Alexandra Harris
CTL Alumnus : Software Engineer
(6/28/2001-12/8/2006)
Alexandra Harris, known as "Zaz", joined SRI as a software engineer after graduating from Stanford University in 2001. Now a member of the web and development teams in the Center for Technology and Learning, she has primarily contributed to two projects, the Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL), and Tapped In®. For OERL, she designed and implemented a relational database of all library resources to support searches, among several other technical tasks. A member of both the design and development teams for Tapped In® 2, a complete revision of the original Tapped In® system, Zaz contributed functional specifications and implemented the bulk of the interface.
At Stanford, Zaz received her undergraduate degree in Symbolic Systems, a cognitive science major interweaving philosophy, computer science, linguistics, and psychology. In both that program and in her Masters degree in Computer Science, her concentration was in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Although definitely a "techie" and a programmer, Zaz has a strong interest in interaction design, HCI, prototyping, and user testing.
Prior to working at SRI, Zaz had internships at Sun Microsystems and the Lonmark Interoperability Association. For several years, she was also a teaching assistant at Stanford in introductory/intermediate C programming and computing ethics.
Education
- M.S., Computer Science, Stanford University, 2001
- B.S., Symbolic Systems, Stanford University, 2001
Professional Experience
- Software Engineer, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (2001-present)
- Teaching Assistant & Section Leader, Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (1999-2001)
- J2EE Blueprints Intern, Sun Microsystems, Cupertino, CA (2000)
- Programming Intern & Web Page Assistant, Lonmark Interoperability Association, Palo Alto, CA (1999)
Research Areas at CTL
Current Projects at CTL
- Build IT: Girls Building Information Technology Fluency Through Design (former Staff)
- Tapped In® (former Member)
Past Projects at CTL
- Calipers: Using Simulations to Assess Complex Science Learning ended 2007
- CLTNet: Centers for Learning and Teaching Network ended 2008
- Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL) ended 2008
- Preparing for Cybercollaboration between Scientists and Software Developers ended 2007
- Principled Assessment Designs for Inquiry (PADI) ended 2008
- Professional Development Decisions Using Data ended 2006
- Technology & Math Learning Strategic Alliance ended 2006
- Tuple Spaces as a Foundation for Collaborative Learning ended 2006
Related Non-CTL Projects
Publications
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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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Fusco, J., Huang, J., & Harris, A. (2005). Utilizing usability testing methods to improve OERL. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
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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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