychological, and critical theoretical foundations of human learning as well as the practical design of learning environments. Major contributing fields include cognitive science, computer science, educational psychology, anthropology, and applied linguistics. Over the past decade, LS researchers have expanded their focus to include the design of curricula, informal learning environments, instructional methods, and policy innovations.

A core feature of research in the learning sciences is attention to the detailed processes of learning and teaching for theory development. Accordingly, the Society calls for papers that address questions about learning processes, mechanisms, and outcomes. Papers may develop data-driven theories that elucidate processes of learning and teaching within various contexts and the ways in which technologies, instructional practices, and learning environments can be designed to support learning in different contexts.

This year’s ISLS Conference leads up to the new Learning Sciences Master’s at Simmons that launches in the 2024 Fall semester. The full ISLS Conference schedule of presentations by Simmons educators can be found here.