Indigenous Peoples Day Drum Social

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society at Michigan Tech invites you to the Indigenous Peoples Day Drum Social.

When: October 9th, 2023 at 3:00p.m.
Where: The Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Hamar House.

Indigenous Peoples Day is a federal holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American Peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. Celebrations will be at the CDI with a local Ojibwe drum group named Four Thunders from Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Stop by and have a listen!

ACSHF Forum: Leanne Jensen

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host Leanne Jensen, PhD at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum Monday October 2 in Meese 109, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Leanne R. Jensen, PhD holds a prominent role in the aerospace industry as a member of The Boeing Company’s Technical Fellowship, focusing on Human Performance Technology and human factors engineering.  Her work has led to several invention awards related to human reliability and productivity, including a patent-pending for a model-based systems engineering approach to advanced product quality planning, solidifying her reputation as an innovative thought leader.  Her expertise in developing and implementing human-centric solutions has enabled organizations to achieve higher levels of safety, productivity, quality, and operational excellence.    

Leanne’s educational journey reflects her dedication to acquiring a diverse skill set that spans technical, instructional, and performance improvement disciplines. She holds an Associate degree in Machine Design (MTU), a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology (MTU), a Master of Science degree in Instructional Design Technology (Walden University), and a PhD in Education, specializing in Training and Performance Improvement (Capella University). This diverse educational foundation has enabled Leanne to approach her work with a holistic perspective, integrating technical and instructional principles to drive performance excellence.

Abstract: 

In an era marked by unprecedented technological advancements, the concept of Human Digital Twins has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm with profound implications for healthcare, industry, and society at large.  Rooted in the field of digital modeling and simulation, Human Digital Twins rely on data acquisition, machine learning, sensor technology, and mathematics to digitally represent an individual’s characteristics and behaviors in a digital form.   From optimizing ergonomics and user experience to fine-tuning manufacturing processes through predictive analytics, these digital counterparts will revolutionize design, prototyping, and testing across industry.  The world of Human Digital Twins promises to expand horizons and inspire innovative thinking for the next generation of engineers, setting the stage for a future where personalized, data-driven solutions redefine our approach to design.  Explore more about the concept of Human Digital Twins are and how they can drive innovation and excellence in product development.

ACSHF Forum: Jason Harman

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host Dr. Jason Harman at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum.

The presentation, “Applied research in judgment and decision making”, will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Monday September 18 in Meese 109 & via Zoom.

Abstract:

In this talk Jason will review multiple ongoing projects that apply insights and methods from judgment and decision making to real world domains. These include modeling driver decision making, gamification to improve organizational and health outcomes, human-machine teaming in map generation, and using heuristics to improve the state of the art in AI/ML.

ACSHF Grad student graduations – Summer 23

We would like to congratulate some newly graduated PhD and MS students from the ACSHF program as of this summer:

Isaac Flint, PhD
Nishat Alam, MS
Anne Linja, PhD

Well done all!

Titles and abstracts for each can be found below:

Isaac Flint
Title:The Impact of Cognitive Ability and Age on Movement Corrections: An Exploration of the Neurocognitive and Physiological Contributors to Optimal Feedback Control

Abstract: Making successful movement corrections is an important part of navigating dynamic environments where unexpected obstructions can occur. Failure to engage in successful movement corrections can result in injury and, in some cases, death. One theory used to explain people’s ability to make movement corrections is the optimal feedback control theory, which follows the minimal intervention principle. Experiment 1 shows older adults are as likely as young adults to choose hand paths that require the least effort following a visual perturbation; however, they also commit more collisions and have slower movement speeds. Regression analyses show that success rates and movement times on the obstacle avoidance task are related to individuals’ measures of executive control and processing speed. P3b components, often associated with executive control, were elicited following medium and large cursor jumps. These ERP responses were different between the two conditions for young adults; however, they were not different for older adults. Experiment 2 shows young adults’ performance on obstacle avoidance tasks aligned with what would be predicted according to the minimal intervention principle, regardless of if responding to haptic/proprioceptive or visual feedback. The modality of the perturbation did have an impact on performance when the optimal path was ambiguous. The P3bs observed in Experiment 2 were also affected by the difference in the modality of feedback. When these findings are evaluated with the experiment’s other findings showing 1) greater P3b related activity for collision trials than non-collision trials, 2) very little differences between P3bs from trials with inward and outward movement corrections, and 3) EMG indicators of movement correction onset occur before the P3b peak, it suggests that the neural activity observed in this study has more to do with monitoring the movement corrections than path selection. The regression models from Experiment 2 also show the top-down processing of visual feedback is associated with a greater number of cognitive variables; yet some level of executive control is still associated with participants; tendency to make optimal reaching movements following physical perturbations.

