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Patti Schank

Cognitive and Computer Scientist

Patricia Schank is a cognitive and computer scientist at SRI's Center for Technology in Learning. Her current research interests are human computer interaction (HCI), social computing, computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), and computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). Working with teams of developers and researchers, she applies a range of design and engineering processes (interface design, prototyping, user testing, architecture specification, and implementation) and research methodologies to develop and analyze innovative socio-technical environments. Dr. Schank has a Ph.D. in education (emphasis in cognition and learning) and an M.S. in computer science (emphasis in artificial intelligence) from the University of California at Berkeley, where her dissertation work focused on modeling and aiding scientific reasoning through an integration of theory-based cognitive simulations, experimental studies, and instructional curricula.

Education 

• Ph.D., Cognition and Development, University of California, Berkeley, 1995
• M.S., Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, 1989
• B.S., Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Nebraska, 1987

Professional Experience 

• Computer Scientist, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (1995-present)
• Software Engineer, Apple Computer Advanced Technologies Group, Cupertino, CA (1989, 1993, 1995)
• Research Consultant, Xerox PARC User Interface Research Group, Palo Alto, CA (1995)
• Graduate Student Instructor and Research Assistant, University of California at Berkeley, Cognitive Science and Computer Science Departments, Berkeley, CA (1987-1994)
• Software Engineer, IBM Knowledge Based Systems Group, Santa Clara, CA (1988)
• Mathematics Consultant, University of Nebraska, Lincoln Mathematics Department, Lincoln, NE (1984-1987)

Research Areas at CTL

Learning Environments
Technology Development (Leader)

Current Projects at CTL

• Build IT: Girls Building Information Technology Fluency Through Design (Staff)
• Contingent Pedagogies for Conceptual Teaching and Learning (Data Programmer/Manager)
• InnovaTE³ Girls Innovating with Technology as Entrepreneurial Environmental Engineers (Staff)
• National Technology Activities Task Order (Staff)
• ScribbleProv: Supporting disciplined improvisation during face-to-face discussion (Leader)
• Tapped In^®

Past Projects at CTL

• Calipers: Using Simulations to Assess Complex Science Learning ended 2007
• ChemSense (Leader) ended 2005
• CLTNet: Centers for Learning and Teaching Network ended 2008
• Hewlett Journalism Numeracy Project ended 2007
• Nanoscience: A Vehicle for a Goals-Oriented Science Education (Staff) ended 2007
• NanoSense (Leader) ended 2008
• Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL) ended 2008
• Performance Assessment Links in Science (PALS) ended 2002
• Principled Assessment Designs for Inquiry (PADI) ended 2008
• Tuple Spaces as a Foundation for Collaborative Learning ended 2006

