NSF/Wellcome/ESRC funded Studentship in ‘The role of embodied interaction for early years science learning in museum contexts’

Applications are invited for a 3 year PhD studentship based at the UCL Knowledge Lab, London. This prestigious PhD post is funded by the Wellcome trust as part of a larger UK/US Practitioner/Research $2.4million project: Move2Learn. The student would be supported by, and expected to contribute toward, the wider Move2Learn team, in particular, with a parallel PhD post at the University of Edinburgh.

Move2Learn is a three-year project jointly funded by the NSF, Wellcome Trust and ESRC, under the Science Learning+ programme of research. It is a researcher-practitioner partnership, with interdisciplinary expertise in museum research, Early Years Education, HCI design and AI Ed. Building on theories of embodied cognition and learning design research, this project aims to identify key body-based experiences that are aligned with the development of science concepts and skills, and examine how these experiences help young children express, communicate, integrate and develop their scientific thinking. This will inform our understanding and design of effective embodied experiences for museum exhibits across multiple topics and socio-cultural contexts.

The project is co-ordinated by the Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science, Miami and Universoty of Edinburgh in collaboration with University College London, Glasgow Science Centre, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne and the Children’s Museum of Indianopolis, The Science Museum, London and Learning through Landscapes.

This is a fully funded studentship, undertaken full time over a three-year period. The student will be based at UCL Knowledge Lab a leading interdisciplinary research unit focused on digital communication and learning, and based within the Culture, Communication and Media Department, University College London.

Supervisor(s): Primary supervisor, Professor Sara Price, Second supervisor, Dr Esme Glauert

Candidate Requirements

The funding available is for UK/EU students only (due to the funding for fees available).

The proposed PhD focus is flexible but should be related to:

• Early Learning (0-8 years)
• STEM subjects
• Embodied Cognition as a theoretical foundation (the role of the body in conceptual development)
• Creative science communication

Candidates must have:
• A first class or upper second class undergraduate degree, and a Master’s degree (preferably with Distinction) in a relevant discipline, including but not limited to the Learning Sciences, Early Years Science, Psychology, Computer Science, HCI, Design
• Experience of undertaking postgraduate research
• Proven excellent spoken and written English
• Demonstrate a strong interest/knowledge of embodied interaction/ cognition and early years informal science learning and/or communication
• A desire to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team
• Experience of working with digital technologies would be an advantage

Further information about the Move2Learn project: http://www.de.ed.ac.uk/move2learn
Further information on the UCL Knowledge Lab: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-centres/centres/ucl-knowledge-lab

How to apply:
Eligible candidates should apply via email and submit to [Email Address Removed]

• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV)
• A 4 page research proposal. The proposal should demonstrate an understanding of and identification of the theoretical frameworks to be engaged with. A competent research design should be evident and issues of recruitment should also be addressed. Any risks to the completion of the project (e.g. ethical approval, recruitment) should be identified.
• An outline of your research methods training and experience (max 1 page)
• A copy of a piece of your own work: e.g. a written (in English) publication for a peer reviewed journal (If jointly written publications are submitted please indicate your role in the writing and percentage of effort); an extended blog post; or a piece of relevant coursework

Informal enquiries should be directed to:
Professor Sara Price [Email Address Removed]

Starting date October 2017