Zack Hawes
@zackhawes.bsky.social
assistant professor @ OISE/University of Toronto / cognitive development / mathematical cognition / spatial thinking / mathematics education
https://www.mathematicalthinkinglab.com
https://www.mathematicalthinkinglab.com
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Happy to share this new entry on numerical cognition for the OECS. Thanks to @hbaum.bsky.social and @mcxfrank.bsky.social for making this happen! Apologies if your work isn’t cited! Had to limit cites!!! oecs.mit.edu/pub/rek9756r...
Numerical Cognition
oecs.mit.edu
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Happy to share this new entry on numerical cognition for the OECS. Thanks to @hbaum.bsky.social and @mcxfrank.bsky.social for making this happen! Apologies if your work isn’t cited! Had to limit cites!!! oecs.mit.edu/pub/rek9756r...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Hello #MCLS2026 !☘️
We are delighted to announce the dates for our upcoming conference in Padua, Italy! 🇮🇹
Thanks to the local organisers at Università di Padova
S. Caviola, R. Rugani, M. Ranzini, and others
@mcls-official.bsky.social
@mclstrainee.bsky.social
#neuroskyence #cogsci #edusky #devpsy
We are delighted to announce the dates for our upcoming conference in Padua, Italy! 🇮🇹
Thanks to the local organisers at Università di Padova
S. Caviola, R. Rugani, M. Ranzini, and others
@mcls-official.bsky.social
@mclstrainee.bsky.social
#neuroskyence #cogsci #edusky #devpsy
October 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Hello #MCLS2026 !☘️
We are delighted to announce the dates for our upcoming conference in Padua, Italy! 🇮🇹
Thanks to the local organisers at Università di Padova
S. Caviola, R. Rugani, M. Ranzini, and others
@mcls-official.bsky.social
@mclstrainee.bsky.social
#neuroskyence #cogsci #edusky #devpsy
We are delighted to announce the dates for our upcoming conference in Padua, Italy! 🇮🇹
Thanks to the local organisers at Università di Padova
S. Caviola, R. Rugani, M. Ranzini, and others
@mcls-official.bsky.social
@mclstrainee.bsky.social
#neuroskyence #cogsci #edusky #devpsy
Reposted by Zack Hawes
🚀 Exciting news: I’m accepting new graduate students in the McGill Faculty of Education Learning Sciences! If you’re passionate about educational technology, games, AI, and learning sciences, this is your chance to join a dynamic and interdisciplinary research program.
September 16, 2025 at 2:01 AM
🚀 Exciting news: I’m accepting new graduate students in the McGill Faculty of Education Learning Sciences! If you’re passionate about educational technology, games, AI, and learning sciences, this is your chance to join a dynamic and interdisciplinary research program.
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Such a pleasure to work with @boldinsights.bsky.social to put this piece together. Always happy to discuss the role of spatial thinking in STEM learning and beyond
“Spatial thinking is a fundamental, yet often neglected, aspect of human cognition.”
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
Spatial thinking in the STEM classroom
Zachary Hawes studies how spatial thinking makes abstract ideas accessible
boldscience.org
September 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Such a pleasure to work with @boldinsights.bsky.social to put this piece together. Always happy to discuss the role of spatial thinking in STEM learning and beyond
Such a pleasure to work with @boldinsights.bsky.social to put this piece together. Always happy to discuss the role of spatial thinking in STEM learning and beyond
“Spatial thinking is a fundamental, yet often neglected, aspect of human cognition.”
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
Spatial thinking in the STEM classroom
Zachary Hawes studies how spatial thinking makes abstract ideas accessible
boldscience.org
September 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Such a pleasure to work with @boldinsights.bsky.social to put this piece together. Always happy to discuss the role of spatial thinking in STEM learning and beyond
Reposted by Zack Hawes
“Spatial thinking is a fundamental, yet often neglected, aspect of human cognition.”
