Educational Psychology

Sadhana Puntambekar

Sears-Bascom Professor, Learning Sciences Area

puntambekar@education.wisc.edu


1075E Educational Sciences

1025 West Johnson Street

Madison, WI 53706-1706

Puntambekar, Sadhana

Download CV   https://ildl.wceruw.org  

Sadhana Puntambekar is Sears-Bascom professor in Educational Psychology and directs the Interactive Design and Learning Lab (ILDL). She is a Fellow of the International Society for the Learning Sciences in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of the Learning Sciences. She has served as a Co-Editor of the American Journal of Educational Research from 2015-2019, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Learning Science for the Design-Based Research strand. Her work on scaffolding students’ learning and Design-Based Research are widely recognized. Her work has been published in reputed journals in the field such the Journal of the Learning Sciences, Educational Psychologist and Instructional Science. She has successfully served as PI on several federally funded research projects.

Education

  • PhD Cognitive and Computing Sciences, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences University of Sussex, 1996
  • MA Psychology, Osmania University, 1983
  • BA Psychology and Philosophy, Osmania University, 1981

Select Publications

  • Puntambekar, S., Gnesdilow, D., Tissenbaum, C. D., Narayanan, H. N., & Rebello, S. (2021). Supporting Middle School Students’ Science Talk: A Comparison of Physical and Virtual Labs. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 58(3), 392-419.
  • Puntambekar, S. (2019). Design-Based Research. In Fischer, F., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Goldman, R., Reimann, P. (Ed.), International Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 383-392). Rutledge.
  • Martin, N. D., Tissenbaum, C. D., Gnesdilow, D., & Puntambekar, S. (2019). Fading distributed scaffolds: the importance of complementarity between teacher and material scaffolds. Instructional Science, 47(1), 69-98.
  • Sullivan, S., & Puntambekar, S. (2019). Learning with multiple online texts as part of scientific inquiry in the classroom. Computers and Education, 28, 36-51.
  • Sullivan, S., Gnesdilow, D., Puntambekar, S., & Kim, J. (2017). Middle school students' learning of mechanics concepts through engagement in different sequences of physical and virtual experiments. International Journal of Science Education, 39(12), 1573-1600.
  • Sullivan, S. A., & Puntambekar, S. (2015). Learning with digital texts: Exploring the impact of prior domain knowledge and reading comprehension ability on navigation and learning outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 299-313.
  • Puntambekar, S., Erkens, G., & Hmelo-Silver, C. (2010). Analyzing interactions in CSCL: Methods, issues and approaches. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Puntambekar, S., Stylianou, A., & Goldstein, J. (2007). Comparing classroom enactments of an inquiry curriculum: Lessons learned from two teachers. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 16(1), 81-130.
  • Puntambekar, S., & Hübscher, R. (2005). Tools for scaffolding students in a complex environment: What have we gained and what have we missed? Educational Psychologist, 40(1), 1-12.
  • Puntambekar, S., & Kolodner, J. L. (2005). Toward implementing distributed scaffolding: Helping students learn science by design. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(2), 185-217.

Select Presentations

  • Lin, F., & Puntambekar, S. (2019). Designing Epistemic Scaffolding in CSCL. Paper presented at the A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings: Proceedings of the13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2019).
  • Dornfeld Tissenbaum, C., Gnesdilow, D., Martin, N., & Puntambekar, S. (2019). Emergent Roles, Collaboration, and Conceptual Outcomes for Two Eighth-Grade Groups in CSCL Science Classes. Paper presented at the A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings: Proceedings of the13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2019).
  • Yavuz, S., Forkner, M., Gnesdilow, D., Dornfeld Tissenbaum, C., Kim, J., & Puntambekar, S. (2019). Understanding the Effect of Group Variance on Learning. Paper presented at the A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings: Proceedings of the13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2019).
  • Lin, F., Gnesdilow, D., Martin, N. D., Dornfeld Tissenbaum, C., & Puntambekar, S. (2018). Examining the Role of Explicit Epistemic Reflection in Promoting Students’ Learning from Digital Text. Paper presented at the Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age: Making the Learning Sciences Count, 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2018.
  • Martin, N. D., Gnesdilow, D., & Puntambekar, S. (2018). Teachers’ mediation of students’ interactions with physical and virtual scientific models in biology. Paper presented at the Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age: Making the Learning Sciences Count, 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2018.
  • Dornfeld Tissenbaum, C. L., & Puntambekar, S. (2018). Tracking the flow of discussion topics in an inquiry science unit. Paper presented at the Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age: Making the Learning Sciences Count, 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2018.
  • Dornfeld, C., Zhao, N., & Puntambekar, S. (2017). A mixed-methods approach for studying collaborative learning proceses at individual and group levels. Paper presented at the Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL: 12th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
  • Dornfeld, C., & Puntambekar, S. (2017). Conceptualizing scaffolding for science learning in classrooms and museums using mixed-methods approaches. Paper presented at the Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL: 12th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
  • Martin, N. D., Gnesdilow, D., Zhao, N., & Puntambekar, S. (2017). Integrating physical and virtual models in biology: A study of students’ reasoning while solving a design challenge. Paper presented at the Making a Difference: Prioritizing Equity and Access in CSCL: 12th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
  • Gnesdilow, D., Fathema, N., Lin, F., Kang, S., Dornfeld, C., & Puntambekar, S. (2016). Exploring middle school students’ science learning and discourse in physical and virtual labs. Paper presented at the Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners: 12 th International Conference of the Learning Sciences.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Vilas Associate Award, UW-Madison, 2020
  • Fellow, International Society of the Learning Sciences, 2018
  • Early CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2000
  • Gold Medalist (1st student in class) Master’s program in Psychology, Osmania University, 1983
  • National Merit Scholar, Osmania University, (1981, 1983)
  • Gold Medalist (Top student in class), Philosophy major, Osmania University, 1981
  • Gold Medalist (Top student in class), Psychology major, Osmania University, 1981