David Shaffer

Data Philosopher

David Williamson Shaffer is the Sears Bascom Professor of Learning Analytics and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Data Philosopher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. His M.S. and Ph.D. are from the Media Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and before coming to the University of Wisconsin, he was a teacher, teacher-trainer, curriculum developer, and game designer. Professor Shaffer’s current work focuses on merging statistical and qualitative methods to construct fair models of complex and collaborative human activity. He has authored more than 250 publications with over 100 co-authors, including How Computer Games Help Children Learn and Quantitative Ethnography.

Curriculum Vitae

Contact Information

dws@education.wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 890-3443
Office: 499B Ed Sciences

Current Projects

PurpleState 2.0: Investigating the Impact of a Virtual Internship on Argumentative Reading and Writing in Civic Education
ECR: nCoder+: A Tool for Subgroup-Fair Coding of STEM Learning Data at Scale
Trans-modal Analysis: A Mathematical and Computational Framework for Equity Assessment of Multi-modal STEM Learning Processes
ECR: BCSER: IMP: Building Capacity for Equitable Research on STEM Learning Processes using Quantitative Ethnography
ECR: BCSER: IMP: Building Capacity for Equitable Research on STEM Learning Processes using Quantitative Ethnography - Participant Support

Completed Projects

CAREER: Alternate Routes to Technology and Science (ARTS)
AutoMentor: Virtual Mentoring and Assessment in Computer Games for STEM Learning
EAGER Proposal for Research in Measurement and Modeling: Dynamic STEM Assessment through Epistemic Network Analysis
REU Supplement to EAGER Proposal for Research in Measurement and Modeling: Dynamic STEM Assessment Through Epistemic Network Analysis
DIP: Examining the Potential for Synergy or Negative Transfer when Students Learn from Multiple STEM Learning Games
Using a Virtual Engineering Internship to Model the Complexity of Engineering Design Problems
Measuring Complex STEM Thinking Using Epistemic Network Analysis
Collaborative Research: Research Initiation Grants in Engineering Education: Development of Innovation Capacity in Engineering Students Through Virtual Internships
Exploring the Potential of Virtual Internships for Civic and Media Education
AISL: Local Environmental Modeling: A Toolkit for Incorporating Place-Based Learning into Virtual Internships - A Scalable, Informal STEM Learning Environment
ECR: Assessing Complex Collaborative STEM Learning at Scale with Epistemic Network Analysis
Collaborative Research & Development Effort on Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT)
Fourth International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE22)
Fourth International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE22) - Participant Support