EDUCATION
2021
Ph.D., Educational Psychology and Educational Technology
Michigan State University
2007
M.A., Learning Sciences
Northwestern University
2005
B.A., Mathematics
Western Michigan University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
August 2021 – present
Senior Researcher
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
June 2011 – August 2021
Curriculum Developer, Everyday Mathematics
UChicago STEM Education, University of Chicago
October 2009 – June 2011
Editor, Everyday Mathematics
Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education, University of Chicago
October 2007 – October 2009
Editor, University of Chicago School Mathematics Project
University of Chicago
June 2005 – August 2006
Production and Content Editor
McGraw-Hill Education, Chicago, IL
AWARDS AND HONORS
College of Education Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Michigan State University (2021). This $7000 fellowship is awarded to expedite the completion of strong dissertations by funding time dedicated to dissertation work.
College of Education Research Support Fellowship, Michigan State University (2021). $3000 in supplemental funds awarded to support the hard costs of ambitious dissertation studies.
Dickson Award for Research on Innovative Learning Technologies, Michigan State University College of Education (2020). This scholarship is awarded to students whose research is aimed at unlocking the potential of technologies to enhance education in classrooms, online courses, or online learning environments outside the classroom.
Dean’s Scholar Award, Michigan State University College of Education (2017). This fellowship provides additional funding to supplement a half-time assistantship and is guaranteed for five years.
John Henry Award, International Computing Education Conference (2017). This best-paper award is given to researchers who demonstrate a willingness to take risks in pursuit of new knowledge.
Medallion Scholar, Western Michigan University (2001). This merit-based scholarship is awarded to incoming students who demonstrate excellent academic records and outstanding performance in essay-writing, problem-solving activities, and professional interviews.
GRANTS
Building Capacity to Support Elementary CS Pathways Tailored to Rural Needs in Idaho; National Science Foundation award to American Institutes for Research, Idaho STEM Action Center, and BootUp Professional Development; 2022-2024
Role: PI with co-PIs Diana Oh, Kaitlin Maguire, and Jared O’Leary
Learning Trajectories for Everyday Computing, National Science Foundation award to University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016-2017
Role: Project Director and Co-PI with Andy Isaacs, Maya Israel, Cinda Heeran, George Reese, and T. Andrew Binkowski
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Integrating Computer Science into the Elementary Curriculum in Culturally Relevant Ways: A Researcher-Practitioner-Partnership in Native-American Serving Districts in Wyoming, National Science Foundation Award to American Institutes for Research, Wyoming Department of Education, and BootUp Professional Development; 2019-2023.
Role: Researcher
Dissertation Study: Teacher Thinking and Virtual Manipulatives, defended June 2021
Role: Sole investigator, study conducted to fulfill degree requirements
Director: Dr. John P. Smith III
Committee Members: Dr. Corey Drake, Dr. A. J. Edson, Dr. Aman Yadav
Practicum Study: Examining Agency as Teachers Plan with Mathematics Curriculum Materials, defended August 2019
Role: Sole investigator, study conducted to fulfill degree requirements
Committee: Dr. Corey Drake, Dr. John P. Smith III, Dr. Aman Yadav
CT4EDU: Computational Thinking for Educators, National Science Foundation award to Michigan State University, 2017-2020
Role: Graduate Research Assistant
Learning Trajectories for Everyday Computing, Part 2, National Science Foundation award to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Chicago, 2017-2021
Role: Senior Personnel
Expanding the Reach of AP CSP Curricula, National Science Foundation award to University of Chicago, 2015-2016
Role: Senior Personnel
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Michigan State University, Spring 2020 and Spring 2021
TE 406 (Elementary mathematics methods)
Taught a section of approximately 20 preservice elementary teachers with a focus on teaching mathematics to diverse learners. The first half of the Spring 2020 semester was taught face to face. The second half of Spring 2020 and the full semester in Spring 2021 was taught via online instruction due to COVID-19.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Michigan State University, Fall 2020
CEP 814 (Computational Thinking for K12 Educators)
Taught an online section of practicing teachers and other education professionals who were seeking a Master’s of Arts in Educational Technology, a graduate certificate in computer science education, or both. Focus was on computational thinking practices and how they could be integrated into K12 instruction.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Western Michigan University, 2004
Math 116: Excursions in Mathematics (finance, voting theory, statistics, graph theory)
Independently taught two recitations; assisted in large lectures; graded tests and homework
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
Wilson, J. P., Rich, K. M., O’Leary, J., & Miller, V. (2023). Wind River Elementary Computer Science Collaborative: Connecting Computer Science and Indigenous Identities and Knowledges on the Wind River Reservation. Journal of Computer Science Integration, 6(1): 5, pp. 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26716/jcsi.2023.9.21.42
Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Fessler, C. (2022). Computational thinking practices as tools for creating high cognitive demand mathematics instruction. Journal for Mathematics Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-022-09562-3
Rich, K. M. (2022). Teacher orchestrations of transitions within and beyond fractions virtual manipulatives. Digital Experiences in Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40751-022-00111-4
Rich, K. M. (2021). Virtual manipulatives in elementary mathematics: A critical integrative review of research. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 40(2), 163-177.
