Human Development Colloquium: Panayiota Kendeou (McKnight U)
Reading Comprehension: From Theory to Practice and Back Again
Abstract: Our ability to read is fundamental for learning, engagement in society, and success in the workplace. Indeed, experiencing reading difficulties is devastating, costly, and a major contributor to inequality. Thus, continued efforts are needed to determine how best to develop reading skills across the lifespan. My research program aims to address this issue by advancing our understanding of reading, and using that understanding to transform reading instruction and influence reading policy. I aim to advance our theoretical understanding of reading by developing models that detail the cognitive processes of reading to explain how students acquire and revise knowledge through their reading experiences. I aim to transform reading instruction by using these models to develop Artificial Intelligent (AI) tools that supplement instruction by providing personalized learning opportunities for core reading comprehension skills. These aims are realized in two distinct but related lines of work. One line focuses on improving learning to read for young students, whereas the second line focuses on improving reading to learn (and reducing the impact of misinformation) for older students and adults. In this talk, I will present representative work from these two lines of research.
Bio: Dr. Panayiota (Pani) Kendeou is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Guy Bond Chair in Reading in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kendeou directs the Reading + Learning Lab and co-directs the CEHD Learning Informatics Lab, both at the University of Minnesota. In her research program, Dr. Kendeou examines the cognitive processes of reading comprehension in an effort to advance our theoretical understanding of reading and transform literacy instruction in K-12 schools. She also studies how to effectively reduce the impact of misinformation we often encounter during reading, and how political ideology, epistemic beliefs, and language influence trust in information sources. Her work has been featured in two recently published international efforts, the Debunking Handbook and the Covid-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook, both providing guidelines to engaged citizens, journalists, and health care professionals for effective debunking of misinformation and communication. She has also published a book on Misinformation and Fake News in Education and works on developing tools that teach digital and AI literacy skills in young students. Dr. Kendeou has published extensively and her work has received numerus awards, including the Excellence in Research Award from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota in 2020, the Early Career Impact Award from the FABBS Foundation in 2015, the Tom Trabasso Young Investigator Award from the Society for Text & Discourse in 2012, and the Research in Literacy Award from the UK Literacy Association in 2009. Dr. Kendeou is currently the Editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology and serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Studies of Reading, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Learning and Instruction, Educational Psychologist, and Educational Psychology Review. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Psychonomics Society, and the Society for Text and Discourse (ST&D).
