Our Research
Research Themes
Early Childhood Learning
Can a preschooler who heard The Very Hungry Caterpillar at bedtime last night know that the butterfly they see in the park came from a cocoon? A fascinating and powerful feature of human learning is transferring knowledge across various contexts. Such a capacity develops early in children. Our work investigates cognitive processes that underlie children’s transfer of learning from different sources of information, such as digital media, picture books, and in-person demonstration. For example, will playing a pattern-matching game on a tablet teach children the concept of sorting so that they can apply it to organizing toys in the classroom?
Digital Media and Technology
Digital media and technology (DMT), when used appropriately, can bring valuable educational resources. This could be particularly reassuring for caregivers who have to turn to digital babysitting to get through the day. We study the use of DMT and its impact on child development.
The first line of inquiry examines how DMT might shape young children’s development. Some of the research questions studied in the lab include: How does language representation (of science) in children’s media differ between non-Western and Western TV programs? How do teachers engage children in digital activities at the quantity and quality level in preschool classrooms? The second line explores the impact of social media in adolescents through collaboration across labs. For example, our previous studies 1) characterize teenagers’ social media behavior in and outside school in Hong Kong and 2) examine the relationship between social media use and mental health in youth of color in the US. An example of how this work informed policy in this APA guideline, where I served on the advisory panel.
Cognitive Development in Context
When presented with an image of an apple either in a picture book or on a digital screen, do young children see it as a 2D pixel constellation or as a real fruit to bite into? Children learn not only through direct experience but also indirectly through pictures, stories, and videos surrounding them. We study children’s growing perception and understanding of these symbolic media, with a focus on its role in supporting early learning. Some of our research questions include: How do children perceive and interpret objects depicted on screens? When do children develop to understand the representational meaning of scenarios in a video? What factors influence children in achieving a representational understanding when learning from a touchscreen game?
Educational Technology
The promise of technology lies not just in engagement, but in fostering deep, transferable learning that extends beyond the digital interface. Our research examines how educational technologies can be designed and implemented to maximize learning outcomes for young children. We investigate questions such as: Can preschoolers learn concepts such as sorting and estimation by watching an episode of Peg + Pig and apply them to solve problems in real life? How would social robots support 4-year-olds in learning about puzzle games from video demonstrations? What is the relation between young children’s vocabulary and their exposure to different types of screen media?
Informal Science Learning
Science learning happens everywhere—from museum exhibits and nature walks to cooking experiments in the kitchen and game/app playing on a tablet. Our research explores how children acquire scientific knowledge, learn scientific concepts, and develop scientific reasoning through informal learning experiences outside traditional classroom settings. We investigate questions such as: How does human-like depiction in picture books influence young children’s acquisition of animal knowledge from the story? Does playing Angry Birds help children understand concepts of force and motion? How does children’s science media play a role in shaping early scientific thinking?