Lachney, M., Eglash R., Bennett, A., Babbitt, W., Foy, L., Drazin, M., & Rich, K. (2021). pH Empowered: Community participation in culturally responsive computing education. Available online in Learning, Media and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1891421
Rich, K. M., Franklin, D., Strickland, C., Isaacs, A., & Eatinger, D. (2020). A learning trajectory for variables based in computational thinking literature: Using levels of thinking to develop instruction. Available online in Computer Science Education.
Rich, K. M. (2020). Examining agency as teachers use mathematics curriculum resources: How professional contexts may support or inhibit student-centered instruction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 98(2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103249
Dunbar, K. M., & Rich, K. M. (2020). Mathematics makes robots roll. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 113(7), 565-572.
Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Larimore, R. A. (2020). Teacher implementation profiles for integrating computational thinking into elementary mathematics and science instruction. Education and Information Technologies, 25(4), 3161-3188.
Rich, K. M., & Yadav, A. (2020). Applying levels of abstraction to mathematics word problems. TechTrends, 64(3), 395-403.
Rich, K. M., Spaepen, E., Strickland, C., & Moran, C. (2020). Synergies and differences in mathematical and computational thinking: Implications for integrated instruction. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(3), 272-283.
Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Zhu, M. (2019). Levels of abstraction in students’ mathematics strategies: What can applying computer science ideas about abstraction bring to elementary mathematics? Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 38(3), 267-298.
Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Schwarz, C. V. (2019). Computational thinking, mathematics, and science: Elementary teachers’ perspectives on integration. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 27(2), 165-205.
BOOK CHAPTERS AND BOOK REVIEWS
Yadav, A., Rich, K., Schwarz, C., & Larimore, R. (2022). Developing elementary teachers’ competencies in integrating computational thinking ideas in classrooms: Using a toolkit as a scaffold. In C. Mouza, A. Leftwich, & A. Yadav (Eds.). Professional Development for In-Service Teachers: Research and Practices in Computing Education (pp. 3-25). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.
Rich, K. M., & Strickland, C. (2020). Testing and debugging. In S. Grover (Ed.), Computer Science in K-12: An A-to-Z handbook on teaching programming (pp. 211-218). Palo Alto, CA: Edfinity.
Rich, K. M. (2019). Book Review: Digital technologies in designing mathematics education tasks: Potential and pitfalls. Allen Leung & Anna Baccaglini-Frank (Eds.) (2017). Educational Studies in Mathematics, 103(1), 103-108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-019-09918-2
PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PROCEEDING PAPERS
Rich, K. M., & Yadav, A. (2021, April). Exploring the focus of student thinking during an integrated mathematics and computer science activity. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (virtual).
Rich, K. M., Galvin, S., & Bork, W. (2021, April). Rightful presence on Twitter: Perspectives and practices of Black female graduate students. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (virtual).
