Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Social Science and Policy Studies Department

INSTITUTION:  Worcester Polytechnic Institute

DEPARTMENT:  Social Science and Policy Studies Department

POSITION:  Open Rank Tenure Track 

LINK:  http://www.wpi.edu/+ssps

NOTES: Application review begins November 15, 2012, accepted until position is filled.

Tenure Track Position/Learning Sciences

The Social Science and Policy Studies (SSPS) Department at WPI announces an Open Rank Tenure Track position in the Learning Sciences. The selected candidate will teach courses in the undergraduate psychology program (e.g., Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology) as well as advanced graduate courses in our Learning Sciences and Technologies program (e.g., Foundations of Learning Sciences, Educational Learning Environments, Motivation Metacognition, & Affect), or a course in their particular area of expertise.

The ideal candidate will have a strong program of funded research that employs technology to improve and assess learning in one of the STEM disciplines, uses computational approaches to design intelligent tutoring systems, assessment environments, peer learning environments, or classrooms of the future, and uses computational approaches to conduct data analysis in the context of intelligent/assessment environments. The candidate is expected to participate in ongoing funded research in WPI's Learning Sciences & Technology Program (LS&T).

The SSPS Department at WPI has multidisciplinary faculty offering undergraduate programs in economics, law and technology, psychology, public policy, system dynamics, and society-technology studies, and graduate programs in the learning sciences and system dynamics. Our websites provide additional information about the Department (http://www.wpi.edu/+ssps), the Learning Sciences & Technologies graduate program (http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Depts/SSPS/LST/), and WPI's STEM Education Center (http://www.wpi.edu/academics/stem.html). The LS&T program is an interdisciplinary program comprising core faculty from Social Sciences as well as Computer Science, in addition to other associated faculty in Robotics, and Interactive Media and Game Development.

Founded in 1865, WPI is one of the nation's first technological universities. A highly selective private university located within an hour of Boston, WPI is consistently ranked among the top 60 research institutions by US News & World Report. The university is home to an innovative and intensive project-based curriculum that empowers students with the knowledge and skills to address real world problems around the globe, an approach repeatedly cited for excellence by The Fiske Guide to Colleges and The Princeton Review. WPI offers exceptional teaching and research opportunities, as well as opportunities for collaboration within the university and with our colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Candidates should have a doctorate in Psychology, Learning Sciences, Human-Computer Interaction or a related field (e.g., Cognitive Science, Education, or Computer Science).

Applications should include a vitae, a detailed description of research plans, a statement of teaching philosophy, sample publications, and the names of three referees who will submit letters of recommendation. All materials should be sent electronically to SSPS@wpi.edu and include "Learning Sciences Search Committee" in the subject line. Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled.