Assistant Professor

Developmental Science

Office: 219B Hobbs
Phone: 615-322-8301
Fax: 615-343-9494
Email: 

Personal Website

Curriculum Vitae

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Degrees

• Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon University, 1999)

Current Courses

• Assistant Professor of Psychology, Peabody College; Member, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.

Representative Publications

• Rittle-Johnson, B. (2006). Promoting transfer: The effects of direct instruction and self-explanation. Child Development. 77(1), 1-15.
• Rittle-Johnson, B. & Koedinger, K.R. (2005). Investigating Knowledge Scaffolds to Support Mathematical Problem Solving. Cognition and Instruction. 23(3), 313-349.
• Rittle-Johnson, B., Siegler, R.S. & Alibali, M.W. (2001). Developing conceptual understanding and procedural skill in mathematics: An iterative process. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 346-362.
• Rittle-Johnson, B. & Alibali, M.W. (1999). Conceptual and procedural knowledge of mathematics: Does one lead to the other? Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 1-16.
• Rittle-Johnson, B. & Siegler, R.S. (1998). The relation between conceptual and procedural knowledge in learning mathematics: A review. In C. Donlan (Ed.), The development of mathematical skill (pp. 75-110). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

Biography

Professor Rittle-Johnson's research focuses on understanding how knowledge change occurs. Her specific interests are in how children learn problem-solving procedures and key concepts in domains such as mathematics. For example, what roles do spatial diagrams or generating explanations have in promoting learning of concepts and procedures? This research bridges between psychological theory and educational practice, and Professor Rittle-Johnson also collaborates with teachers, cognitive scientists, and computer scientists to apply and test her research in educational settings.