Bruce L. Sherin
School of Education and Social Policy
2120 Campus Drive
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208-2610
tel: (847) 467-2405
fax: (847) 491-8999
bsherin@northwestern.edu
EDUCATION
Princeton University, Physics, B.A., 1985
U.C. Berkeley, Physics, M.A., 1989
U.C. Berkeley, Science and Mathematics Education, Ph.D., 1996
APPOINTMENTS
Northwestern University
Associate Professor, School of Education and Social Policy
8/04-present
Northwestern University
Assistant Professor, School of Education and Social Policy
8/97-8/04
U.C. Berkeley
Assistant Research Cognitive Scientist, School of Education
6/96-8/97
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Sherin, B. (2006). Common sense clarified: Intuitive knowledge and its role in physics expertise.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33(6), 535-555.
Salierno, C., Edelson, D. C., & Sherin, B. (2005). The development of student conceptions of the
earth-sun relationship in an inquiry-based curriculum. Journal of Geoscience Education,
53(4), 422-431.
Sherin, B., & Fuson, K. C. (2005). Multiplication strategies and the appropriation of
computational resources. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 36(4), 347-395.
Sherin, B., Reiser, B., & Edelson, D. (2004). Scaffolding analysis: Extending the scaffolding
metaphor to learning artifacts. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(3), 387-421.
Sherin, B. (2002). Representing geometric constructions as programs: A brief exploration.
International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning, 7(1), 101-115.
Sherin, B. (2001). How students understand physics equations. Cognition and Instruction. 19(4),
479-541.
Sherin, B. (2001). A comparison of programming languages and algebraic notation as expressive
languages for physics. International Journal of Computers for Mathematics Learning. 6, 1-61.
Sherin, B. (2000). How students invent representations of motion: A genetic account. Journal of
Mathematical Behavior. 19(4), 399-441.
diSessa, A. and Sherin, B. (2000). Meta-representation: An introduction. Journal of
Mathematical Behavior. 19 (4), 385-398.
Sherin, M., Sherin, B., and Madanes, R. (1999). Exploring diverse accounts of teacher
knowledge. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 18(3), 357-375.
diSessa, A. and Sherin, B. (1998). What changes in conceptual change? International Journal of
Science Education, 20(10), 1155-1191.
Sherin, B., diSessa, A., & Hammer, D. (1993). Dynaturtle revisited: Learning physics through
the collaborative design of a computer model. Interactive Learning Environments, 3(2), 91118.
diSessa, A. A., Hammer, D., Sherin, B., & Kolpakowski, T. (1991). Inventing graphing: Metarepresentational expertise in children. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 10, 117-160.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Edelson, D. C., Pitts, V., Salierno, C., & Sherin, B. (to appear). Learning-for-Use in Earth
Science: Curriculum Design and Evaluation. To appear in C. Manduca & D. Mogk (Eds.),
Earth and Mind: How Geologist Think and Learn about the Earth.
Sherin, B., Azevedo, F. S., & diSessa, A. (2005). Exploration zones: A framework for describing
the emergent structure of learning activities. In R. Nemirovsky, A. S. Rosebery, J. Solomon &
B. Warren (Eds.), Everyday Matters in Science and Mathematics: Studies of Complex
Classroom Events (pp. 329-366). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Sherin, B., Edelson, D., & Brown, M. (2004). On the content of task-structured curricula. In L. B.
Flick & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science: Implications for
Teaching , Learning, and Teacher Education (pp. 221-248). Dordrecht, The Netherlands:
Kluwer Academic Publishers.
PAPERS IN CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Kanter, D., Sherin, B., & Lee, V. R. (2006). Changing conceptual ecologies with task-structured
science curricula. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference of the Learning
Sciences (ICLS) (pp. 293-299), Mahwah, NJ.
Lee, V. R., & Sherin, B. (2006). Beyond transparency: How students make representations
meaningful. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference of the Learning Sciences
(ICLS) (pp. 397-403), Mahwah, NJ.
Forbus, K. D., Carney, K., Sherin, B., Ureel II, L. C. (2004). VModel: A Visual Qualitative
Modeling Environment for Middle-School Students. AAAI 2004 (pp. 820-827).
Lee, V., & Sherin, B. (2004). What makes teaching special. Proceedings of Sixth International
Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Mahwah, NJ.
Brenninkmeyer, L. D., Sherin, B. L., & Spillane, J. P. (2004). Representing a problem space:
Towards a deeper understanding of the practice of instructional leadership. Proceedings of the
Sixth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Mahwah, NJ.
Sherin, B., Kanter, D., Schwarz, J., Stieff, M., Herman, P., & Mackenzie, S. (2002). Conceptual
dynamics in project-based science. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference of the
Learning Sciences (ICLS) (pp. 429-436), Mahwah, NJ.
