CURRICULUM VITAE BENJAMIN R. FORSYTH, Ph.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR University of Northern Iowa Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations 617 Schindler Education Center Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0607 319.273.7901 Benjamin.forsyth@uni.edu EDUCATION Michigan State University Ph.D., Education Psychology and Educational Technology, 2010 Dissertation Title: The Influence of Worldviews on Selective Recall from Texts about History and Physics Brigham Young University B.A., Physics Teaching, Mathematics Minor, 2004 Rose Hulman Inst. of Tech. Freshman Year, Physics and Mathematics, 1998-1999 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Assistant Professor Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 2010-present Graduate Student Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 2005-2010 SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS Pre-tenure Summer Fellowship (2014) Awarded by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, University of Northern Iowa ($4500) Faculty Summer Fellowship (2013) Awarded by the Graduate College, University of Northern Iowa ($3,666) Faculty Summer Fellowship (2011) Awarded by the Graduate College, University of Northern Iowa ($6,087) University Distinguished Fellowship (2009-2010). Awarded by the Graduate School, Michigan State University ($24,000) Rumsey-Monson Scholarship (2009, 2010) Awarded by the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ($2000) University Distinguished Fellowship (2005-2006). Awarded by the Graduate School, Michigan State University ($23,000) 1
Full Tuition Scholarship, (2002-2004). Awarded by Brigham Young University. Presidential Scholarship (1998). Awarded by Rose Hulman Institute of Technology ($5000) HONORS Participant (2012) AERA Division C New Faculty Mentoring Program (NFMP). Mentor: Dick Anderson. Vancouver, BC. Nominated (2011) University Book and Supply Outstanding Teaching Award for Untenured Faculty. Nominated, Influential Teacher by students through the Department of Residence Life, Michigan State University (2008, 2009). Graduated Magna Cum Laude (2004). Brigham Young University. AWARDS UNI Capacity Building Scholarship Grant (2013) Awarded by the Office of Executive Vice President and Provost and Iowa NSF EPSCoR ($1000) Dean s Undergraduate Research Grant (2012). Awarded by the College of Education, University of Northern Iowa ($500) Professional Development Stipend (2011). Awarded by the Office of Continuing and Distance Education ($1000) Online Course Development Award (2011). Awarded by the Office of Continuing and Distance Education ($3000) Student Computer Fee Project Award (2010-2011). Awarded by the College of Education ($1429) Dean s Undergraduate Research Grant (2010). Awarded by the College of Education, University of Northern Iowa ($500) Research Enhancement Award (2009). Awarded by the Graduate School and College of Education, Michigan State University ($1500) Research Travel Award (2009). Awarded by the Graduate School and College of Education, Michigan State University ($1000) Research Travel Award (2006, 2007). Awarded by College of Education, Michigan State University ($200) 2
PUBLISHED PAPERS Refereed Journal Articles Forsyth, B.R. (2014). Students' epistemic worldview preferences predict selective recall across history and physics texts. Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology. Accepted March 2, 2014. Forsyth, B.R., & Beck, B.F. (In Press). Epistemological world view preference predicts recall patterns from a history text. The Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology. Accepted March 6, 2014. Forsyth, B. R. (2012). Beyond physics: A case for far transfer. Instructional Science, 40(3), 515-535. Book Chapters Spiro, R. J., Morsink, P., & Forsyth, B. (2011). Principled pluralism, cognitive flexibility, and new contexts for reading. In R. Flippo (Ed.), Reading researchers in search of common ground (2nd ed.). New York: Taylor & Francis/Routledge. PAPERS IN PROGRESS Forsyth, B.R. (2014). Distant Transfer in the New Gutenberg Revolution. Paper invited by special editor for publication in Educational Technology. Forsyth, B.R. (2014). Defining far transfer via thematic similarity. Manuscript submitted to The Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. Cody, K.J., Rule, A.C., & Forsyth, B.R. (2014). Mathematical game creation assists students in practicing newly-learned challenging concepts. Manuscript Submitted to The International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. Ehlers, B., & Forsyth B.R. (2014). Where does your sidewalk end? Environmental issues, literacy, and the next generation science standards. Manuscript submitted to Science and Children. Forsyth, B.R., Draut, D.L., & Belliston, S. (2014). Physical science analogies for understanding religious themes. Manuscript submitted to the Religious Educator. (Revise and resubmit) Forsyth, B.R., & Spiro, R.J. (2013). Instructional internet searches: A recommendation for expanding the use of the web in classrooms. Manuscript in progress. PRESENTATIONS National and International Presentations Forsyth, B.R., & Beck, B. (2013). A demonstration of selective recall via Stephen Pepper s mechanism and organicism. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, April, San Francisco, CA. 3
