Palma J. Longo
Columbia University, 2001, Ph.D., Science Education
Research Associate
Center for Molecular Diagnostics
Voice 508-951-2917, Fax 508-999-8196
plongo@umassd.edu
Teaching Interests - Biology content courses, Pedagogical content knowledge courses, and Research Methods Courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. These courses include What is Life? Finding Common Ground Between Two Views, Organismal Biology, Human Physiology, Biology of Learning, Constructivist Approaches to Teaching Middle/High School Biology, Science and Mathematics Education Research Methods, Teaching High School Science Reseach, and K-12 Science content courses.
Previous Courses Taught:
Science Content
BIO 131, 132: Biology of Organisms Laboratory I, II (Fall and Spring)
BIO 241: Anatomy and Physiology I (Fall)
BIO 511: Graduate Biology Seminar: "What is Life"? Finding Common Ground between Two Views
Pedagogical Science Content Knowledge
BIO 600: Teaching Science in the Elementary School (Fall)
BIO 635: Methods and Materials for Secondary School Teachers of Biology (Spring)
New Content Course in Development
Graduate Biology Seminar: Human Learning and the Brain
Scholarship of Discovery - I am passionately interested in the scholarship of discovery in the disciplines of Educational Neuroscience, Organismal Biology, and Human Physiology.
Educational Neuroscience
How to apply the principles and theories from neurocognitive science to help solve the problems in the learning of science. One of the breakthroughs I have discovered is how to close the science achievement gap for females. My research has significantly established a causal link between color and cognition. When females utilize color Visual Thinking Networks (VTNs) a new metacognitive strategy for learning science, they attain to long-term meaningful learning gains in achievement and problem solving reasoning more than their male counterparts.
A visual thinking network constructed by a female ninth grade earth science student.
Organismal Biology - Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), A Novel System to Investigate:
(Minoe Lab)
(1) Biofield theories on wound healing and regeneration. In collaboration with Dr. Tracie Ferreira and Dr. Jerry Solfvin we are designing pilot studies to test the efficacy of using Zebrafish as a novel system to investigate biofield therapies on wound healing and caudal fin regeneration, cell proliferation of cell migration and movement of cytoskeleton activation. Gene expression patterns of Zangptl2, a gene that expresses angiopoietin-like proteins, and zfk8, a candidate marker for epidermal regeneration will also be studied. Since the Zebrafish genome is syntenic to the human genome, understanding the wound healing mechanism in relation to biofield therapies may provide complementary methdos to allopathic medicine. Results from these studies will support a funding proposal for more extensive studies. NIH/NCCAM: National Institute of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine R21, July 2008.
(2) What brings about form? This most fundamental question in biology remains unresolved. New methodologies and tools are needed to look at spatial/temporal aspects of development. The wound healing and regeneration of Zebrafish provides an excellent opportunity to study cell movement and migration. Studies are being designed that would utilize projective morphology (a non-Euclidean geometry) as a new method of predicting and tracking the differential proliferation properties as the caudal fin regenerates.
Human Physiology
Heart Rate Variability: An Interactive Problem-Based Biofeedback Study in Physiological Coherence
Freeze-Framer™ is a biofeedback tool, developed by the HearthMath Institute that allows the individual to see the second to second changes in heart rate (beat per minute). This capacity to see the changes in the wave form of Heart Rate Variability (DRV) in relation to the changes in the levels of coherence functioning within the autonomic system provides the indivdual with an opporutnity to achieve increased physiological coherence by intentionally focusing positive emotion upon one's heart.
Pilot Study: Eighteen (18) community college students in an Anatomy & Physiology II course participated in a ten week study (Spring 2007) in which they collected weekly real time data on their heart rhythm signals and physiological coherence utilizing a biofeedback hardware/sofware interface protocol called Freeze-Framer™. Analysis of data is currently underway to determine if the increased levels of physiological coherence were significant.
Discovery Research Questions of Interest:
Educational Neuroscience
- To what extent are there gender differences in the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex during the construction of a visual thinking network and in the retrieval of knowledge from memory?
- Can the causal links between color and cognition be explained by a quantum approach to visual consciousness?
- How valid is the Color Encoding Reconstruction Model?
- To what extent are there gender differences in patterns of EEG coherence between the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occiptal lobes when constructing VTNs and in the retrieval of knowledge from memory?
- Does constructing knowledge through VTNs improve spatial relations and abstract reasoning abilities?
- To what extent does an educational neuroscience program enhance teacher retention in the sciences and student learning?
- To what extent does computer assisted construction of visual thinking networks enhance achievement and problem solving reasoning?
- What role does color, motion, and heart coherence have in providing conceptual change?
Organismal Biology
- Is zebrafish a plausible model system to investigate the efficacy of biofield therapies on wound healing and caudal fin regeneration?
- What is functional nature of the non-coding/linguistic properties of RNA and DNA sequences?
- Why are invariant tetrahedrons a common motif occuring in nature?
- What organizing principle(s) regulates controls, drives or guides changes of form in organisms?
Human Physiology
- Does heart EEG coherence mediate the recruitment of cortical activity for the encoding and reconstruction of knowledge?
Scholarship of Integration - In search of a pattern that connects mind and nature
Although my research travels different paths there is an underlying unity - a synthesis - that seeks to integrate these discoveries to help humanity. I am in search of a theory of nature, a pattern that connects human and cosmic evolution. We are at a precipice of an emerging paradigm that is answering Schrodinger's famous question, "What is Life" by going beyond the one-dimenstional view of the genome. My ideas and writing will help to elaborate the role of self-organizing patterns of networks to understand nature and our relationship within it.
a flower petal from Nelumbo nucifera (the Sacred Lotus)
Selected Activities
Neurocognitive Theory Applied to Teaching and Learning
- Longo, P.J. (2007) Causal links between color and cognition in Visual Thinking Networking: Closing the Gender Gap in Science Achievement. Poster presented at the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society inaugural conference on Mind, Brain, and Education: The Nature of Human Learning and How Educational Policy can profit from research, November 1-3 2007, Fort Worth Texas (PDF-file [15 KB]).