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Schwarz, J., & Sherin, B. (2002). Describing science content: Bridging the gap between content
and process. Keeping Learning Complex: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference
of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) (pp. 421-428), Mahwah, NJ.
Herman, P., Mackenzie, S., Sherin, B., & Reiser, B. (2002). Assessing student learning in
project-based science classrooms: Development and administration of written assessments.
Keeping Learning Complex: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference of the
Learning Sciences (ICLS) (pp. 159-166), Mahway, NJ.
Sherin, B. L. (2001). Toward consensus on computational strategies for single-digit
multiplication. In R. Speiser and C. Maher (Ed.), Proceedings of the Twenty-third annual
meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of
Mathematics Education, Snowbird, Utah.
Forbus, K., Carney, K., Harris, R., & Sherin, B. (2001). A qualitative modeling environment for
middle-school students: A progress report. Proceedings of the Fifteenth International
Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning, Stoughton, WI.
Sherin, B., Edelson, D., and Brown, M. (2000). Learning in task-structured curricula.
Proceedings of the Fourth international Conference of the Learning Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI.
Sherin, B. and Azavedo, F. (2000). Zones of exploration: A framework for describing and
designing student-directed activities. Proceedings of the Fourth international Conference of
the Learning Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI.
Sherin, B. (1998). On the meaning of mathematical expressions. In S. B. Berenson & K. R.
Dawkins & M. Blanton & W. N. Coulomb & J. Kolb & K. Norwood & L. Stiff (Ed.)
Proceedings of the Twentieth annual meeting of the North American chapter of the of the
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Fuson, K. C., Smith, S., & Sherin, B. (1998). A vygotskiian action research model for developing
and assessing conceptual models and instructional materials interactively. In S. B. Berenson &
K. R. Dawkins & M. Blanton & W. N. Coulomb & J. Kolb & K. Norwood & L. Stiff (Ed.)
Proceedings of the Twentieth annual meeting of the North American chapter of the of the
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Sherin, B. (August, 1997). The language of physics equations. In M. G. Shafto and P. Langley
(Ed.), Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society,
Palo Alto, CA, pp. 686-691.
Sherin, B. (1996). What it means to "understand" a physics equation. In E. Redish and J. S.
Rigden (Ed.), The Changing Role of Physics Departments in Modern Universities:
Proceedings of the ICUPE, College Park, MD, pp. 717-726.
CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
Sherin, B. (2006). Conceptual Dynamics in Clinical Interviews: An Introduction. Paper presented
at the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.
Sherin, B., Lee, V. R. (2005). On the interpretation of scientific representations. Paper presented
at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal.
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Sherin, B., Bang, M., Krakowski, M., & Lee, V. (2005). Seeing knowledge through a clinical
interview, The Sixteenth Annual Winter Conference on Discourse, Text and Cognition.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Sherin, B. (2004). On the association between physical meanings and equations. Talk presented
at the meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Sacramento, CA.
Sherin, B. (2004). Conceptual change and the changing functions of commonsense physics
knowledge, Invited Talk at the 4th European Symposium on Conceptual Change. Delphi,
Greece.
Sherin, B., Bang, M., & Krakowski, M. (2004). Micro-practices and the four meanings of
“epistemology.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Stieff, M., Sherin, B., & Uttal, D. (2003). Mental imagery and problem solving in organic
chemistry. Poster presented at the Gordon Conference on Visualization in Science and
Education, Oxford, UK
Azevedo, F. S., Sherin, B., & disessa, A. (2003). Understanding student engagement as a
function of the emergent structure of learning activities. Paper presented at the 10th Biennial
EARLI Conference, August 26-30, Padova, Italy.
Sherin, B., Kanter, D., Schwarz, J., Stieff, M. (2002). A framework for capturing conceptual
dynamics in complex science interventions. Paper presented at the American Educational
Research Association, New Orleans.
Carney, K, Forbus K., Ureel, L., Sherin, B. (2002). Using modeling to support integration and
reuse of knowledge in school science: Vmodel, a new educational technology. Paper presented
at the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
Sherin, B. (2001). How programming shifts the ontological foundations of a discipline. Talk
presented at the American Educational Research Association, Seattle.
Shrader, G. and Sherin, B. (2000). A pedagogically-oriented analysis of the modeling process.
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association,
New Orleans.
Sherin, B. (1999). Common sense clarified: Intuitive knowledge and its role in expertise. Paper
presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science
Teaching, Boston.
Sherin, B. (1999). Overview of meta-representational competence research. Talk presented at the
annual meeting of the American Association for Educational Research Association, Montreal.
Sherin, B. (1997). The elements of representational design. Paper presented at the annual
meeting of the American Association for Educational Research Association, Chicago.
Sherin, B. (1996). The situational breakdown of cognitivism: How cognitive science could fail
and why there’s no reason to think that it does (at least not so far). Paper presented at the
annual meeting of the American Association for Educational Research Association, New
York.