Forsyth, B.R. (2011). The effect of Stephen Pepper s worldviews on selective recall from history and physics texts. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association. April, New Orleans, LA. Forsyth, B.R. (2010). An investigation of the influence of worldviews on selective recall from a text. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association. April, Denver, CO. Forsyth, B.R. (2009). Defining far transfer via thematic similarity. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the 31 st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. July, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Forsyth, B.R. (2007). Beyond physics into other subjects: A case for transfer. Poster presented at the 29 th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. August, Nashville, TN. Forsyth, B.R. (2007). A case for far transfer. Paper presented at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Student Research Conference. February, Cambridge, MA. Local Presentations Forsyth, B.R. (2014). But I know they ve already learned this! : Why students don t transfer learning from one class to another and what you can do about it. Roundtable discussion presented at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Faculty Session. March, Cedar Falls, IA Forsyth, B.R., Kuffel, J., & Hunnerdosse, K. (2013). Epistemic belief influences on reading processes based on eye tracking data. Poster presented at the Creative University Conference. December, Cedar Falls, IA. Hunerdosse, K., Forsyth, B.R., & Kuffel, J. (2013). Organicist and mechanist influences on reading processes based on eye-tracking data. Poster presented at the Capacity Building Scholarship Grant Poster Session. October, Cedar Falls, IA. Hunerdosse, K., & Forsyth, B.R. (2013). Organicist and mechanist influences on reading processes. Poster presented at the Sixth Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium. April, Cedar Falls, IA. Forsyth, B.R. (2012). Epistemic beliefs and the transfer of learning: Helping your students to meaningfully connect their physics knowledge to other subjects. Poster presented at the UNI Physics Update Conference, April, Cedar Falls, IA. Beck, B., & Forsyth, B.R. (2012). The influence of mechanism and organicism on text comprehension. Poster presented at the Fifth Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium. March, Cedar Falls, IA. Forsyth, B.R. (2011). The effect of Stephen Pepper s worldviews on selective recall from texts about history and physics. Paper presented at the University of Northern Iowa COE Scholarship Forum. November, Cedar Falls, IA. 4
Forsyth, B.R. (2010). The influence of worldviews on selective recall from texts about history and physics. Paper presented at the Michigan State University Graduate Academic Conference, March. East Lansing, MI. Forsyth, B.R. (2009). Far transfer via thematic similarity. Paper presented at the Michigan State University Graduate Academic Conference, March. East Lansing, MI. CURRICULUM MATERIALS Fortus, D., Abdel-Kareem, H.A., Chen, J., Forsyth, B.R., Nordine, J., & Weizman, A. (2008). Why do some things stop and others continue going? In J. Krajcik, B. Reiser, D. Fortus, & L. Sutherland (Eds.), Investigating and questioning our world through science and technology (IQWST). University of Michigan. COURSES TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA Learning and Instruction in Classroom Contexts (3148), Fall 2010-Spring 2014 Undergraduate course intended for pre-service teachers focusing on classroom management, cognitive processing, motivation and instructional design Teacher as Change Agent (3128), Fall 2010-Spring 2012 Field experience in which students submit a Teacher Work Sample that links their experience to theory and research learned in the co-requisite course 3148 Foundations of Instructional Psychology (6214), Fall 2011, Summer 2014 Online Masters course for in-service teachers. Course focus on historically situated learning theories and contemporary perspectives on education from the field of cognitive science Contexts of Contemporary Education (7301), Fall 2010, 2012; Spring 2011, 2012, 2014; Summer 2013 Doctoral course intended to examine issues in contemporary education through historical, philosophical and sociological perspectives Philosophy of Inquiry (7303), Spring 2013; Fall 2013, 2014 Doctoral course for all required EdD students that examines philosophical and historical foundations of inquiry COURSES TAUGHT AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Reflections on Learning, Fall 2007, 2008 Winter 2008, 2009 Summer 2009 Undergraduate course intended for pre-service teachers as an introductory Educational Psychology course Teaching Science for Understanding, Winter 2006, 2007, 2008 Cognitively based online Masters course intended to improve in-service teachers instruction generally for all subjects, especially for science 5