Nishat Alam
Title: Types of Questions Teachers Ask to Engage Students in Making Sense of a Student Contribution

Abstract: In the student-centered classroom, a teacher’s interpretation and response to student mathematical contributions plays an important role to shape and direct students’ opportunities for sense-making. This research used a scenario-based survey questionnaire to examine what types
of questions middle and high school mathematics teachers indicate they would ask to engage
students in making sense of a high-leverage student mathematical contribution and their
reasoning about why particular questions are or are not productive. From the results, it could be
concluded that teachers asked more productive questions after seeing a set of possible questions.
Their beliefs about the productivity of the questions related to a variety of factors, including the
specificity of the question, student participation, student ability and whether incorrect solutions
should be discussed. The results could inform future work with teachers to productively use
student thinking in their teaching.

Anne Linja
Title:
EXPLICIT RULE LEARNING : A COGNITIVE TUTORIAL METHOD TO TRAIN
USERS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MACHINE LEARNING SYSTEMS

Abstract:
Today’s intelligent software systems, such as Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning systems, are sophisticated, complicated, sometimes complex systems. In order to effectively interact with these systems, novice users need to have a certain level of understanding. An awareness of a system’s underlying principles, rationale, logic, and goals can enhance the synergistic human-machine interaction. It also benefits the user to know when they can trust the systems’ output, and to discern boundary conditions that might change the output. The purpose of this research is to empirically test the viability of a Cognitive Tutorial approach, called Explicit Rule Learning. Several approaches have been used to train humans in intelligent software systems; one of them is exemplar-based training. Although there has been some success, depending on the structure of the system, there are limitations to exemplars, which oftentimes are post hoc and case-based. Explicit Rule Learning is a global and rule-based training method that incorporates exemplars, but goes beyond specific cases. It provides learners with rich, robust mental models and the ability to transfer the learned skills to novel, previously unencountered situations. Learners are given verbalizable, probabilistic if…then statements, supplemented with exemplars. This is followed up with a series of practice problems, to which learners respond and receive immediate feedback on their correctness. The expectation is that this method will result in a refined representation of the system’s underlying principles, and a richer and more robust mental model that will enable the learner to simulate future states. Preliminary research helped to evaluate and refine Explicit Rule Learning. The final study in this research applied Explicit Rule Learning to a more real-world system, autonomous driving. The mixed-method within-subject study used a more naturalistic environment. Participants were given training material using the Explicit Rule Learning method and were subsequently tested on their ability to predict the autonomous vehicle’s actions. The results indicate that the participants trained with the Explicit Rule Learning method were more proficient at predicting the autonomous vehicle’s actions. These results, together with the results of preceding studies indicate that Explicit Rule Learning is an effective method to accelerate the proficiency of learners of intelligent software systems. Explicit Rule Learning is a low-cost training intervention that can be adapted to many intelligent software systems, including the many types of AI/ML systems in today’s world.

Researching the Implications of Multitasking

Multitasking has become a common practice in many work environments, where individuals are required to perform several tasks simultaneously. However, research suggests that multitasking can lead to interference and a decline in cognitive performance. In a recent journal article published in Applied Ergonomics, a research team including CLS’s Samantha Smith studied the complexity of multitasking and its impact on cognitive performance1. The article titled “Dual-task effects between tone counting and mathematical calculations” sheds light on the factors that contribute to dual-task interference and provides valuable insights for understanding the challenges associated with multitasking.

Understanding Dual-Task Interference

Psychologists have proposed various theories to explain dual-task interference, including unitary cognitive resource theory and multiple cognitive resource theories. Among these, Wickens’ multiple resource theory (MRT) is frequently referenced by human factors and ergonomics professionals. According to MRT, tasks compete for our brain’s attention based on four factors: the processing stage (i.e., are we perceiving information, thinking about it, or responding to it?), whether the task is spatial or verbal, the senses required (i.e., is the task visual, tactile, or audial?), and if it’s a visual task, whether it requires our focal or ambient vision. 

