Mathematical Behavior
The Robert B. Davis Institute for Learning (RBDIL) at Rutgers University's
Graduate School of Education has worked with a variety of partners over extended
periods of time to create conditions for learning environments that optimize
students' understanding of the mathematics they are learning.
RBDIL has a successful history of long-term commitments to education reform
initiatives and works closely with schools and districts, K-12. Presentations and
workshops for groups of teachers, math educators, and administrators have been
conducted throughout the United States as well as in diverse settings in over 171
countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, South Africa, Mozambique, Japan,
and China. The Institute houses an extensive digitized video collection from three
decades of research on mathematics learning, reasoning, argumentation and proof
making in learners. The unique collection of over 4000 hours of videos with accompanying
metadata from longitudinal and cross-sectional studies is stored in the cloud and
available on the VMC to create video narratives (VMCAnalytics). The Rutgers-Kenilworth
longitudinal study followed a cohort of students from grade 1 through grade 12, and
through college and beyond. Strands of tasks, student work and other metadata can be
viewed in the
(Video Mosaic Collaborative). The video collection
on the VMC is available worldwide, open source. Over 100 video narratives are published and
available as resources for learning and teaching.
Carolyn A. Maher, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Education and the Director of the
Institute, working with a small staff and a growing network of Research Associates, has
been a national leader in the field. Dr. Maher's team has established a successful track
record in conducting collaborative research and teacher development projects, increasing
knowledge in the field and bringing it into the classroom. At the heart of the Davis
Institute approach is the idea that a focus on deep understanding in mathematical problem
solving is the key to increasing mathematics achievement. Research has shown that
children have powerful mathematical ideas and ways of reasoning that develop over time.
Director: Carolyn A. Maher, Rutgers-New Brunswick
Co-Directors: Arthur B. Powell, Rutgers-Newark
Associate Director: Keith Weber, Rutgers-New Brunswick
| Sarah Burke Berenson | Distiguished Professor Emerita, University of North Carolina |
| John M. Francisco | Associate Professor, Mathematics Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Suzanna Schmeelk | Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, St. John’s University, New York City |
| Elizabeth Uptegrove | Professor Emerita and Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, Felician University, New Jersey |
| Louise Wilkinson | Distinguished Professor of Education, Psychology and Communication Sciences, Syracuse University, New York |
| Alice Alston | |
| Victoria Krupnik | |
| Judith Landis | |
| Maria Steffero | |
| Kara Teehan |