West Coast & Southwest Region
States in this Region: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, OR, MT, NM, NV, UT, WA, WY
Science Playground at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry: The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Playground is designed for the museum’s youngest visitors (ages zero to six) and their families. The hall features sensory experiences in our sand and water areas, as well as an interactive exhibit, Animal Secrets, where visitors participate in dramatic play to understand nature. The “Discovery Lab” inside Science Playground features rotating sets of Discovery Drawers: theme-based collections of materials for scientists to investigate. Other attractions in the Discovery Lab include a sensory materials table, a light table, and an “Art of Science” table, all of which engage and challenge early learners. The Science Playground Living Lab was established in January 2012, with Lewis & Clark college as their academic partner.
Psychology Department at Lewis & Clark College: Four faculty members from the Psychology Department at Lewis & Clark College are involved with the project: Janet Davidson, Jennifer LaBounty, Erik Nilsen, and Todd Watson. Dr. Davidson studies the development of problem-solving skills and their relation to insight, metacognition, and response inhibition. Dr. LaBounty’s research interests include social cognitive development in preschool-aged children and the development of intention understanding in infancy. Much of the research that she has conducted over the last five years has examined parent-child interactions and how the content and quality of these interactions affect children's learning. Dr. Nilsen studies motor performance, human-computer interactions, knowledge representation, and cognitive skills. His recent work explores the use of computer simulations and games for pro-social purposes. Dr. Watson’s primary research interests lie in the fields of cognitive neuroscience and psychophysiology. More specifically, he uses event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral testing to study the relationship between brain function and cognition. He is particularly interested in the neuropsychological correlates of cognitive operations or “executive functions”, including behavioral set shifting, decision-making, working memory, and response inhibition. Several undergraduates at Lewis & Clark College engage in collaborative research with these four faculty members. Studies conducted at OMSI during the project will be behavioral in nature and typically involve problem-solving tasks, “brain teasers”, computer games, and tests of short term or working memory.