Press Room

Read about SILC research and researchers in the press, as well as noteworthy accomplishments.

SILC Press for 2017

♦ SILC Faculty Member and PI, Nora Newcombe, was interviewed for BOLD: Kim, Meeri (August 25, 2017). The connection between spatial intelligence and STEM. BOLD: Blog on Learning & Development. Retrieved on September 2, 2017.

♦ SILC Faculty Member, Kenneth Forbus, and his research and development of Sketch Worksheets software was highlighted in the article: (April 14, 2017). Helping Students Learn by Sketching: Sketch Worksheets software analyzes and provides feedback on student sketches. Northwestern University, EECS, Department News (on-line). Retrieved April 17, 2017.
To read more in-depth coverage, please see the recent publication (Early View):
Forbus, K. D., Chang, M., McLure, M. and Usher, M. (2017). The Cognitive Science of Sketch Worksheets. Topics in Cognitive Science. DOI: 10.1111/tops.12262.

♦ SILC PI, Nora S. Newcombe was published in the British Psychological Society's The Psychologist highlighting SILC research in the article Building spatial skills in preschool. [complete citation forthcoming]

SILC Press for 2016

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♦ SILC PI, Nora S. Newcombe, and SILC research are highlighted in this recent article:
O'Connor, M. R. (September 22, 2016). For Kids, Learning Is Moving: Children’s brain development is fueled when they find their own way. Nautilus (on-line). Retrieved September 22, 2016.

♦ SILC Alumni Members, Kristin Gagnier and Kelly Fisher, contributed to two on-line articles on Spatial Thinking:
Gagnier, K. and Fisher, K. (July 15, 2016). Spatial Thinking: A missing building block in STEM education. Institute for Education Policy, The Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
and
The Science of Learning Institute (July 19, 2016). Helping Your Child Develop Skills for Math and Science. Retrieved July 21, 2016.

♦ SILC PI, Nora S. Newcombe was interviewed for an education blog post:

Felton, Emmanuel (May 12, 2016). Are Teachers Being Taught Bad Science? Education Week: Teacher Beat (on-line). Retrieved May 13, 2016.
Read more: SILC Press for 2016

SILC Press for 2015

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♦ SILC PI, Nora S. Newcombe, was cited in on-line press coverage of SILC Research:
Kris, Deborah Farmer (December 16, 2015). Steps to Help Foster a Preschooler’s Spatial Reasoning Skills, KQED News on-line. Retrieved December 17, 2015.

♦ Coverage about SILC research on how math interaction at home cultivates positive effects at school. The research paper: Berkowitz, T., Schaeffer, M. W., Maloney, E. A., Peterson, L., Gregor, C., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Math at home adds up to achievement in school. Science, 350(6257), 196-198. [DOI] (Retrieved October 8, 2015)
Press Coverage:

Allen, S. (October 8, 2015). Math story time at home bolsters achievement in school. UChicagoNews (on-line). (Retrieved October 8, 2015)
Westervelt, E. (October 8, 2015). Where The Wild Fractions Are: The Power Of A Bedtime (Math) Story. National Public Radio (on-line). (Retrieved October 9, 2015).
Read more: SILC Press for 2015

SILC Press for 2014

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♦ Miller, Greg (October 6, 2014). Beyond the Nobel: What Scientists Are Learning About How Your Brain Navigates. Wired. Retrieved October 9, 2014. SILC Faculty Member Russell Epstein and SILC Research on "the way people navigate through space and orient to their surroundings" are highlighted in this article.

♦ Spatial Cognition 2014, Bremen, Germany, chose SILC Graduate Student, Linsey Smith (Northwestern University), to receive the best student paper award. The award, provided by the Cognitive Science Society, is for the following paper:
Smith, L. A., Ping, R. M., Matlen, B. J., Goldwater, M. B., Gentner, D. (SILC Co-PI), Levine, S. (SILC Co-PI) (2014). Mechanisms of spatial learning: Teaching children geometric categories. C. Freksa, B. Nebel, M. Hegarty, & T. Barkowsky (Eds.), Spatial Cognition IX: International Conference, Spatial Cognition 2014, Bremen, Germany, September 15-19, 2014. Proceedings, LNCS 8684, 325-337. [DOI]
Congratulations, Linsey and to all the co-authors!
Retrieved September 23, 2014.
See the August 2014 SILC Showcase highlighting this research:http://bit.ly/UC6nuM.

