{"152491":{"#nid":"152491","#data":{"type":"profile","title":"Betsy DiSalvo","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBetsy DiSalvo is an Assistant Professor in the School of Interactive and founder of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gvu.gatech.edu\/research\/labs\/culture-and-technology-lab-cat\u0022\u003ECulture and Technology Lab (CAT Lab)\u003C\/a\u003E. Her research engages in the study of informal learning and the impact of cultural values on technology use and production. DiSalvo\u2019s work has included the development of games such as the \u003Cem\u003EClick! Urban Adventure\u003C\/em\u003E that encouraged middle school females interest in technology and science, and casual games to build interest in the Children\u2019s Museum of Pittsburgh. Her project, the \u003Cem\u003EGlitch Game Testers\u003C\/em\u003E, leveraged young African American males passion for gaming into an interest in computer science through authentic work and learning experiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, the CAT Lab is exploring parents\u2019 use of technology for informal learning. In its first stages, this research is developing an understanding of how and why parents use or don\u2019t choose to use computers, mobile devices, and other technology for learning. We are finding differences in patterns of use based upon gender, education level and income level. Future work included design research using participatory design methods to create parent portals that encourage the use of informal learning across socio-economic divides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking in Maker Spaces and with art and technology the CAT Lab is exploring how maker oriented learning approaches can increase communities of learners, transfer and reflection in undergraduate computer science courses.\u0026nbsp; They are also pursuing the use of microcontrollers in educational art settings that emphasis art practice and technology practice equally.\u0026nbsp; Early findings suggest that the use of maker oriented learning and art practices with technology improve the motivation and broaden students\u2019 vision of what technology can do.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CAT Lab is also developing a community lab for computational learning in the Westside of Atlanta. The Westside neighborhoods have an impoverished educational landscape for K-12 students, yet border Georgia Tech and other higher education institutions. The community lab will consist of a computer services youth co-operative, where high school students will be trained to upgrade and fix donated surplus computer from local institution and companies, sell them in their neighborhood, and offer ongoing service and support to their customers. Exploratory computer science classes and research on learning motivation and support will be explored with in the context of the co-op.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27345","created_gmt":"2012-09-07 13:52:14","changed_gmt":"2015-04-16 01:47:09","author":"Cristina Gonzalez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","extras":[],"hg_media":{"355701":{"id":"355701","type":"image","title":"Betsy DiSalvo - Compressed","body":null,"created":"1449245756","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:15:56","changed":"1475895087","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:27","alt":"Betsy DiSalvo - Compressed","file":{"fid":"202045","name":"betsy-disalvo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/betsy-disalvo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/betsy-disalvo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13256,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/betsy-disalvo.jpg?itok=V10eFFqa"}}},"media_ids":["355701"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[{"id":"8192","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"8155","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"classification":["Faculty"],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["bdisalvo@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}