Select Abbreviated Recent Publications List (5 years)

• Shah, M., Foster, A., Barany, A., Talafian, H. & Petrovich Jr. M.E. (Accepted). Facilitating and Interpreting High School Students’ Identity Exploration Trajectories in STEM. Manuscript accepted in the Special Issue on Learning and Identity in Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). Journal of Experimental Education.
• Petrovich Jr., M. E. & Foster, A. (Accepted). Immersive augmented reality for teaching and learning: A framework of claims and directions for future research. In G. Akcayir & CD Epp(Eds.), Designing, deploying, and evaluating virtual and augmented reality in education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
• Foster, A. & Shah, M. (2020). Principles for Advancing Game-Based Learning in Teacher Education. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. DOI: 10.1080/21532974.2019.1695553
• Barany, A., & Foster, A. (2020). Context, Community, and the Individual: Modeling Identity in a Game Affinity Space. The Journal of Experimental Education, 1-18.
• Foster, A. & Shah, M., Barany, A. & Talafian, H. (2019). (2019), "High school students’ role-playing for identity exploration: findings from virtual city planning", Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. 120 No. 9/10. Pp 640-662 https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-03-2019-0026
• Akkus-Cakir, N., Gass, A., Foster, A., & Lee, F.J. (2017).* Development of a game-design workshop to promote young girls interest towards computing through identity exploration. Computers & Education, 108, pp.115-130.
• Shah, M., Foster, A., & Barany, A. (2017). Facilitating Learning as Identity Change Through Game-Based Learning. In Y. Baek (Ed). Game-Based Learning: Theory, Strategies and Performance Outcomes (pp-257-278). New York, NY. Nova Publishers
• Foster, A. & Shah, M. (2016). Knew me and new me: Facilitating student identity exploration and learning through game integration. Special Issue on Transmedia and Games. International Journal of Gaming and Computer Mediated Simulations, 8(3), 39-58.
• Foster, A. & Shah, M. (2016). Examining game design features for identity exploration and change. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 35(4) pp.345-360.
• Foster, A. & Shah, M. (2015). The play curricular activity reflection and discussion model for game-based learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 47(2), 71-88.
• Shah, M. & Foster, A. (2015). Developing and assessing teachers’ knowledge of game-based learning. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 23(2), 241-267.

Grants/Extramural Funding

• CAREER: Projective Reflection: Learning as Identity Exploration within Games for Science - PI Aroutis Foster. NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program - $1,004,836.00– 8/1/14-7/31/20 – DRL-1350707
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1350707&HistoricalAwards=false
• Fall 2020 - Louis Stokes STEM Pathways and Research Alliance: Greater Philadelphia Region LSAMP (Philadelphia AMP) P.I. Jensen, P., CoPIs - Cox, S.R. & Foster, A. N. NSF HRD $3.2 million – 8/1/20-7/31/2025.
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2008197&HistoricalAwards=false
• Fall 2018 - Culturally Relevant Computing Activities and Career Readiness for At-Risk Youth – PI Jason Engerman, Co-PI Richard Otto, Senior Research Consultant-Aroutis Foster ($25,000) - NSF – ITEST DRL $399,853.00 (9/1/18-8/31/21)
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1849849&HistoricalAwards=false
• Supporting Science and Engineering Identity Development in Immersive Interactive Technologies, PI-Stefan Rank, CoPIs Aroutis Foster, Glen Muschio, Ayana Allen, & Kapil Dandekar. NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL - 1647130) $559,753.00 – 09/15/17 to 8/31/21.
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1647130&HistoricalAwards=false
• EAGER: US Ignite: A Cloud Enabled Virtual Reality Based Pedagogical Ecosystem for Green Energy and Environmental Engineering Education– PI Pramod Abichandani, Co-PIs Aroutis Foster, Kapil Dandekar. NSF EAGER Grant - $270,584.48 (1/1/14-12/31/16) - CNS-1354572
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1354572&HistoricalAwards=false
• EAGER - TAEMILE: Towards Automating Experience Management in Interactive Learning Environments. PI. Jichen Zhu, CoPIs Aroutis Foster and Glen Muschio. NSF EAGER Grant - $149,999.00 (9/01/13 – 8/31/15) – Award # IIS-1349082
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1349082&HistoricalAwards=false
• Playing to See: A Research and Development Digital Game Based Learning Project with the Barnes Foundation. PIs Aroutis Foster & Jen Katz-Buonincontro. The Barnes Foundation - $245,000.00 - (4/01/13 – 3/31/14)
• EAGER Proposal for Research in STEM Learning: Research and Development of a Digital Play-Based Platform to Achieve Projective Reflection for 21st Century Learning. PI Aroutis Foster. NSF EAGER Grant Award #1250243 - $50,000.00 – (9/15/12 -8/31/14)
  https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1250243&HistoricalAwards=false

