Education
Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction
University of Maryland, College Park
B.S. in Astrophysics
Tufts University
Appointments
Salem State University, Department of Chemistry and Physics
Assistant Professor
Coordinator, Collins Observatory
Stanford University, Graduate School of Education
Postdoctoral Scholar
Tufts University, Department of Education
Postdoctoral Associate, Science Learning Activation Lab
Co-Instructor, Department of Education
Selected Publications
Conlin, L.D. & Scherr, R.E. (2018). Making space to sensemake: The use of epistemic distancing to construct a safe space to discuss ideas in science. Cognition and Instruction, 36(4). Online access available at https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/g6ASKxF8zniwb5qNd9ZB/full (pdf of Accepted Manuscript)
Kuo, E., Hallinen, N.R., Conlin, L.D. (2017). When procedures discourage insight: Epistemological consequences of prompting novice physics students to construct force diagrams. International Journal of Science Education, 39(7), 814-839.
Russ, R., & Conlin, L.D. (2017). Supporting Teachers in Assessing Student Scientific Thinking: The 3Cs Criteria. Science and Children, 55(4), 72-75.
Conlin, L.D., & Chin, D. B. (2016). Can tinkering prepare students to learn physics concepts? Proceedings of the 2016 meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education, New Orleans, LA.
Conlin, L.D., & Hammer, D. (2015). From the individual to the ensemble and back again. In A. diSessa, N. Brown, & M. Levin (Eds.) Knowledge and Learning in Interaction. New York: Routledge.
Conlin, L.D., Chin, D.B., Blair, K.P., Cutumisu, M., & Schwartz, D.L. (2015). Guardian angels of our better nature: Finding evidence of the benefits of design thinking. Proceedings of the 2015 meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education, Seattle, WA. Selected for Best Papers session of the Design in Engineering Education Division.
Daniel, S.M., & Conlin, L.D. (2015). Shifting attention back to students within the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). TESOL Quarterly, 49(1), 169-187.
Conlin, L.D., Hallinen, N.R., and Schwartz, D.L. (2014). Supporting middle schoolers’ use of inquiry strategies for discovering multivariate relations in interactive physics simulations. In J.L. Polman, E.A. Kyza, D.K. O’Neill, I.Tabak, W.R. Penuel, A.S. Jurow, K. O’Connor, T. Lee, and L. D’Amico (Eds.). Learning and Becoming in Practice: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 31-37). Boulder, CO: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Gupta, A., Elby, A., & Conlin, L.D. (2014). How substance-based ontologies for gravity can be productive: A case study. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research. 10(010113), 1-19. Selected for Editor’s Suggestion.
Conlin, L.D., Gupta, A., & Hammer, D. (2010). Framing and resource activation: Bridging the cognitive-situative divide using a dynamic unit of cognitive analysis. In S. Ohlsson & R. Catrambone (Eds.), Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 19-24). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
Conlin, L.D., Gupta, A., & Hammer, D. (2010). Where to find the mind: Identifying the scale of cognitive dynamics. In K. Gomez, L. Lyons, & J. Radinsky (Eds.), Learning in the Disciplines: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 277-284). Chicago, IL: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Conlin, L.D. (2009). For the new teacher: Finding methods in madness. The Physics Teacher, 47(2), 125-126.
Conlin, L.D., Gupta, A., Scherr, R.E., & Hammer, D. (2007). The dynamics of students’ behaviors and reasoning during collaborative physics tutorial sessions. In L. Hsu, C. Henderson, & L. McCullough (Eds.), Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference (Vol. 24, pp. 66-72). Greensboro, NC: American Institute of Physics.
Invited Talks
Epistemic distancing: how hedging and joking can make space for scientific sensemaking. Presented at the Boston University Center for Teaching and Learning’s Learning Science Series, April 4, 2018.
Making space to sensemake: Exploring the benefit of valuing students’ ideas in science learning environments. Presented to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison as part of the Wisconsin Ideas in Education Series, November 18th, 2015.
Making space for student sensemaking in physics. Presented to the Department of Physics & Astronomy at San José State University as part of the research colloquium, October 22nd, 2015.
When feist and frustration spark substantive engagement. Presented with Jennifer R. Richards at the 2013 Summer Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Portland, OR, July 17, 2013.
Philosophy of science and science education. Guest lecture as part of an upper division philosophy of science course at the University of Maryland, College Park. November 27, 2007.
Professional Service
Chair, Physics Education Research Leadership and Organizing Council (website)
Coordinator, Collins Observatory at Salem State University
Coordinator, High Rock Tower Observatory in Lynn, MA
Ad hoc reviewer: Journal of the Learning Sciences, Cognition and Instruction, Physical Review – Physics Education Research
Luke Conlin's home page 