Bork, W., Galvin, S., & Rich, K. M. (2021, April). Developing a scholarly identity on Twitter as an international graduate student. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (virtual).
Strickland, C., Rich, K. M., Eatinger, D., Lash, T., Isaacs, A., Israel, M., & Franklin, D. (2021, March). Action Fractions: The design and pilot of an integrated math+CS elementary curriculum based on learning trajectories. In Proceedings of the 2021 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 1149-1155). ACM.
Rich, K. M. (2020, October). Computational thinking practices as a lens for teacher engagement with mathematics curriculum materials. In A. I. Sacristán, J. C. Cortés-Zavala & P. M. Ruiz-Arias, (Eds.). Mathematics Education Across Cultures: Proceedings of the 42nd Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Mexico (pp. 448-452). Cinvestav / AMIUTEM / PME-NA. Meeting postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19. https:/doi.org/10.51272/pmena.42.2020
Gane, B. D., Elagha, N., Luo, F., Liu, R., Yan, W., Strickland, C., Franklin, D., Rich, K., Pellegrino, J. W., & Israel, M. (2020, April). Developing computational thinking assessments from learning trajectories: Design approach and preliminary validity evidence. Accepted as a paper to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, CA.*
Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Bouck, E. (2020, April). Elementary students’ use of computational thinking practices introduced via mathematics and science. Accepted as a round table at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, CA.*
Rich, K. M. (2020, April). Teacher agency in using mathematics curriculum materials to plan instruction. Accepted as a poster at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, CA.*
Franklin, D., Strickland, C., Eatinger, D., Rich, K., White, M., Anaya, M., & Isaacs, A. (2020, April). Unit fraction sums + CT integrated activity: Challenges and implications. Accepted as a paper to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, CA.*
Rich, K. M. (2020, April). Virtual manipulatives in elementary mathematics: A critical integrative review of research. In D. Schmidt-Crawford (Ed.), Proceedings of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2020 (pp. 1371–1377). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Rich, K. M., & Bates, M. S. (2019, April). Exploring how time tracking affects student fact performance. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (slides)
Rich, K. M., & Yadav, A. (2019, March). Infusing computational thinking instruction into elementary mathematics and science: Patterns of teacher implementation. In In K. Graziano (Ed.). Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2019 (pp. 330-334). (slides)
Yadav, A., Larimore, R., Rich, K. M., & Schwarz, C. (2019, March). Integrating computational thinking in elementary classrooms: Introducing a toolkit to support teachers. In K. Graziano (Ed.). Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2019 (pp. 347-350).
Rich, K., Strickland, C., Binkowski, A. & Franklin, D. (2019, February). A K-8 debugging learning trajectory derived from research literature. In Proceedings of the 2019 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 745-751). ACM.
Moudgalya, S. K., Rich, K. M., Yadav, A., & Koehler, M. J. (2019, February). Computer Science Educators Stack Exchange: Perceptions of equity and gender diversity in computer science. In Proceedings of the 2019 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 1197-1203). ACM.
Rich, K. M., Binkowski, T. A., Strickland, C., & Franklin, D. (2018, August). Decomposition: A K-8 computational thinking learning trajectory. In Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (pp. 124-132). ACM.
Rich, K. M. (2018, August). Using computational thinking to transform elementary mathematics instruction. In Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (pp. 286-287). ACM.
Rich, K. M., & Bates, M. S. (2018, April). An exploration of fact fluency development in 150,000 elementary students. Paper presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Research Conference, Washington, DC. (slides)
Rich, K. M., Strickland, C., Binkowski, T. A., Moran, C., & Franklin, D. (2017, August). K-8 learning trajectories derived from research literature: Sequence, repetition, conditionals. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (pp. 182-190). ACM.
Rich, K. M., Strickland, C., & Franklin, D. (2017, March). A literature review through the lens of computer science learning goals theorized and explored in research. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 495-500). ACM.
