Medha Tare, PhD

Research Director

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Medha Tare is a researcher and leader in the learning sciences and technology area with experience in both the academic and non-profit sectors. Her work centers on addressing the needs of the whole child, including considering individual differences among learners, their environments, and the media through which they learn. Medha is currently the Senior Director of Research at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop where she works on shaping and conducting research on children’s learning media. Prior to Sesame Workshop, she was the Director of Research for the Learner Variability Project at Digital Promise, leading the development of public resources on the cognitive, socio-emotional, and background factors that impact children and adults’ learning. She has also served as a Learning Sciences Exchange Fellow through New America, working across sectors to promote early learning and help young children and their families thrive.

Medha earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan and her BA in Cognitive Science and English at Rutgers University. She has served as an advisor on national and international educational initiatives and has numerous peer-reviewed publications including in the Journal of Research on Technology in EducationLanguage Learning and Technology, and Journal of Cognition and Development.

Research

My research interests span several major areas. Broadly, my work in the learning sciences examines individual differences (e.g., cognitive, biographical) that influence learners’ success in a variety of educational environments (e.g., classrooms, online, immersion). I have studied the effects of educational technology interventions on learning outcomes and worked with educators on professional development and adoption of new pedagogies. I also have expertise in children’s cognitive and language development, examining children’s acquisition of language, social, and conceptual knowledge through interactions with parents or in informal contexts such as museums and media.

Technology, Learning, and Design

Individual Differences in Learning

Children’s Informal Learning

Children’s Language Development