UPENN Biomedical Graduate Studies

Susan A Yoon

Graduate Group Affiliations

Education

Contact information

University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Office: 215-746-2526

Education:
BScH (Biology)
Queen's University, 1991.
BEd (Education)
University of Toronto, 1993.
MA (Science Education)
University of Toronto, 1999.
Post-Doc (Science and Technology Education)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.
PhD (Science Education)
University of Toronto, 2005.

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Description of Research Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Science and technology education
Learning sciences
Complex systems in education
Social and cognitive impacts in knowledge-building environments
Memes and memetic processes in education

Research Interests and Current Projects

Dr. Yoon is pursuing several lines of research including investigating curricular applications and learning outcomes of using social network graphs in decision-making about socio-scientific issues; understanding the dynamics of copying mechanisms (memetic processes) in learning environments; applying complex systems processes in teacher professional development programs; and understanding affordances and constraints to access and retention of K-12 and students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields of study.

She is the principal investigator of two large-scale National Science Foundation (NSF) projects aimed at increasing participation in the STEM education and career pipeline for underserved youth in the Philadelphia region. The first is an out-of-school time project for youth in grades 4-8: SPARK — Igniting Interest and Achievement in STEM through Engineering Design, with partners at the Philadelphia Zoo and Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (2006-2010). The second is an in-school project for grade 9 and 10 students and teachers, Nanotechnology and Bioengineering in Philadelphia Public Schools, under the NSF program title of ITEST — Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers. This project is a partnership between Penn’s Nano/Bio Interface Center and the School District of Philadelphia (2008-2013). She is also co-PI on two other NSF-funded projects. The first is with the Franklin Institute Science Museum on an informal science education project called ARIEL — Augmented Reality for Interpretive and Experiential Learning (2008-2013). The second is with MIT on a DRK12 project called BioGraph: Graphical Programming for Constructing Complex Systems Understanding in Biology (2010-2014).

Dr. Yoon received the 2009 Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies from Division C of the American Educational Research Association. She currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Learning Sciences as co-strand editor of the complex systems strand.

Selected Publications

Wang, J., & Yoon, S. : Scaffolding visitors’ learning through labels. Journal of Museum Education in press.

Yoon, S., Elinich, K., Wang, J., Steinmeier, C., & Van Schooneveld, J. : Learning impacts of a digital augmentation in a science museum. Visitor Studies. 15(2): 157-170, 2012.

Yoon, S., Elinich, K., Wang, J., Steinmeier, C., Tucker, S.: Using Augmented Reality and Knowledge-Building Scaffolds to Improve Learning in a Science Museum. International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning 7(4): 519-541, 2012.

Yoon, S: Using social network graphs as visualization tools to influence peer selection decision-making strategies to access information about socioscientific issues. Journal of the Learning Sciences 20(4): 549-588, 2011.

Lasky, D & Yoon, S.: Making space for the act of making: Creativity in the context of engineering design. Science Educator 20(1): 34-43, 2011.

Baker-Doyle, K. & Yoon, S. : In search of practitioner-based social capital: A social network analysis tool for understanding and facilitating teacher collaboration in a professional development program. Professional Development in Education 37(1), 2011.

Yoon,S., Liu, L., Goh, S.: Convergent adaptation in small groups: Understanding professional development activities through a complex systems lens. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 18(2), 2010.

Perna, L., Lundy-Wagner, V., Drezner, N., Gasman, M., Yoon, S., Bose, E. & Gary, S. : The contribution of HBCUs to the preparation of African American women for STEM careers: A case study. Research in Higher Education 50(1): 1-23, 2009.

Yoon, S. : Using memes and memetic processes to explain social and conceptual influences on student understanding about complex socio-scientific issues. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 45(8): 900-921, 2008.

Yoon, S.: An evolutionary approach to harnessing complex systems thinking in the science and technology classroom. International Journal of Science Education 30(1): 1-32, 2008.

Yoon, S., & Klopfer, E. : Feedback (F) fueling adaptation (A) network growth (N) and self-organization (S): A complex systems design and evaluation approach to professional development. Journal of Science Education and Technology 15(5-6): 353-366, 2006.

Yoon, S., Pedretti, E., Bencze, L., Hewitt, J., Perris, K., & Van Oostveen, R. : Improving elementary preservice science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs through the use of cases and case-methods. Journal of Science Teacher Education 17(2): 1-21, 2006.

Klopfer, E., & Yoon, S.: Developing games and simulations for today and tomorrow's tech savvy youth. Tech Trends 49(3): 33-41, 2005.

Klopfer, E., Yoon, S., & Perry, J.: Using palm technology in Participatory Simulations of complex systems: A new take on ubiquitous and accessible mobile computing. Journal of Science Education and Technology 14(3): 285-298, 2005.

Klopfer, E., Yoon, S., & Um, T.: Teaching complex dynamic systems to young students with StarLogo. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching 24(2): 157-178, 2005.