Research Findings

In this study, the research team paired a seated mathematical calculation task with the tone counting task to explore the impact of dual-tasking and cognitive load on performance. The results of the study indicated that participants made significantly more correct calculations in the single-task condition compared to the dual-task conditions. Furthermore, participants performed better in the one-frequency tone counting task compared to the three-frequency tone counting task. These findings suggest that both dual-tasking and cognitive load have a detrimental effect on cognitive performance, with higher cognitive load leading to reduced accuracy in calculations.

Implications for Multitasking

The findings from this study have important implications for understanding multitasking in various work settings. In operational settings where dual-tasking is common, individuals may experience interference and performance loss in one or both tasks. This knowledge can inform the design of work environments and the allocation of tasks to minimize dual-task interference and optimize performance.

Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of task prioritization and overall task demand when examining dual-tasking. Certain tasks, such as climbing, may inherently demand more attention due to their physical riskiness, leading to task prioritization and potential interference with paired tasks. Understanding the cognitive demands of different tasks can help professionals identify tasks that may be more prone to interference and develop strategies to mitigate the negative effects.

The article is now available for online viewing and download at  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368702300090X.1 Blakely, Megan & Smith, Samantha & Russell, Paul & Helton, William. (2023). Dual-task effects between tone counting and mathematical calculations. Applied Ergonomics. 111. 104052. 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104052.

SPEAK Resilience receives Curriculum Innovation Award

The Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience (ISR) has recently announced the Spring 2023 awardees for Curriculum Innovation. The awards, ranging from $5,000 to $7,000, will fund three diverse projects that align with Michigan Tech’s mission to bring long-lasting changes in educational offerings. One of the three projects awarded was SPEAK Resilience (Sustainability, Psychology, Ecology, Arts, Kultur), with principal investigators Lisa Gordillo (VPA), Tara Bal (CFRES), and Sam Smith (CLS). 

SPEAK Resilience will be an interdisciplinary sustainability program for Michigan Tech students to study in Björkö-Arholma, Sweden. The program will include a collection of four courses: one each in psychology, ecology, and the arts; and one interdisciplinary course team-taught by the faculty co-PIs. The co-PIs will develop a program that draws on each of their specialties to create immersive, interdisciplinary curricula. 

The theme of interdependence between humans and the natural world will be incorporated into each course, viewed through various lenses to tackle sustainability, resilience, and community engagement. This approach will provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary field experience.

Students will learn about natural resource management and sustainable ways to interact with local ecosystems; ways that cognitive processing may predispose unsustainable behaviors and how to change them; and ways that art and educational interventions can enhance community engagement with environmental stewardship. The program’s themes will be enriched by the unique perspectives offered by Swedish culture, which is of significant importance to the overall experience.

Research behind the Curriculum

Co-PI Lisa Gordillo is the artist-in-residence for Michigan Tech’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, and was an artist-in-residence in Björkö-Arholma, Sweden in 2022. During that time, she established partnerships with Swedish schools, communities, and arts organizations such as Väddö Folkhögskola and Björkö Kunstnod. These partners will collaborate to develop community projects related to sustainability during the program. 

Gordillo’s research uses art to connect people and landscape, and to create community engagement opportunities. Co-PI Tara Bal‘s research on forest health, which involves investigating the effects of human activity on forest landscapes, and aligns with the program’s theme of interdependence between humans and the natural world. Co-PI Samantha Smith is examining the impact of environmental factors on attention and cognitive processing, as well as how these factors influence human behavior.

Lisa Gordillo
Lisa Gordillo, Associate Professor, Visual and Performing Arts

SPEAK Resilience is part of Gordillo’s larger community-arts project, Sister Forests, which connects the forests of Björkö-Arholma Sweden with those of the Keweenaw. The innovative program SPEAK Resilience will provide students with invaluable experiences to understand and address sustainability issues, resilience, and community engagement through different perspectives.

Human Factors and Environmental Cleaning in Operating Rooms

Dr. Lamia Alam, 22′ PhD Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) was this week’s guest on the podcast “Infection Controls Matters; Discussions on Infection Prevention” with Martin Kiernan. Dr. Alam’s research was part of the 2023 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference in Seattle, WA. Lamia presented the work of her research group at Johns Hopkins titled “Environmental Cleaning in Operating Rooms: A Systematic Review of Human Factors Relating to Cleaning in the Operating Room”.

