Information for New Students

Welcome to the Learning Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois at Chicago!

Fall 2008 Orientation

The Learning Sciences orientation will be held on Friday, August 22, 2008 from 9:00-3:00 PM in the Science and Engineering Laboratory bldg. (east wing) located at 950 S. Halsted in room 2087 (2nd floor).

You are required to attend the orientation session and although formal registration is not necessary, you will need to notify the Learning Sciences graduate coordinator of your attendance so appropriate accommodations can be made. During orientation you will have an opportunity to meet faculty, students, and staff of the program and get an overview of the program as well as information about degree and course requirements. You will also receive a copy of the graduate student handbook and pertinent information about program policies at this time. The graduate student handbook is also available on-line at the program website: http://grad.lsri.uic.edu. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to hear faculty members talk briefly about their research interests, and their involvement in the Learning Sciences.

Advising & Registration

You will be assigned a Learning Sciences academic advisor and a disciplinary specialization advisor if appropriate. In consultation with your academic advisor, you will choose an area of disciplinary specialization and plan your course of study. Disciplinary specialization advisors will help with selecting courses in the chosen area of specialization, as well as help make decisions about academic matters.

Sometime after you receive your official admission letter from the Office of Admissions and Records you will receive, usually via email, information on when you may register and instructions, if not included with your admission letter. During the registration period, all registration activity is done by the student using Student Self-Service, which may be accessed from UIC Web for Student.

Once you receive your registration information, you may register. As a new student, you will need to register for the following Learning Sciences courses:

LRSC 500: Introduction to the Learning Sciences

LRSC 540: Learning Sciences Journal Club

Your academic advisor (and disciplinary specialization advisor, if you have one) will help you select the specialization course that you will also need to register to take. When attempting to register, if you receive an error message directly pertaining to the class or section you are requesting, consult with the Learning Sciences graduate coordinator, as an override may need to be input into the system to allow you to continue to register. Once the override has been added you still have to register for the course in Student Self-Service. If you receive an error message that you do not understand, consult the Registration Help Line at (312) 996-8600.

I-Card

The i-Card is the official identification card of the University for students, staff and faculty. It is important to obtain the i-Card and carry it with you at all times. The i-Card is needed to enter certain labs and buildings, for access to certain student-related events and services, and to check material out of the library. Once you have registered for a least one course you may obtain your i-Card. This should be done as soon as possible following your registration. You will need to bring a print-out of your registration and either a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport to the i-Card Office. Complete information, including locations, is available from the I-Card Office.

Medical Immunization Requirement

Illinois state law requires proof of certain immunizations for students in most situations. The policy and contact information are available at the Office of Medical Immunization Records. It is important that you read this information carefully as registration for future terms is not allowed if you are not in compliance at that time.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. The tuition and fee schedule at UIC is fairly elaborate so it is important to understand what your charges will be, as well as your payment obligations. This information is available from the Office of Admissions and Records website.

Other

Please visit the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs’ website for information about additional resources available for students.

Information for Assistantships with the Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI)

Funding support for grad students in the form of research assistantships or teaching assistantships may be available either through students’ disciplinary department, the Learning Sciences program, or the Graduate College, and which cover tuition and a stipend. See below. Students should discuss the possibility for this type of funding with their academic advisor.

Graduate students who hold academic appointments as assistants are required to register for at least 8 hours each semester. Some programs may require registration for more than 8 hours per term and/or summer registration. International students on an F-1 visa must register for a minimum of 8 hours for a 50% appointment, 10 hours for a 33% appointment, and 12 hours for a 25% appointment. The Graduate College does not require summer registration; however, a minimum of 3 hours registration is required to receive a summer tuition and service fee waiver.

The weekly clock hours of service required of assistants are 20 hrs for a 50% appointment and the proportional fraction of time for other appointments.

Assistantships are not renewed automatically. Renewals must be negotiated with the assistantship supervisor. Some assistantships are part of special programs which commit an assistantship to you for a specific period, but even in these cases certain conditions may have to be met that are particular to the specific program. It is always good to communicate early with your assistantship supervisor about the renewals of your assistantship.