- Longo, P.J., & Rajanniemi, T., (in revision, 2007). A new view for PEOE: a neurcognitive theory driven strategy for argumentation discourse in the laboratory. (Submitted May 8, 2006), Journal of Cell Biology Education).
- Longo, P.J. & Rajanniemi, T., (in revision, 2007). Argumentation discourse through PEOE enhances conceptual understanding the laboratory. (Submitted May 8, 2006), Journal of Cell Biology Education).
- Longo, P.J. (in preparation). Do color visual thinking networks enhance the inter-relatedness of science knowledge from memory? Some initial positive evidence. To be submitted to, Metacognition and Learning.
- Brown, S., and P.J. Longo (in preparation) Color Visual Thinking Networks increases student understanding of links between mathematics and biology. To be submitted to the Canadian Journal of Mathematics and Science Education.
- Longo, P.J., Anderson, O.R., & P. Wicht. (2002). Visual thinking networking promotes problem solving achievement for 9th grade earth science students. The Electronic Journal of Science Education [Online]. Available: http://unr.edu/homepage/crowther/ejse/ejsev7n1.html [V7, N1, 2002, September, scroll to Article Seven]. (Note, the brain and network images were created in color).
- Longo, P.J. (2002). Color in visual thinking networking significantly improves 9th graders' learning of earth science. Symposium Session, "New Technology-Supported Approaches to Science Learning and Teaching". National Association for Research in Science Teaching, April 10, 2002, New Orleans.
- Longo, P.J. (2001). What happens to student learning when color is added to a new knowledge representation strategy? Implications from Visual Thinking Networking. Paper presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Session of the National Science Teachers Association Annual Convention, March 23, 2001, St. Louis, Missouri. (PDF-file [621 KB]), also available through ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 454096).
- Longo, P.J. (2001). Visual thinking networking promotes long-term meaningful learning and achievement for 9th grade earth science students. Ph.D. Thesis. Columbia University, N.Y., N.Y. (Abstract: http://digitalcommons.libraries.columbia.edu/dissertations/AAI9998189/,& HTML-version, PDF-version)
- Fisher, K., Abrams, R., Longo, P. & J. Wandersee. (2000). Modes of knowledge mapping used. In Fisher, K., Wandersee, J., & D. Moody, Mapping Biology Knowledge, Kluwer Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 21-22.
- Longo, P.J. (1987). Student Mapping - Strategies for Design. Paper presented at the National Science Teachers Association Annual Convention, March 28, 1987, Washington, D.C.
Clinical Research
- Burani, J., & Longo, P. (2006). Low-Glycemic index carbohydrates: An effective behavioral change for glycemic control and weight management in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator, 32(1), 78-88. (PDF-file [212 KB]) Article cited in Endocrine Today: Clinical News on Diabetes and Endocrine Discorder. 2006, 4(3), p. 82.
Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching Science
- Longo-Schmit, P.J. (1975). The Adventures of Miss Glucie. American Biology Teacher, 37 (4), 227-230.
- Longo-Schmit, P. J. (1973). Projects for the end of term. American Biology Teacher, 35(2), 225.
- Longo-Schmit, P. J. (1973). Molecules to ecosphere view emerges from study of student chosen organisms. American Biology Teacher. 35(2), 66-68.
Professional Development Workshops
The essence of these two workshops is to show how research influences practice. Part I illuminates what we know about the scientific basis of learning and what happens to student learning when theory-driven strategies are used in the classroom. Part II is an experiential workshop where science teachers learn how to use cognitive tools that enhance student talking, thinking, and learning of science.
Part I A Biology of Learning - Implications for Philosophy and Practice
What we need to know
Part I introduces the recent findings from developmental, neurocognitive and neurobiological science, with respect to how the learner builds a picture of the visual world, stores, and recalls this new knowledge from memory. This newly expanded research has direct implications on our philosophy of teaching and learning with respect to the role of the teacher, the learner, and the curriculum. What we know about the science of learning can influence the nature of those learning tasks, strategies, and methods of assessment we use in the classroom. Findings will be presented from two theory-driven metacognitive strategies to illustrate how the learner can enhance the higher order thinking skill of problem solving. Intended audience for this workshop are teachers, administrators, curriculum specialists, and policy makers at the K-20 level of instruction.
Part II Talking, Thinking, and Learning - Cognitive Tools for Instructors of Science
This intensive workshop builds upon the research findings as presented in Part I. Here college as well as K-12 science instructors learn how to use different theory-driven cognitive tools that will enable their students to construct new ways of talking about, thinking about, and learning science. These strategies were tested at the pre-college and college level: PEOE (Predict, Explain, Observe, Explain) is a cognitive tool for talking (Richard Thorley, University of Rochester); VEE (Knowledge or Epistemological Vee), is a cognitive tool for thinking (Bob Gowin, Cornell University); VTN (Visual Thinking Networking) is a cognitive tool for learning (Palma J. Longo, Columbia University).
Important Links for Pre- and In-Service Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Science Teachers
Avocation Nature photography, with a focus on the bud, flower, and seed pod of Nelumbo nucifera (the Sacred Lotus).
© Workshops are copyrighted as of July 16, 1999 when first presented by Dr. Palma J. Longo at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Photographic and VTN images are subject to copyright laws and may not be sold, distributed or otherwise displayed without the explicit permission of the copyright owner..
Last Updated On: 9/17/08
