Congressman Cohen Announces More Than $2.5 Million in Grants for the University of Memphis

“I am very pleased that the Department of Education will provide this funding for the University of Memphis,” said Congressman Cohen. “The researchers in the Psychology Department are utilizing the latest technology to bring expert educational tutoring to anyone with access to a computer, which will greatly help in narrowing the educational divide that exists in this country. It’s impossible to provide every student who needs extra help in school with an in-person tutor, but these programs can give them the next best thing by delivering expert knowledge and training electronically.”

The Writing Pal tutoring program is being spearheaded by Dr. Danielle McNamara, a cognitive scientist. The funding will give Dr. McNamara and her team the chance to evaluate their new system with high school students and English teachers from urban and suburban schools in Memphis. Their goal is to provide interactive and adaptive strategy training that encourages students to use independent writing techniques. Additionally, their research will significantly impact the educational community by providing an automated, instructional writing tool for students.

Dr. Andrew Olney, an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department, is overseeing the second digital tutoring program being funded by the NCER at the UofM, called Guru. His team has already developed and evaluated a novice computer tutor that performs as well as novice human tutors in trials, and their goal is to incorporate expert strategies, actions and dialogue of expert human tutors to advance learning gains for students using Guru. NCER’s funding will provide for trials for the new program on 9th grade students in Memphis City Schools. The trials will give area students tutoring that Dr. Olney hopes will improve their scores on the Tennessee Gateway Science Test.

“NCER’s generous grants will not only help our scientists and researchers at the UofM evaluate their programs, but it will also provide free computer tutoring under the careful examination of experts to our students in the 9th District,” explained Congressman Cohen. “This is a win-win for Memphis.”

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Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265