If you have been granted an assistantship there are a number of important steps that have to be undertaken to ensure timely processing and receipt of your first stipend check.

1. Make sure you have an offer/invitation for your assistantship, fellowship, or scholarship from the person who has offered it to you.
2. The LSRI Human Resources manager will contact you to make arrangements to schedule an appointment so that the necessary paperwork is processed. At the time of your appointment, you will need to provide your driver’s license and social security card, OR your US passport (expired passports can be presented). You will also need you to sign a number of forms at this appointment (i.e. I-9 form, Statement of Drug Free Work Place). The LSRI Human Resources manager will give you further instructions.
3. For international students on a visa, the LSRI Human Resources manager will send appropriate information to the Office of International Services to initiate an Employee Clearance form. The processing for international students on a visa allows less flexibility in regards to the start date, so it is important to complete the necessary steps in a timely fashion.
4. Do not begin work until the LSRI Human Resources manager has given you an invitation in writing.

   What the acceptance process involves:

5. The LSRI Human Resources manager will trigger an email to you with logon and other information for an online system called NESSIE.
6. In NESSIE, you will need to complete the HR Application and Payroll information (demographic, educational, and bank deposit information).
7. The LSRI Human Resources manager will complete the necessary information in the UIC - HR system to finalize your appointment.

It is only after all these stages have been successfully completed that your appointment becomes official and allows you to receive the monthly stipend, which is paid on the 16th of each month via direct deposit. In addition, if the appointment comes with a tuition waiver (contact the LSRI Human Resources manager to find out exactly which parts of the tuition and fees are waived and which are not), it is only at this stage that the waiver is available to be applied to your account, assuming you have also correctly registered for the total hours required to receive the waiver (minimum 8 hours each Fall & Spring semester). If the appointment for the assistantship is offered or processed late, or any of the steps outlined above are delayed, there is a possibility of missing your first monthly stipend check. Although you will be paid once your appointment is finalized in the UIC -HR system (assuming the beginning date is properly processed and assuming you worked for that period), not having the first check can cause financial issues you did not anticipate. Therefore, if you do not receive timely responses you should always contact the LSRI Human Resources manager to ensure procedures have not been overlooked and your appointment has been processed correctly.

For more information about assistantships with the Learning Sciences Research Institute please consult the Learning Sciences graduate handbook located on the Learning Sciences website http://grad.lsri.uic.edu/. You may also visit the Graduate College website http://grad.uic.edu/cms/ for additional assistantship information.

Integration into the Program

Community of Practice: The Learning Sciences program is committed to fostering a sense of community as students participate in numerous formal and informal collaborations. Students will participate in a journal seminar where they will read, analyze and critique contemporary research literature in the Learning Sciences. They will work in research groups for extended periods of time, moving from novice apprentice to core member; in an annual cross-departmental conference, critiquing colleagues and over time presenting their own work; in working circles, being responsible for critiquing articles from colleagues and contributing one’s own work during matriculation; and with learning science faculty, real-world practitioners, content experts, and other students to understand, implement, and advance learning science principles with respect to real-world problems.

Apprenticeship Learning: This graduate training model has students participating in a focal research group from the first year onward. In addition, during their first and second years in the program students will engage with at least two different research groups to gain an appreciation for the work of each of these groups. Knowledge is shared among the students followed by students writing individual analyses that compare the different types of research being conducted within each group. These analyses become part of the portfolio. Consistent with research on socialization into a community of practice, students will progress from peripheral participation in the research groups to being core participants as they acquire the skills, knowledge, and tools needed for full participation. By the third year, students should be prepared to collaborate on grant proposals, and contribute to research reports. Prior to completion of the program, students are expected to assume the role of lead author on one or more submitted manuscripts.

Interdisciplinary Inquiry: The problems targeted by the Learning Sciences are complex and require interdisciplinary collaborations if real progress is to be made. The core courses are designed to introduce students to the knowledge base on how people learn (a knowledge base that reflects the contributions of a variety of disciplinary perspectives), and an interdisciplinary context in which to think about learning, its assessment, and its support through tools. The core courses are designed to help students gain interdisciplinary knowledge and skills associated with being a successful learning scientist.