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Sherin, M. G., Sherin, B., & Madanes, R. (1996). When terms collide: Clarifying diverse
accounts of teacher knowledge. Paper presented at the American Association for Educational
Research Association, New York.
Sherin, B. (1996). Equations and conceptual understanding in physics. Talk presented at the
winter meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Reno.
Sherin, B. and diSessa, A. (1995). Discrete models and the radical reformulation of physics for
instruction. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AERA, San Francisco.
Sherin, B. (1995). How students give meaning to physics equations: The phenomenon of
representational devices. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the AERA, San Francisco.
Sherin, B. (1994). Symbolic representation and conceptual understanding in physics. Paper
presented at the annual meeting of AERA, New Orleans.
Sherin, B., diSessa, A., and Hammer, D. (1992). Dynaturtle Revisited: A case study of physics,
programming, and guided inquiry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AERA,
Chicago.
Sherin, B. (1990). Teaching physics through programming. Talk presented at the winter meeting
of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Minneapolis.
IN PROGRESS
Sherin, B., Benke, G., & Greeno, J. G. (in preparation). Individual cognitive and situative
perspectives on reasoning and understanding.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
What does it mean to understand a physics equation? Invited talk presented at Purdue University,
October, 2004
Conceptual change and the changing functions of commonsense physics knowledge. Invited talk
presented at the Fourth European Symposium on Conceptual Change, Delphi, Greece, 2004.
On the association between physical meanings and equations. Invited talk presented at the
Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physics teachers, 2004.
Invited speaker in a session concerning ethnographic research and university IRBs, Fifth Annual
Chicago Ethnography Conference, February, 2003.
Exploration zones: A framework for describing the emergent structure of learning activities.
Invited talk presented at the University of Maryland physics department, August, 2002.
Symbolic forms: Cognitive foundations for the understanding of physics equations. Invited talk
given at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physics teachers, 2002.
What does it mean to understand a physics equation? Invited talk presented at the University of
Maryland physics department, May, 1999.
What is a misconception? Invited workshop presented with Michael Wittman at the Physics
Education Research Conference, August, 1999.
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GRANTS
CAREER: Conceptual dynamics in complex science interventions. (B. Sherin, PI) National
Science Foundation, $581,711, 2001-2006.
Computer-supported visual representations for learning modeling. (K. Forbus & B. Sherin,
CoPIs). National Science Foundation, $1,027,886, 1999-2004
The development of student understanding in the domains of multiplication and division.
University Research Grants Committee, Northwestern University, $4900, 1999-2000.
Building algebraic, multiplication/division/fraction, and measurement understandings in urban
classrooms in English and Spanish. (K. Fuson & B. Sherin, CoPIs). National Science
Foundation, $1,564,435, 1998-2001.
HONORS
NSF CAREER Award, 2001-2006
Spencer Dissertation Year Fellowship, 1994-1995.
University of California Regents Fellowship, 1992-1993.
George and Helen Pardee Fellowship, UC Berkeley. 1990-1991.
Newhouse Fund Fellowship, UC Berkeley. 1990.
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley, 1987.
SELECTED SERVICE ACTIVITIES AT NORTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY
Chair of Social Sciences Panel, Institutional Review Board, beginning in January, 2002.
Assistant Chair of Social Sciences Panel, Institutional Review Board, 2001-present.
Panel member, Institutional Review Board, 1998-2001.
Member, Cognitive Science Program Committee, 1998-present.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Executive editor for the International Journal of Computers in Mathematics Education.
Co-chair of the AERA special interest group Advanced Technologies for Learning, 1999-2001.
Member of the program committee for the International Conference of the Learning Sciences.
Ad hoc reviewer for a number of journals and conferences including: Cognition and Instruction,
Cognitive Science, Educational Researcher, Journal of the Learning Sciences, Journal of Science
Education and Technology, Journal of Mathematical Behavior, International Journal for
Computers in Mathematics Learning, Instructional Science, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review,
Urban Education, Review of Educational Research
Reviewer of grant proposals for the Spencer Foundation and NSF.
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UNIVERSITY TEACHING
Teaching activities at Northwestern University:
Knowledge representations for the learning sciences. An introduction, for graduate
students, to cognitive perspectives on the study of learning.
Learning and understanding: A cognitive science approach. An introduction, for
undergraduates, to cognitive science and theories of learning.
New approaches in science teaching: Theory and practice. A course for masters
students who are obtaining their teaching credential. Covers current theories of science
learning, as well as new instructional practices.
Intuitive knowledge, conceptual change, and science education. A seminar course for
Ph.D. students that covers current theorizing concerning the nature of prior conceptions in
science, and how these conceptions change during instruction.
Thinking, learning, and acting with external representations. A seminar course for
Ph.D. students that looks across a range of issues relating to external representations and
education.
NU-Teach program. Teach several classes per year in the NU-Teach alternative
certification program.
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