*Conference gathering canceled due to COVID-19.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS
Rich, K., Bowdon, J., & Spang, M. (2023, March). Implementing Culturally Responsive Coding Projects with Indigenous Communities. Poster presented virtually at the 2023 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1145/3545947.3576299
Rich, K., & Strickland, C. (2021, April). Touching screens or touching objects: Which is better and when? Workshop at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.*
Yadav, A., Rich, K., Schwarz, C., & Larimore, R. (2020, June). Leveraging computational thinking to teach elementary mathematics and science. In S. Grover (chair). Integrating STEM and computing in PK-12: Operationalizing computational thinking for STEM learning and assessment. Interactive poster session at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences in Nashville, TN.*
Rich, K. M., & Bates, M. S. (2020, April). Journeys to fact fluency. Presentation accepted to the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Chicago, IL.*
Strickland, C., Rich, K. M., & Eatinger, D. (2020, April). Elementary fraction models in Scratch: Making computational thinking connections. Workshop accepted to the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Chicago, IL.*
Rosenberg, J. M., Hodge, L., Aydeniz, M., Schmidt, A., Lishinski, A., Rich, K., Longnecker, J., Mann, M., & Sadovnik, A. (2020, January). A survey of teachers regarding the implementation of new K-8 computing education standards in Tennessee. Presentation at the 14th Annual Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference in Cookeville, TN.
Yadav, A., & Rich, K. (2019, October). Computational thinking as an on-ramp to computer science: Developing elementary teacher knowledge in computing. Presentation at the K-12 Summit on Computer Science in Detroit, MI.
Strickland, C., Rich, K., Liao, Y.-C. J., Eatinger, D., Franklin, D., & Isaacs, A. (2019, April). Intentionality in elementary programming: From debugging to planning. Poster presented at the inaugural Symposium on Computer Science and Learning Sciences in Evanston, IL.
Rich, K. M. (2018, June). Learning trajectories for everyday computing. In J. Confrey (Chair), The Ongoing Process of Validating and/or Adapting Learning Trajectories Over Time. Symposium conducted at the National Science Foundation Discovery Research K-12 and STEM+Computing Principal Investigator meeting, Washington, DC.
Rich, K. M., & Yadav, A. (2018, March). Unplugged approaches to CT: Embedding computational ideas into teacher education. In J. Voogt (Chair), Learning and Teaching Computational Thinking – Challenges for Teacher Education. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Information Technology in Teacher Education (SITE), Washington, DC.
Rich, K. M., Pokimica, J., Wherfel, Q., Strickland, C., & Moran, C. (2017, April). Building mathematics + computational thinking trajectories from literature. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
Binkowski, T. A., & Rich, K. M. (2016, October). Using computation to define computational thinking. Presentation at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, Peoria, IL.
Strickland, C., Rich, K. M., & Donaldson, C. (2016, April). Touching screens or touching objects: Which is better and when? Workshop at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Rich, K. M. (2015, October). Engagement: What’s the problem? Presentation at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, Tinley Park, IL.
Rich, K. M. (2015, May). Tasks, technology, and feedback: What engages the learner? Presentation at the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education Annual Conference; Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Flanders, J., & Rich, K. M. (2014, October). The CEMSE number stories project. Presentation at CabriWorld IV and IberoAmerican Cabri Conference; Medellin, Colombia.
*Conference gathering canceled due to COVID-19.
Certificates and credentials
Michigan State University College of Education Micro-Credential in Online College Teaching (August 2020)
Michigan State University Mini-MOOC on Remote Teaching (certificate of participation)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
ACM Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education (SIGCSE)
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
SERVICE
Member, Social Media Council, MSU Educational Psychology and Educational Technology program, 2018-2021
Department Representative, Michigan State University College of Education Hearing Board, 2019-2021
Reviewer, Computer Science Education, ACM Transactions on Computing Education, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Interactive Learning Environments, 2018-present
Active member and volunteer, Michigan State University Graduate Employees Union, 2017-2021
Reviewer, Teaching Children Mathematics, 2017-2018
Katie the Curious 