Internal Grants/ Intramural

• Young Dragons Summer 2020: West Philly Virtual Reality (WPVR) Camp – ExCITE Center - $5,000.00 - Led by Monique Woodard
  West Philly Virtual Reality (WPVR) Camp offers students the opportunity to design and develop their own VR environments. Students also have the chance to learn how to code using block coding and then move onto text-based coding. During WPVR Camp, students will explore technology related careers through real-world activities including design, development, and coding.
• Drexel Areas of Research Excellence (DARE 2) – Digital Cultural Heritage (2019-2020; $100,000.00)
  “Our multidisciplinary team will investigate and propose solutions to the national crisis affecting historic sites and their communities, using a significant historic house museum in Germantown as a pilot. We will study and develop tools for broadening access via digital products—“Archives and Historic Interpretation Without Walls”—engage local communities and neighborhoods to increase the sense of shared ownership of culturally significant sites, and develop new, data-driven business models for sustainability.”
  • Project Leads- Rosalind Remer and Page Talbott (Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships; LCCP)
  • Core Participants- Troy Finamore (CoMAD), Aroutis Foster (SoE), Alan Greenberger (WCoMAD), Scott Knowles (CoAS), Elizabeth Milroy (CoMAD), Glen Muschio (CoMAD), Alex Poole (CCI), Gabriel Rocha (CoAS), Page Talbott (LCCP), Neville Vakharia (CoMAD)
  • Participant- Bruce Melgary (LCCP)
  • Grant Writer- Melissa Clemmer (LCCP)
• Drexel Areas of Research Excellence (DARE 1) - DARE in Gaming (2016-2018, $250,000.00)
  Project team – Stefan Rank, Evan Forman, Patricia Shewokis, Aroutis Foster, Michael Wagner, Santiago Antanon, Jichen Zhu, Paul Diefenbach, Frank Lee, Brian Smith, Brian Daly, Chris Sims, Hasan Ayaz, and Maggie O’niel
• Drexel University Office of Research. Raising STEM Career Awareness and Identity Exploration in a Space Summer Camp (2018). PI: Aroutis Foster, Co-PI: Hamideh Talafian, Magdalene Moy, and Moe Woodard. $15,000 Grant Awarded toward Conducting Research in Pittsburgh Learning Commons (PLC), Pittsburgh, PA.
• SoE Faculty Research Initiative 2018-19 – Invent with the Environment
  A year-long learning by making project at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education ~$6,000.00 –led by Mamta Shah and Aroutis Foster, and Mark Petrovich Jr.

Game/Virtual Environments design and made

• Petrovich Jr.**, M. E., Tamir***, Y., Dixey,*** J., Dardour, M.***, Abrams, A.***, & Foster, A. (2020). Pasithea [Android Mobile]. Philadelphia, PA: GLIDE Lab
• Petrovich Jr., M. E**., Braney, J.***, Dentiste, V.***, Duarte, J.***, & Foster, A. (2019). Enzi the Enzyme [Windows]. Philadelphia, PA: GLIDE Lab. https://vimeo.com/user31595989
• Varsik, A.***, Braney, J.***, Dentiste, V.***, Brossy, R.***, Duarte, J.***, Bender, J.***, Petrovich Jr., M,** & Foster, A. PMA ExplorAR. [Mac iOS]. Philadelphia, PA: GLIDE Lab. https://vimeo.com/user31595989
• Foster, A., Darayani, R***., Shah, M.****, Barany, A.**, Celliti, J**., Duka, M***., Evenstone, A., Eagan, B., Swiecki, Z., Quigley, P., & Shaffer, D. (2016). Philadelphia Land Science. Drexel University [Windows]. Philadelphia, PA: GLIDE Lab. https://vimeo.com/user31595989
• Foster, A., & Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2014). Keys to the collection: Mobile game (Version 1). Apple App Store: Barnes Foundation [Mac iOS]. Philadelphia, PA: GLIDE Lab. https://vimeo.com/user31595989

Abbreviated Conference Presentation List (2019-2020)

