I am PHD student at the MIT Media-Lab in the Epistemology & Learning Group. Seymour Papert is my advisor. I also work very closely with Mitchel Resnick and Sherry Turkle. In May 1997 I finished my masters in the Gesture & Narrative Language Group under supervision of Justine Cassell.

My research focuses on the design and study of "identity construction environments", technological learning environments to help children and adolescents explore identity and values in a constructionist way, by integrating storytelling and computation. My work has theoretical, design and field work components that reinforce and enrich each other.

I apply my research to a variety of domains including democratic and multicultural education and psychotherapeutic interventions in school, after-school and hospital settings. My goal is to support and engage in educational experiences that integrate the humanities and social sciences with new technologies.

Doctoral Thesis| Current Projects | Master's Thesis | Past Projects | Papers | Courses |

Doctoral Thesis

Identity Construction Environments: The Design of Computational Tools for Exploring a Sense of Self and Moral Values. PDF file

Current Projects

Zora: a virtual city to explore identity and values through storytelling

Con-science: parents and children exploring robotics and values

Kaleidostories: a web-based exploration of values and identity patterns

Master's Thesis

SAGE: An authoring ennvironment for children to design their own embodied interactive storytellers.

Past Projects

 "An on-line collaborative-gift for Seymour's Papert 70th birthday"

An On-line Community Magazine in a Rural Village within "Project LightHouse" in Thailand.

Children's Hospital Project" at MERL Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab.

"Continuum" in the Computer Clubhouse at the Computer Museum.

Papers
  • Bers, M, Gonzalez-Heydrich,G., DeMaso, D. (2001) "Identity Construction Environments: Supporting a Virtual Therapeutic Community of Pediatric Patients undergoing Dialysis".(PDF) In Proceedings of Computer-Human Interaction (CHI'01) ACM.
  • Bers, M. & Urrea, C (2000) "Technological Prayers: Parents and Children\ Working with Robotics and Values".In "Robots for Kids: Exploring New Tech\nologies for Learning Experiences".Edited by A. Druin & J. Hendler. ^M
  • Bers, M & Cassell, J. (2000) "Children as Designers of Interactive Stor\ytellers:"Let Me Tell You a Story about Myself..." In "Human Cognition and Social Agent T\echnology".Edited by Kerstin Dautenhahn. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publish\ing Company.^M
  • Bers, M. & Urrea, C (2000) "Technological Prayers: Parents and Children\ Working with Robotics and Values".In "Robots for Kids: Exploring New Tech\nologies for Learning Experiences".Edited by A. Druin & J. Hendler. ^M
  • Bers, M & Cassell, J. (2000) "Children as Designers of Interactive Stor\ytellers:"Let Me Tell You a Story about Myself..." In "Human Cognition and Social Agent Technology".Edited by Kerstin Dautenhahn. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Bers,M., Gonzalez-Heydrich,G., DeMaso, D., Corsini, E. & Harmon, W. (2000) Zora: A Pilot Virtual Community in the Pediatric Dialysis Unit Abstract accepted for American Society for Pediatrics meeting in Boston, MA. May 2000.
  • Bers, M. (1999) "Zora: a Graphical Multi-user Environment to Share Stories about the Self." In Proceedings of Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL’99), pp. 33-40.
  • Bers, M. & Best, M.(1999)"Rural Connected Communities: A Project in Online Collaborative Journalism". In Proceedings of Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL’99), pp. 41-46.
  • Bers, M. (1999)"Narrative Construction Kits: Who am I? Who are you? What are we?". In Proceedings of "Narrative Intelligence" Fall Symposium, AAAI'99.
  • Bers, M & Cassell, J.(1999)"Interactive Storytelling Systems for children: using technology to explore language and identity." Journal of Interactive Learning Research, volume 9 (2), AACE,pp. 603-609.
  • Bers, M. (1998) A constructionist approach to values through on-line narrative tools\. ICLS 98, AACE.^M
  • Bers, M & Bergman, S. (1998)A constructionist perspective on values: a response to postmodern fragmented identity. Identity, formation, dignity: The impacts of Artificial Intelligence upon Jewish and Christian Understandings of Personhood"(4/ 30-5/2 1998)conference organized by The Boston Theological Institute, MIT AI Lab and Center for Faith and Science Exchange.
  • Bers et al (1998)"Interactive Storytelling Environments: Coping with Cardiac Illness at Boston's Children's Hospital" (with Ackermann, E.; Cassell, J.; Donegan, B.; Gonzalez-Heydrich, J.; DeMaso, D.; Strohecker, C.; Lualdi, S.; Bromley, D.; Karlin, J.) ( PDF) Published in CHI'98 Proceedings, ACM.
  • Umaschi, M & Cassell, J (1997)"Storytelling Systems: Constructing the Innerface of the Interface." Cognitive Technologies Procedings '97, IEEE, pp.98-108.
  • Umaschi Bers, M. (1997) "Soft Interfaces for Interactive Storytelling: Learning about Identity and Communication" MIT Media Laboratory Master's Thesis 1997. ( abstract in html format). Unpublished thesis available upon request.
  • Umaschi, M (1997)"Soft Toys with Computer Hearts: Building Personal Storytelling Environments" Published in CHI'97 Proceedings, ACM, pp. 20-21 (HTML format)
  • Glos, J & Umaschi, M (1997) "Once Upon an Object: Computationally-augmented Toys for Storytelling" ICCIMA '97 Conference Proceedings; Gold Coast, Australia. pp. 245-249.
  • Umaschi, M (1996)SAGE Storytellers: Learning about Identity, Language and Technology. Published in Proceedings of ICLS '96 , AACE, pp.526-531 (ps format).
  • Umaschi, M (1996)Rabbi: exploring the inner world through stories. Published in AAAI 96 Proceedings, Student Abstracts, Volume II, MIT Press, pp. 1413 (ps format).

    Courses

     Technological Tools for Learning Fall 1994.

    The Language of Conversation and Story Fall 1995.

    Special Topics in Multimedia Production Fall 1995

    Modeling Autonomous Agents Spring 1996.

    Thinking about Things Spring 1996.

    Cognitive Theories of Everything. Fall 1997

    Storytelling and Verbal Play: The virtual Literary SalonSpring 1997

    Interdesign WorkshopSpring 1998

    The Virtual Society: Identity, Interaction and Interface DesignSpring 1998

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    Marina Umaschi Bers marinau@media.mit.edu