SILC Press for 2013

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♦ December 5, 2013. Documentary, Where am I, premieres on CBC Television's series The Nature of Things. Several SILC members including SILC Faculty Member and PI, Nora S. Newcombe are featured in the film, which highlights the skills used that help us navigate the world. (Retrieved December 5, 2014). This program was dubbed in German later on and appeared on German Television. (Retrieved December 5, 2014). Visit our Media page for a look at the Trailer. See DreamFilm's webpage for this show: http://dreamfilm.ca/film/where-am-i/.

♦ Two of our SILC Faculty Members: Bob Kolvoord and David H. Uttal and two of our Spatial Network Members: Sarah Bednarz and Phil Gersmehl contributed to a book written by fellow Spatial Network Member, Diana Sinton. The People's Guide to Spatial Thinking is now available from the National Council for Geographic Education.

♦ Flam, F. (November 15, 2013). Lost in space: Is it possible to reprogram your spatial intelligence? Newsworks-The Pulse (on-linei). Radio article featuring Nora S. Newcombe (SILC PI) and Kristin Gagnier (SILC Postdoc). Also listed on our Talks & Interviews page. Retrieved November 18, 2013.

SILC Press for 2012

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♦ Clifford, Stephanie (December 3, 2012). More Dads Buy the Toys, So Barbie, and Stores, Get Makeovers. Susan Levine (Co-PI) and SILC-funded research is mentioned in this article. Retrieved April 1, 2013.

♦ Fischer, Kim (July 31, 2012). Spatial skills may be improved through training, new review finds. Retrieved January 17, 2013.

♦ SILC's research helped inform Providence Children's Museum's new exhibit: ThinkSpace. See their blog about the exhibit: http://providencechildrensmuseum.blogspot.com/search/label/ThinkSpace. Retrieved December 6, 2012. Our PI, Nora Newcombe, and our SILC website are referenced at the bottom of one of their blog articles here. Retrieved December 17, 2012.

SILC Press for 2011

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♦ Press coverage for SILC generated research on: Children’s spatial thinking: Does talk about the spatial world matter? by Shannon M. Pruden, Susan C. Levine (Co-PI) and Janellen Huttenlocher. [DOI]. Retrieved March 28, 2012:

SILC Press for 2010

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♦ Press coverage for the SILC-generated research on the article: Carlson, L. A., Hölscher, C., Shipley, T. F. and Dalton, R. C. (2010). Getting Lost in Buildings. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(5), 284-289. [doi: 10.1177/0963721410383243] (Retrieved: September 1, 2011):

SILC Press for 2009

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♦ Advertisement approved by the IRB (Posting Date: November 18, 2009):
Want to help scientists help you? Researchers at the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC) are gathering a corpus of sketches using CogSketch. CogSketch is the sketch understanding software that we are creating, which is available for free from our web site. It has two purposes. First, we are using it to explore how people reason and learn. Second, we are exploring how to incorporate sketching into education, to improve student learning. By gathering people’s sketches, scientists will be able to do analyses that will help them with both of these missions. If you want to participate, all you have to do is download CogSketch, and indicate your acceptance when you install the software. (If you change your mind, there is a “Phone Home” setting in the software preferences.)

SILC Press for 2008

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♦ Portal of Science and Technology: Dong Nai: Science News (Posting Date:?). Baby boys may show spatial supremacy: Male superiority on mental rotation tasks may develop within a few months after birth. This article quotes both Susan Levine (Co-PI) and Nora Newcombe (PI).
Retrieved December 18, 2008 from:
http://www.dost-dongnai.gov.vn/sciencenews/tabid/37/isd_news_news/33866/Default.aspx
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