Jamie Gorson

Ph.D. Student in Computer Science and Learning Sciences

I am a PhD Candidate in Computer Science and Learning Sciences at Northwestern University. I conduct research to understand student motivations and emotions in learning environments, using mixed methods and technological tools with the goal of designing and building technology that increases student engagement and motivation. I am in the Delta Lab working with Professor Eleanor O'Rourke. We work to understand the moments during the programming process where students feel like they are performing poorly through mixed methods including learning analytics. I received my B.S. from Olin College of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a concentration in Innovative Education. My research is funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program in the field of STEM Ed and a NSF CRII grant.



Recent Updates

August 2022 I am presenting my paper at ICER!
June 2022 I started as a User Experience Researcher at Google in Chicago
June 2022 I Graduated with my PhD
May 2022 My paper got accepted to ICER 2022! I look forward to presenting and seeing everyone there!
May 2022 I defended my dissertation! Thank you to my committee: Professor O'Rourke, Professor Horn, Professor Worsely & Professor Guzdial
June-September 2021 I interned at Google with the Grasshopper team!
June 2021 I defending my prospectus! Thank you to my committee: Professor O'Rourke, Professor Horn, Professor Worsely & Professor Guzdial
June 2021 I presented our paper at AIED 2021 virtually! An approach for detecting student perceptions of the programming experience from interaction log data.
June 2021 I presented our paper at ISLS 2021 virtually! CS1 Student Assessments of Themselves Relative to Others: The Role of Self-Critical Bias, Gender, and Sense of Belonging.
April 2021 We had papers accepted to both ISLS 2021 and AIED 2021 for back-to-back conferences in June. I can't wait to share our work with these communities!
August 2020 I presented our paper at ICER 2020 virtually! Why do CS1 Students Think They’re Bad at Programming? Investigating Self-Efficacy and Self-Assessments at Three Universities.
June 2020 Our paper was accepted to ICER 2020!! Why do CS1 Students Think They’re Bad at Programming? Investigating Self-Efficacy and Self-Assessments at Three Universities.
October 2019 I taught a seminar class on Imposter Syndrome to undergraduate students at St. Francis University. See the poster here!
August 2019 I presented my paper: How Do Students Talk About Intelligence? An Investigation of Motivation, Self-efficacy, and Mindsets in Computer Science at ICER in Toronto
August 2019 I passed my CS Qualifying Exam!
May 2019 Our paper was accepted to ICER 2019: How Do Students Talk About Intelligence? An Investigation of Motivation, Self-efficacy, and Mindsets in Computer Science.
May 2019 I was invited to participate in the ICER Doctoral Consortium
April 2019 I won the Student Poster Contest at the Inaugural Symposium on Computer Science and Learning Sciences at Northwestern University with my poster about students' perspectives on their programming intelligence.
April 2019 I participated in the Computing Research Association - Women Grad Cohort
September 2018 I passed the oral presentation and paper part of the Learning Sciences qualifying exam
June 2018 I passed the written exam part of the Learning Sciences qualifying exam