Podcast guest, CLS alum Dr. Lamia Alam

Lamia received her doctoral degree in ACSHF, fall 2022, under the direction of Dr. Shane Mueller. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

The SHEA conference is designed for physicians, infection preventionists, healthcare epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals interested in healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, surveillance, research methods, patient safety, environmental issues and quality improvement.


Relevant papers: 1. A. Xie, et al. 2018 Improving Daily Patient Room Cleaning: An Observational Study Using a Human Factors and Systems Engineering Approach IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors 6 3-4 178-191 https://10.1080/24725838.2018.1487348

2. C. Rock, et al. 2016 Using a Human Factors Engineering Approach to Improve Patient Room Cleaning and Disinfection Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 37 12 1502-1506 https://10.1017/ice.2016.219

Anderson Piercey to address Class of 2023

Undergraduate speaker for spring commencement is Anderson Piercey.
Anderson Piercey was a resident assistant throughout his time at Tech and found numerous ways to build and nuture community.

Undergraduate Student Speaker Helps Students Succeed

Undergraduate Student Speaker Anderson Piercey, who is earning his bachelor’s in business management with a minor in psychology, will address the class of spring 2023 on Saturday.

Piercey, who hails from Shelby Township in lower Michigan, has been a senior resident assistant, resident assistant and academic success coach during his time at Tech, earning the highest regional award presented to affiliates of the National Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and being recognized by Michigan Tech Student Affairs in 2020 for exceptional enthusiasm in student leadership. 

He made his own memories in helping others to embrace Tech traditions

“One of my favorite memories of Michigan Tech (this is one of many!) is marching 68 residents from Wadsworth Hall to the Memorial Union Building for K-Day. It was the first time that I felt like a true student leader on campus,” Anderson said. “I made a lot of my residents come out of their shells for the first time, and the look of shock on peoples’ faces as we took up an entire bus heading to Chassell was something I’ll never forget.” 

Active in Pavlis Honors College and on the Dean’s List every semester, Piercey was a member of numerous campus and community organizations including the Society of African American Men (SAMM), Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Education (SAVE) and Mitch’s Misfits. He has volunteered with Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, Friends of the Library, the Copper Country Humane Society and the MTU College of Business’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (Vita) program. He also worked as a research assistant for College of Business faculty member Jonathan Leinonen and participated in the Advanced Project Management competition. 

Anderson begins his career as an associate business analyst at Auto-Owners Insurance in Lansing. “I’ll also be pursuing my hobbies of reading, photography, hiking — I anticipate I’ll be coming back up here for the best views! — and writing,” he said.    

Learn more about Piercey — and get his suggestions to help new students settle in on campus — at Stories From Husky Nation.

For full story, including featured commencement speaker Julie Fream and graduate student speaker Tinu-Oloade Folayan: Class of 2023 Celebrates Spring Commencement


Psychology plays a significant role in most aspects of our lives, including our choices, relationships, and how we work and learn. This makes our psychology minor a great compliment for many different majors. Having insight into people’s thoughts and behavior will give you an edge in almost any career—not to mention your personal life.

For more information: https://www.mtu.edu/cls/undergraduate/minors/

CLS Announces 2023 Student Awards

The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences is pleased to announce its Outstanding Student Awards for academic year 2022-23. Starting off with the top research project team selected by our graduate student and faculty judges at the annual CLS Research Symposium held on Tuesday, April 18. Kyla Richardson, Sara Gelon, and Jane Sinclair made up the winning team for their project “Crowd Forming Observations at Michigan Tech”.

The team designed an observational study in order to look at the impacts of social conformity and curiosity. Their study was to determine the motivations behind crowd formation – Do crowds gather due to social conformity, or is curiosity the underlying motivator? For full abstract, along with all other projects presented at the symposium, see https://bit.ly/3MSblRJ

In addition, the following undergraduate student awards were presented by CLS chair Dr. Kelly Steelman:

Mercy Barikor: Undergraduate Research Award

This award is presented to a student who demonstrates excellence in research conducted in support of an undergraduate studies or project carried out under the guidance of a CLS faculty member or approved mentor. Mercy joined the research team of Dr. Lorelle Meadows in September 2022, working on an NSF grant-funded social psychology laboratory-based project focused on the influence of subtle bias on undergraduate students in STEM.