SERVICE DEPARTMENT Department Faculty Chair, Fall 2013-Present Social Foundations Faculty Search Committee Member Fall 2013-Spring 2014 Learning Team Co-coordinator, Fall 2013-Present Department Vice Chair, Fall 2012-Spring 2013 Online Teaching Policy Ad Hoc committee, 2012-2013 Non-standard teaching compensation working group, Spring 2012 Co-coordinator of MAE in Educational Psychology: Professional Development for Teachers (Educational Psychology and Foundations), Fall 2010-Spring 2012 Responsible for promoting and maintaining the program which includes coordination of faculty advising responsibilities and developing a more fully online component for fulfilling all program requirements. Learning Team Committee Member, Fall 2010-Present Aid in communication and facilitation of the Level II Field experience between the Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations and the Price Lab School. Social Committee Member, Fall 2011-Spring 2013 SERVICE COLLEGE College Feasibility Committee Member, Spring 2013-Present Clinical Field Experience Transition Team Member, Spring 2012-Fall 2012 Teacher Education Induction Convocation Marshall, Fall 2011, 2012 Spring 2012 Professional Licensure Core Sequence Representative Secondary Teacher Education Senate Fall 2011-Present Teacher Education Curriculum Committee Member Fall 2011-Present College of Education Scholarship Committee Member, Spring 2011, 2012, 2013 (substitute) Teacher Education Faculty Member, (College of Education), Spring 2011-Present Science Education Faculty Member, (College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences), Spring 2011- Present Curriculum and Instruction Intensive Study Area Member (College of Education), Fall 2010- Present 6
Graduate Education Faculty Member, (Graduate College), Fall 2010-Present Family Weekend Planning Committee Member, (College of Education), Fall 2010, 2011 SERVICE PROFESSIONAL Attendee, IES Product Feedback and Development Meeting, Washington, D.C., August 2013, Reviewed What Works Clearinghouse and Regional Educational Laboratory materials with an interstate panel of local and state education agency representatives Proposal reviewer, American Education Research Association, 2013, Reviewed proposals for the 2014 Annual Meeting Proposal reviewer, American Education Research Association, 2012, Reviewed proposals for the 2013 Annual Meeting Proposal reviewer, Cognitive Science Society, 2009 Reviewed proposals for the 31st Annual Conference SERVICE COMMUNITY/OTHER Creative Life Research Center (CLRC) Interdisciplinary Advisory Board Member. Consult with board members about goals and direction of CLRC and CLRC activities. Spring 2013- Present. Elementary Math Teacher Performance Scorer for Pearson/Stanford edtpa. Certified Spring 2014 Secondary Science Teacher Performance Assessment Scorer for Pearson/Stanford edtpa. San Antonio, October 2012 Quality Matters Certified Reviewer for Online Courses Spring, Fall 2012: 2 courses reviewed Event Judge for the 2012 State of Iowa Physics Olympics Competition. Regional competition held on 3/21/2012 Event Judge for the 2011 State of Iowa Physics Olympics Competition. Regional competition held on 3/23/2011. State competition held on 4/13/2011 Negotiated Junior Science World, http://juniorscienceworld.blogspot.com/, to put on a science assembly at Hansen Elementary School. (March, 2011) Two 90 minute assemblies were conducted Classroom Volunteer (Hansen Elementary School) 2010-present AP Curriculum Development Committee member (Pasco High School), 2004-2005 Discussed and developed scope and sequence details of AP curriculum 7
SERVICE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Panelist (MSU International Studies and Programs), Fall 2009 Fielded questions from a Malian delegation on exchange to the United States which focused upon Strengthening Civil Society through Dialogue on Faith and Community Research Apprenticeship Committee member (EPET program), Fall 2009 Student mentor member of committee for Doctoral Student, Alicia Trotman Distinguished Speakers Committee member (MSU Cognitive Science Program), 2009-2010 Responsible for contacting, hosting and organizing Distinguished Speakers of Michigan State University multidisciplinary Cognitive Science Program Graduate Affairs Committee member (MSU Cognitive Science Program), 2008-2009 Conducted business related to enrollment, advancement and recruitment of students into the Michigan State University multidisciplinary Cognitive Science Program STUDENT ADVISING Doctoral Advisor: 2 students Dissertation Committee Member: 3 students Master s Thesis Committee Member: 5 students Honor s Thesis Advisor: 1 student MEMBERSHIPS American Educational Research Association American Psychological Association Cognitive Science Society International Society of the Learning Sciences Teaching Educational Psychology SIG AERA OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology IQWST (David Fortus, PI), Spring 2006 Summer 2008 Created project based lesson plans of a national middle school science curriculum Assessed a national sampling of students and teachers performance using IQWST materials Engineering for the 21 st Century (Mary Lundeberg, PI), Summer 2006 Fall 2007 Developed and implemented assessments for a case based undergraduate electrical engineering course at Oklahoma State University 8
Learning Points (Barbara Schneider, PI), Summer 2006 Fall 2006 Participated in the development of an online high school sociology course Project POP (Dick Prawat, PI), Fall 2005 Winter 2006 Helped develop, implement and assess multimedia tools via for improving middle school students science understanding based on realist constructivism orientation Assessments conducted across multiple districts OTHER RELEVANT TEACHING EXPERIENCE Religion Teacher, Institute of Religion, East Lansing, Michigan 2007-2010 Physics Teacher, Pasco High School, Washington, 2004 2005 Dutch Language Teacher, Missionary Training Center, Utah, 2002 2004 Teen Counselor, Boys and Girls Club, Utah, 2001 Missionary, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Netherlands, 1999 2001 Assistant Football Coach, Kamiakin High School; Washington, 1999 Multivariable Calculus Tutor, Rose Hulman Institute of Tech, Indiana, 1999 Special Education Counselor, ARC of the Tri-Cities; Washington, 1998 9