Publications

• Schlager, M., Farooq, U., Fusco, J., Schank, P., & Dwyer, N. (2009). Analyzing online social networking in professional learning communities: Cyber networks require cyber-research tools. Journal of Technology Education, 60(1), 86-100.
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• Farooq, U., Schank, P., Harris, A., Fusco, J. & Schlager, M. (2008). Sustaining a community computing infrastructure for online teacher professional development: A case study of designing Tapped In. Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (JCSCW).
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• Michalchik, V., Rosenquist, A., Kozma, R., Kreikemeier, P., Schank, P., & Coppola, B. (2008). Representational resources for constructing shared understandings in the high school chemistry classroom. In J. Gilbert, M. Nakhleh, & M. Reiner (eds.). Visualization: Theory and practice in science education. New York: Springer.
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• Ranney, M. A., Rinne, L. F., Yarnall, L., Munnich, E., Miratrix, L., & Schank, P. (2008). Designing and assessing numeracy training for journalists: Toward improving quantitative reasoning among media consumers. Paper in the proceedings of the Eighth International Conference of the Learning Sciences. Utrecht, Netherlands. Accessed 11/18/2008 from
  http://morenumerate.org/downloads/RanneyEtAlICLS08Preprint.pdf
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• Schank, P., Krajcik, J., & Yunker, M. (2007). Can Nanoscience Be a Catalyst for Education Reform? In F. Allhoff, P. Lin, J. Moor, J. Weckert (Eds.), Nanoethics: The ethical and social implications of nanotechnology. Hobeken, NJ: Wiley Publishing.
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• Hamel, L., & Schank, P. (2006). A Wizard for PADI assessment design (PADI Technical Report 11). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Schank, P., Wise, A., Stanford, T., & Rosenquist, A. (2006, April). Teaching nanoscience to high school students: A tale of the NanoSense project. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
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• Wise, A., Schank, P., Stanford, T., & Rosenquist, A. (2006, April). The many challenges of designing and teaching nanoscience. Roundtable discussion at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
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• Hamel, L., & Schank, P. (2005). Participatory, example-based data modeling in PADI (PADI Technical Report 4). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Schank, P., & Hamel, L. (2004). Collaborative Modeling: Hiding UML and Promoting Data Examples in NEMo. Proceedings of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Notes.
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• Rosenquist, A., & Schank, P. (2003, January). The ChemSense knowledge building environment. Hawaii International Conference on Education Proceedings, January 7-10, 2003, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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• Rosenquist, A., Schank, P., Michalchik, V., Kreikemeier, P., & Kozma, R. (2003, January). Investigating, visualizing, and discussing chemistry with ChemSense. Hawaii International Conference on Education Proceedings, January 7-10, 2003, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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• Michalchik, V., Schank, P., Rosenquist, A., Kreikemeier, P., & Kozma, R. (2002, April). Visual representations in the collaborative learning of chemistry. Presented at the Collaborative Representations: Mediating Collaborative Learning with External Representations Symposium, Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.
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• Mislevy, R., et al. (2002). Design patterns for assessing science inquiry (PADI technical report 1). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Schank, P., & Kozma, R. (2002). Learning chemistry through the use of a representation-based knowledge building environment. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 21(3), 253-279.
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• Schank, P., Harris, A., & Schlager, M.S. (2002). Painting a Landscape onto TAPPED IN 2. Presented to the "The Role of Place in Shaping Virtual Community" workshop at the Computer Supported Cooperative Work Conference, New Orleans, LA, November 16-20, 2002.
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• Schlager, M. S., Fusco, J., & Schank, P. (2002). Evolution of an on-line education community of practice. In K. A. Renninger and W. Shumar (Eds.), Building virtual communities: Learning and change in cyberspace. NY: Cambridge University Press, 129-158.
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• Stanford, T., Rosenquist, A., & Schank, P. (2002, September). Using ChemSense to gather evidence of student learning. Center for Innovative Learning Technologies 2002 Assessment and Visualization Workshop, Sept 27-29, New Orleans, LA.
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• Rosenquist, A., Kozma, R., Schank, P., & Michalchik, V. (2001, April). Conceptual understanding through representation in the ChemSense environment. Presented at the Theoretically-Based and Empirically-Driven Approaches to the Design of Computer-Based Learning Environments for Science Education Symposium, Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Seattle, WA.
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• Michalchik, V., Coleman, E. B., Rosenquist, A., & Schank, P. (2000). Designing soap: ChemSense design study 2. Technical Report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Michalchik, V., Coleman, E. B., Rosenquist, A., Allen, F., & Schank, P. (2000). PASCO probes in the ChemSense environment: Design study 1. Technical Report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Schank, P., Rosenquist, A., & Kozma, R. (2000, October). The ChemSense knowledge building environment. Presented at the the Annual Conference of the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT), Washington, DC.
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• Quellmalz, E., Schank, P., Hinojosa, T., & Padilla, C. (September, 1999). Performance Assessment Links in Science (PALS). ERIC/AE Digest Series EDO-TM-99-04, University of Maryland, College Park.
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• Schank, P., Fenton, J., Schlager, M. S., & Fusco, J. (1999). From MOO to MEOW: Domesticating technology for online communities. In C. Hoadley (Ed.), Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL) 1999, pp. 518-526. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
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• Kozma, R.B. & Schank, P. (1998). Connecting with the twenty-first century: Technology in support of educational reform. In D. Palumbo & C. Dede (Eds.), Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 1998 Yearbook: Learning and Technology, pp. 3-27. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Curriculum Development.
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• Quellmalz, E., & Schank, P. (April, 1998). Performance Assessment Links in Science (PALS): On-line, Interactive Resources. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association in San Diego, CA., April 1998.
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• Ranney, M. & Schank, P. (1998). Toward an integration of the social and the scientific; Observing, modeling, and promoting the explanatory coherence of reasoning. In S. Read & L. Miller (Eds.), Connectionist models of social reasoning and social behavior, pp. 245-274. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
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• Schlager, M. S., Fusco, J., & Schank, P. (1998, December). Cornerstones for an online community of education professionals. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Special Issue: Wired Classrooms: The Internet in K-12. (Editors: Foster and Ginsberg).
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• Schlager, M. S., Fusco, J., Schank, P., Hewson, P., Derry, S., Gance, L. L., & Nagel, L., (1998, April). Plywood walls and exposed pipes: Supporting a culture of learning in an on-line teacher professional development community. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association Conference, San Diego, CA.
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• Schlager, M. S., & Schank, P. (1997). TAPPED IN: A new on-line community concept for the next generation of Internet technology. In R. Hall, N. Miyake & N. Enyedy (Eds.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning, pp. 231-240. Hillsdale, NJ; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc..
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• Pirolli, P., Schank, P., Hearst, M., & Diehl, C. (1996). Scatter/Gather browsing communicates the topic structure of a very large text collection. Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI '96, 213-220, New York, NY: Association for Computing Machinery.
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• Schank, P., & Schlager, M. S. (1996). Facilitating collaborative problem solving with Distant Mentor. CSCW '96 Videos, Demonstrations, and Short Papers, pp. 7-8. NY: Association for Computing Machinery.
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• Ranney, M., & Schank, P. (1995). Protocol modeling, bifurcation/bootstrapping, and Convince Me: Computer-based methods for studying beliefs and their revision. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 27, 239-243.
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• Schank, P., & Rowe, L. (1993). The design and assessment of a hypermedia course on semiconductor manufacturing. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 2 (3), 299-320.
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• Schank, P., Linn, M., & Clancy, M. (1993). Supporting Pascal programming with an on-line template library and case studies. Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 38, 1031-1048.
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