• Barany, A., Foster, A. & Shah, M. (2020). Design-based research iterations of a virtual learning environment for identity exploration. Paper accepted to the 6th international Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (ILRN) 2020. San Luis Obispo, CA, June 21-25, 2020. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Barany, A. & Foster, A. (2020). Identity exploration in a Kerbal Space Program community forum. Paper presented to the international Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020. Nashville, TN, June 19-23, 2020.
• Barany, A, Talafian, H. & Foster, A. (2020). An epistemic network analysis of STEM identity exploration in virtual learning environments. Paper presented to the international Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020. Nashville, TN, June 19-23, 2020. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Talafian, H., Barany, A., Foster, A. (2020). Patterns of Identity Exploration among High School Students in a STEM Course Augmented by Virtual Learning Environments. Paper presented to the International Conference of the Learning Science (ICLS), June 19-23, Nashville, TN. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Petrovich Jr., M. E., Fornaro, C., Barany, A., & Foster, A. (2020). Game Design Features for Facilitating Identity Exploration: An Exploration of Minecraft EE Chemistry Lab. Paper presented at the 31st International Conference for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), New Orleans, LA, April 7-10, 2020. (Virtual as a result of COID19)
• Barany, A. & Foster, A. (2020). Mapping identity exploration of science careers using epistemic networks. Proposal presented to the 31st International Conference for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). New Orleans, LA, April 7-10, 2020. (Virtual as a result of COVID-19) (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Woodard, M., Foster, A. (2020). Facilitating creative Processes through Learning how to Develop Virtual Reality Environments in a Summer Camp. Paper presented at the 31st International Conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). New Orleans, April 7-10, 2020. (Virtual as a result of COVID19)
• Barany, A., Shah, M., Talafian, H. & Foster, A. (2020). A Longitudinal Case Study of Learning as Identity Change. Proposal accepted at the 2020 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, San Francisco, CA, April 17-21, 2020 (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Talafian, H., Shah, M., Barany, A., Foster, A. (2020). Tracing Individual and Group Identity Exploration Trajectories in Augmented Curricular Activities. Paper accepted at the 2020 American Education Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Shah, M., Foster, A., Talafian, H. & Barany, A. (2019). Examining the impact of Virtual City Planning on high school students’ identity exploration. Paper presented at the First International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE). Madison, WI, October 20-22, 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Foster, A., Shah. M., Barany, A. & Talafian, H. (2019). Tracing identity exploration trajectories with quantitative ethnographic techniques: A case study. . Paper presented at the First International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE). Madison, WI, October 20-22, 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Barany, A. & Foster, A. (2019). Examining identity exploration in a video game participatory culture. Paper presented at the First International Conference on Quantitative Ethnography (ICQE). Madison, WI, October 20-22, 2019.
• Talafian, H., Shah. M., Barany, A. & Foster, A. (2019). Promoting and Tracing High School Students’ Identity Change in an Augmented Virtual Learning Environment. Paper presented at the 13thInternational Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Lyon, France, 17-21 June 2019 - (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Foster, A. Shah, M. (2019). Themes for Advancing Research and Practice on Teacher Education for Using Games for Learning. Paper presented at the 18th Biennial European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference, Aachen, Germany 12-16 August 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Shah, A., Foster, A. & Schaar, R. (2019). Invent with Environment: A Maker Course for Environmental Science and Art. Paper presented at the 18th Biennial European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference, Aachen, Germany 12-16 August 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT and SOE FRI grant/Project)
• Barany, A., Talafian, H., Shah, A. & Foster, A. (2019). Learning as Identity Change in Augmented Virtual Learning Environments. Paper presented at the 18th Biennial European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference, Aachen, Germany 12-16 August 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Foster, A., Shah, M., Petrovich, Jr. M. E. Barany, A., & Talafian, H. (2019). Leveraging Theoretical and Methodological Innovations for Supporting Learners to Explore and Reconstruct their Identity. Paper presented at the 18th Biennial European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference, Aachen, Germany 12-16 August 2019. (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Shah, M., Petrovich M.E.P., Foster, A., Schaar, R. & Chen, D. (2019). Change in Role Identity of an Environmental Science Educator Who Desires to Facilitate Learning by Making. Paper presented at the 30th International Conference for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, NV, March 18-22, 2019. (SOE Faculty Research Initiative Support)
• Barany, A., Talafian, H., Petrovich, M., Shah, M. & Foster, A. (2019). Tracking identity exploration trajectories in game-based learning. Paper presented at the 30th International Conference for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, NV, March 18-22, 2019 (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Talafian, H., Barany, A., Petrovich, M., Shah, M. & Foster, A. (2019). Facilitating and Tracking Identity Change in Augmented Virtual Learning Environments. Paper presented at the 30th International Conference for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, NV, March 18-22, 2019 (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Petrovich Jr. M. E., Shah, M., & Foster, A. (2019). From Virtual to Real: An Expanded Systematic Review of Augmented Reality Learning. Paper presented at the 30th International Conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 18-22, 2019.
• Barany, A., Talafian, H., Shah, M. & Foster, A. (2019). Supporting Learning as Identity Change Through Augmented Virtual Environments (AVE) Case Study Findings. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada, April 5-9, 2019 (NSF CAREER GRANT/Project)
• Shah, M. & Foster, A. (2019). Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Knowledge and Professional Identity for Game-Based Learning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada, April 5-9, 2019