Loel N. Tronsky, Ph.D.
School of Cognitive Science
131 Adele Simmons Hall
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA 01002
(413)-559-5389
lntCS@hampshire.edu
Academic Preparation
- Ph.D. Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, May, 2001
- Dissertation title: Practice, Problem Size, and Working Memory Resource Use in Mental Arithmetic: Group and Individual Differences
- Dr. James M. Royer advisor
- Comprehensive areas: Working Memory, Arithmetic, and Mathematical Disabilities; Spelling Development and Disabilities; Cognitive Neuropsychology of Number Processing
- M.S. Educational Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, 1997
- B.A. Psychology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1990
Post Academic Experience
- 2002-present Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Hampshire College
- 2000-2002 Post Doctoral Fellow on the NSF funded Scientific Thinking and Epistemology Project (STEP)
- Responsibilities include classroom observations, development of a classroom observation coding instrument, scientific thinking interviews, and data collection and analysis
- Hampshire College
Areas of Concentration in Graduate Study
Mathematical Representations, Development, and Disabilities Reading and Spelling Representations, Development, and Disabilities Statistics
Teaching Experience
- 2003 Educational Psychology, Fall 2003, Albertus Magnus College
- 2002-2003 Memory, Learning, and Expertise: Applications to the Classroom and Beyond, Spring 2002 and 2003, Hampshire College
- 2001-2002 Cognitive Approaches to Learning and Individual Differences in Reading and Mathematics, Fall 2001 and 2002, Hampshire College
- 1998-2003 Educational Psychology, Fall 1998, Winter session (1998,1999, 2000, and 2001), Summer session (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003), and STEMTEC program (Summer 2000 and 2001), University of Massachusetts
- 2000-2001 Co-instructor of Cognitive Psychology, Hampshire College (2000 and 2001) and Amherst College (2000)
- 1994-95 Teaching Assistant for Methods in Psychology, Fall 1994 and Spring 1995, University of Massachusetts
- 1993 Teaching Assistant for Introductory Psychology, Fall semester, University of Massachusetts
Teaching Awards
- Distinguished Teaching Award Nomination, Office of the Provost, University of Massachusetts, 2000
- Certificate of Appreciation for Demonstrating Excellence in Teaching, Department of Continuing Education, University of Massachusetts, 2000 and 2001
Teaching Interests
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Reading, Spelling, and Mathematical Development and Disabilities
- Introductory Psychology
- Psychology of Learning and Individual Differences
- Mathematical Development: From Numbers to Problem Solving
- Research Methods/Statistics in Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
Other Employment/Projects
- 2000 Data analysis evaluating the success of the Chemistry Department's Intelligent Tutoring System, University of Massachusetts
- 1998-99 Case Manager at Learning Disability Support Services (LDSS), University of Massachusetts
- 1996-99 Reading and Listening Test Construction Workshop, Mathematics test development, and data analysis for the Haiti Distance Education Project
- 1995-98 Lab Manager for the Laboratory for the Assessment and Training of Academic Skills (LATAS), University of Massachusetts
Organizations
- 1995-2000 American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- 1995-98 National Consortium for Instruction and Cognition (NCIC)
- 1996-97 Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA)
Peer Review Activities
- 7/99 to 11/99 Interim editor for the journal Contemporary Educational Psychology
Manuscript/Proposal Reviews
- Contemporary Educational Psychology
- Journal of Educational Psychology
- Memory & Cognition
- AERA, Division C, Section 5, 2000 conference proposal reviews
Publications
Journal Articles
- Tronsky, L. N. (revised and resubmitted). The role of strategy use and strategy shifts in the problem size effect and working memory involvement in complex multiplication. Memory & Cognition.
- Royer, J. M., Tronsky, L. N., Chan, Y., Marchant, H. G., & Jackson, S. G. (1999). Reply to the commentaries on the math-fact retrieval hypothesis. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 24, 286-300.
- Royer, J. M., Tronsky, L. N., Chan, Y., Jackson, S. G., & Marchant, H. G. (1999). Math fact retrieval as the cognitive mechanism underlying gender differences in math achievement test performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 24, 181-266.
- Tronsky, L. N. & Anderson, E. A. (in preparation). Central executive involvement in subtraction and multiplication across problem solving strategies.
- Tronsky, L. N. & Anderson, E. A. (in progress). Working memory involvement in division: Are the phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, and central executive involved?
Book Chapters
- Tronsky, L. N., & Royer, J. M. (2003). Relationships Among Basic Computational Automaticity, Working Memory, and Complex Mathematical Problem Solving: What We Know and What We Need to Know. In J. M. Royer (Ed.), Mathematical cognition. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
- Royer, J. M, Rath, K. A., & Tronsky, L. N. (2001). Automaticity training as a reading intervention for adolescents with attentional disorders. In Scruggs, T. (Ed.), Technological applications (pp. 3-16). Elsevier Science.
- Royer, J. M., & Tronsky, L. N. (1998). Addition practice with math disabled students improves subtraction and multiplication performance. In T. E. Scruggs & M. A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (Vol. 12, pp. 185-217). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Paper Presentations, Poster Presentations, and Symposia
- Royer, J. M., Rath, K. A., Tronsky, L. N., Jackson, S. G., & Marchant, H. G. (2002). Sex differences in SAT-math performance are attributable to differences in spatial cognition and math fact retrieval. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
- Khan, S., Stillings, N., Tronsky, L., Wenk, L., & Izumi, A. (2002). Reasoning processes of introductory chemistry students using multiple compact simulations. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
- Khan, S., Stillings, N., Clement, J., Tronsky, L. (2002). The impact of an instructional strategy using computer simulations on inquiry skills in chemistry. Paper presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.
- Khan, S., Stillings, N., Wenk, L., Tronsky, L., & Izumi, A. (2002). The integration of multiple, compact computer simulations to achieve process and content goals in an introductory chemistry course. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA
- Rath, K. A., Tronsky, L. N., & Royer, J. M. (1998). Is reading disability diagnosis a waste of time? Roundtable discussion presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
- Royer, J. M., Cisero, C. A., & Tronsky, L. N. (1997). Word fluency training in severe dyslexic readers transfers to higher level reading skills. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Chicago, IL.
- Royer, J. M., Tronsky, L. N., Jackson, S. G., & Marchant, H. G. (1997). Using cognitive-theory based assessment procedures to predict college course performance. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
- Tronsky, L. N., Royer, J. M., & Chan, Y. (1997). Are gender differences in math achievement test performance due to differences in speed of math fact retrieval? Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
- Royer, J. M., Souweine, J., Tronsky, L. N., Rath, K. A., & Pajer, N. (1996). An assessment driven approach to the treatment of reading and math learning disabilities. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Ellensville, NY.
- Tronsky, L. N., & Royer, J. M. (1996). Mental arithmetic proficiency and its relation to word problem solving ability. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Consortium for Instruction and Cognition, New York, NY.
We would like to introduce you to the rest of the LATAS Staff at UMass and James M. Royer, Ph.D.
Our research is directed towards the creation of a theoretical understanding of the nature of learning disabilities.
If you are a parent or an educator who is interested in further information about The Cognitive Aptitude Assessment Software (CAAS) is software, download a trial version of the Researchers Cognitive Aptitude Assessment Software
Parents, are you concerned about learning disabilities?
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