About

I am a research scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Advanced Learning Technologies Laboratory. I completed my PhD in Computer Science (with a focus on human-centered computing and computing education) at WPI. Previously, I was at Brown University Department of Computer Science as a Visiting Researcher.

My research and interests revolve around understanding human cognition and behavior in people’s use of computational tools and technologies. I explore how people develop mental models about technologies, how these models shape their interactions and workflows with their tools, as well as how people’s environments and contexts influence these interactions.

Developing theories of programmer cognition

My dissertation work with Dr. Kathi Fisler studies how novice programmers learn program design by exploring the cognitive factors involved in programming and problem-solving, their interactions with their tools (e.g. programming languages and IDEs), and the influence of learning contexts in their programming (e.g. pedagogy). My work is in the intersection of the learning sciences, computing education, and human-computer interaction. I received the Best Paper award at the 2017 Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research for my work on developing a novel multi-faceted taxonomy of program-design skills.

Developing computational thinking through game design and play

I work with the Advanced Learning Technologies Laboratory in the research and development of the Wearable Learning Cloud Platform, a platform that learners can use to design and play mathematics games that help develop computational thinking skills.

Early work

I began studying human behavior by designing computer simulations based on social psychology theories to model pedestrian movement within buildings and during panic or emergency scenarios. I received Best Paper awards in 2012 (NCITE, UPLB) for my work in this area. Around this time, I started working with Dr. Didith Rodrigo studying the behavior and affective states of novice Java programmers. In 2013, I was part of a team that developed health-informatics solutions for underserved communities in the Philippines, where I explored the interactions of healthcare practitioners and end-users with mobile-based systems. Our work led to the development of a pioneering mobile healthcare application designed for communities in the Philippines.

Web of Science Researcher page

• Development of a Data-Grounded Theory of Program Design in HTDP

  Thu, Apr 30, 2020, PhD Dissertation Defense

• Coding the Coder: Developing Models of Novice Programmer Cognition

  Thu, Nov 14, 2019, Talk at oSTEM 2019 Conference

• Understanding how novice programmers solve novel programming problems

  Wed, Aug 7, 2019, Talk on Novice Programmer Cognition at UMass Amherst

• Towards a Theory of Program-Design Learning Through HtDP

  Tue, Jan 16, 2018, PhD Proposal Defense

• Resume (Updated: 09/19/2019)

• francis.evgc @ gmail.com