Human cognition is a fascinating topic as it can be the driving force behind human behaviors and performance. My research interest has specifically focused on how outside stimuli affect human learning, processing, and subsequent performance on various assessments. During the years of collaborating with the Learning Lab at CSU Los Angeles, I have had the pleasure of investigating and reporting several ways of improving students’ academic performance and success by adjusting how subjects are being taught or assessed. 

 

One of the most impactful studies that I have been involved with has resulted in creating interventions that allow the successful transition of freshmen students to college. We repeated This longitudinal study over several years with various cohorts and with slightly modified interventions. Each cohort was tracked till the students’ graduation to keep note of the students’ short-term GPA and long-term graduation rate outcomes. The interventions with the latest cohorts significantly increased the students’ GPA and graduation rates. In fact, the study’s results were so substantial that they closed the academic success and graduation gap between first-generation and continuing-generation students.

 

Some of the other studies I have contributed to involved a better understanding of students’ learning and assessment performance. For instance, we investigated ways to improve online or pre-recorded lectures, making teaching more engaging and interactive and, most importantly, teaching for transfer. Teaching for transfer is the type of teaching that will result in full conceptual comprehension of the given topic so that students are not limited to just memorizing what they are taught but can effectively transfer their knowledge to new situations. 

 

Although the studies conducted at the learning lab are primarily geared toward academia, their findings can be applied in any environment where learning is necessary. Learning takes place in various settings and circumstances. 

  • If you want your colleagues to grasp your presentation at work more effectively, try using hand gestures. 
  • If your audience appears to be struggling with your solution, use examples that they can relate to and draw connections with their existing knowledge before introducing your proposal. 
  • When introducing a new interaction, it’s best to start with the simplest prompt to avoid overwhelming cognitive load. 
  • If you want to extend your user base, consider providing peer support to help your target group master the use of your product. 
  • If you want to guide a user towards a specific choice, relativity can be a powerful tool. 
  • And many more… 

 

The lab’s objective is to gain a profound comprehension of the human mind and ways to facilitate it. I appreciate the opportunity to have contributed to this knowledge and to have enhanced my understanding of human cognition and behaviors. Additionally, I take pride in collaborating with distinguished researchers from other institutions, such as UCLA and CSUDH, to promote positive advancements in the educational system. 

 

Lawson, A., Mirinjian, A., Son, J. (2019). Can Preventing Calculations Help Students Learn 

Math?. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 17(2).

 

Lawson, A., Mirinjian, A., Son, J. (2018, April). Blocking the Compulsion to Calculate in 

Mathematics. Presented at American Educational Research Association, New York City, 

NY.

Mirinjian, A. (2020a). A FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM: HOW COMPONENTS OF STATISTICAL MATH PROBLEMS AFFECT STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE. https://www.proquest.com/openview/cec2098967079a809c5a629f3371ffff/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y