In her nomination, Dr. Meadows wrote: “What has most impressed me about Mercy is her keen interest in her work and the way that she consistently builds bridges between the things she is learning through the research and the things that she is learning in her courses. She often brings resources from her courses to our team meetings and shares them with the team, offering us new ways to think about the work and new ideas for future directions.”

Kallie Weecks: Outstanding Clinical Intern of the Year

This award recognizes a psychology or human factors undergraduate student who has made a positive impact on their community through experiential education opportunities. Kallie interned with the Copper Country Intermediate School District for fall 2022, completing 140 hours and assisted school psychologist Christine Etter twice a week. In her nomination, Etter stated: “Kallie was a tremendous asset to the students of Copper Country and has made a positive impact on our school system, the families in the Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw counties, and the staff at the ISD.”

Ani Schneiderhan: Outstanding First-Year Student

This award is presented to an outstanding first-year psychology and/or human factors student who has demonstrated academic excellence in their first year by academic achievement, exemplary character, leadership in class and activities, and potential for success in future endeavors. Dr. Steelman stated: “Not only has Ani achieved stellar classroom grades, but she’s already well known in the department by the way she contributes in the classroom discussions and activities. She has also been a good steward to the department by helping with our postcard writing campaign to leading scholars and accepted students for Fall 2023 and helped with the CSA Hang out / Texting Nights.”

Hunter Malinowski: 2023 CLS Department Scholar

This award represents the best of student scholarship in the department including participation in research and scholarly activities, high level of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and exceptional communication skills.

In her nomination, Dr. Beth Veinott stated “Hunter is one of the most motivated and intellectually curious students I have taught in the department. She has done excellent work and made the classroom a more engaging experience for other students.”

Dr. Steelman went on to say: Hunter has thrived in her courses, earning a 4.0 department GPA and making the Dean’s list in 2020, 2021, and 2022. She also earned department distinctions as Top or Outstanding Student in numerous psychology and human factors courses. Moreover, Hunter has taken full advantage of the Michigan Tech experience through her involvement in research, Pavlis Honors college, and student organizations.

Her research experience has involved three major projects. During the standard PSY 3000/3001 coursework, Hunter conducted a research project that combined her interests in psychology and computer science by testing and evaluating a scale about AI and machine learning understanding. Following that, she contributed to a number of research projects with Dr. Shane Mueller on human-AI interaction and explainable AI. Hunter co-authored a Human Factors and Ergonomics Society proceedings paper based on the results of this work, which contributed to a larger project funded by DARPA. She was then supported through the URIP program to explore how different XAI feature visualization approaches interacted with example-based explanations–two distinct and popular forms of algorithmic explanation of AI that have not been fully combined.

Since stepping foot on campus in Fall 2020, Hunter has sought out opportunities to innovate. During her first year she entered the Bob Mark Pitch Competition, taking 3rd place and receiving the MTEC Breakout Innovation Award. The next year, she was selected as one of Michigan Tech’s University Innovation Fellows and completed a design thinking program through the Stanford d.school.

Hunter is an engaged campus leader. She has served as the President of both Delta Zeta Sorority and Tiny Knitz, an organization that helps students learn knitting and crocheting skills partners with local non-profit organizations to provide apparel for newborns in the Keweenaw community. Hunter’s accomplishments extend beyond the CLS department and campus. She completed two internships with Ford Motor Company and received the award for Most Viable and Top Achiever in their 2022 Intern Innovation Challenges.

Graduate Student Recognition

To wrap up the awards celebration, Dr. Steelman also recognized Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) graduate students who earned fellowships and honors over the past year.

  • Alexandra Watral: Doctoral Finishing Fellowship for Spring 2023 and CLS Outstanding Scholarship Award Recipient from the Graduate School
  • Brittany Nelson: King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship, Spring 2022 to Summer 2023
  • Anne Linja and Tauseef Mamun: Third Place in Computing [MTU] Showcase, Fall 2022
  • Betsy Lehman: Scholarship award for Summer Institute for Social and Personality Psychology
  • Shruti Amre: Doctoral Finishing Fellowship for Summer 2023

The CLS faculty and staff congratulates all our undergraduate and graduate students for their many accomplishments during the 2022-23 academic year!