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
Spatial thinking in the STEM classroom
Zachary Hawes studies how spatial thinking makes abstract ideas accessible
boldscience.org
September 4, 2025 at 12:06 PM
“Spatial thinking is a fundamental, yet often neglected, aspect of human cognition.”
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
@zackhawes.bsky.social tells Aisha Schnellmann how central spatial thinking is to STEM learning. #EdChat boldscience.org/the-psycholo...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Children build math skills on a “cognitive bridge” between space & number. But where does it come from? Our new study finds monkeys transfer learning and abstractions across geometry & numerosity, revealing the evolutionary roots of basic math development. 🧪🧠
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Cognitive bridge between geometric and numerical learning in monkeys | PNAS
Educational research highlights strong developmental links between numerical and spatial
cognition in humans, often shaped by cultural tools like t...
www.pnas.org
August 20, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Children build math skills on a “cognitive bridge” between space & number. But where does it come from? Our new study finds monkeys transfer learning and abstractions across geometry & numerosity, revealing the evolutionary roots of basic math development. 🧪🧠
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
What a fantastic accomplishment -- and what a fantastic story! www.quantamagazine.org/at-17-hannah...
At 17, Hannah Cairo Solved a Major Math Mystery | Quanta Magazine
After finding the homeschooling life confining, the teen petitioned her way into a graduate class at Berkeley, where she ended up disproving a 40-year-old conjecture.
www.quantamagazine.org
August 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
What a fantastic accomplishment -- and what a fantastic story! www.quantamagazine.org/at-17-hannah...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Huge congratulations to the brilliant Nora Newcombe, recipient of the 2025 David E. Rumelhart Prize! 🏅#CogSci2025
July 31, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Huge congratulations to the brilliant Nora Newcombe, recipient of the 2025 David E. Rumelhart Prize! 🏅#CogSci2025
Reposted by Zack Hawes
🚨New article🚨 in Computers & Education
We created and validated a measure of how teachers scaffold game-based learning.
Turns out, teachers are great at cheering students on and keeping them on task—but need more support/resources to guide deeper thinking during games.
Full study link below.
We created and validated a measure of how teachers scaffold game-based learning.
Turns out, teachers are great at cheering students on and keeping them on task—but need more support/resources to guide deeper thinking during games.
Full study link below.
July 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
🚨New article🚨 in Computers & Education
We created and validated a measure of how teachers scaffold game-based learning.
Turns out, teachers are great at cheering students on and keeping them on task—but need more support/resources to guide deeper thinking during games.
Full study link below.
We created and validated a measure of how teachers scaffold game-based learning.
Turns out, teachers are great at cheering students on and keeping them on task—but need more support/resources to guide deeper thinking during games.
Full study link below.
Reposted by Zack Hawes
New personal record of desk rejects 🥳
I am taking a note of journals that take over a month for the desk 📖
It is also a unusual situation where pretty much everything has been already reviewed at eLife on our Neuro paper (click for open reviews), now the sample size is just substantially larger.
I am taking a note of journals that take over a month for the desk 📖
It is also a unusual situation where pretty much everything has been already reviewed at eLife on our Neuro paper (click for open reviews), now the sample size is just substantially larger.
July 1, 2025 at 11:54 AM
New personal record of desk rejects 🥳
I am taking a note of journals that take over a month for the desk 📖
It is also a unusual situation where pretty much everything has been already reviewed at eLife on our Neuro paper (click for open reviews), now the sample size is just substantially larger.
I am taking a note of journals that take over a month for the desk 📖
It is also a unusual situation where pretty much everything has been already reviewed at eLife on our Neuro paper (click for open reviews), now the sample size is just substantially larger.
Reposted by Zack Hawes
📚 At the #JRF annual meeting, our Research Fellows engaged in three days of structured exchange, sharing research, building interdisciplinary connections, and advancing ideas to improve learning outcomes for children worldwide.
Meet the fellows 👥 bit.ly/4kQMPij
#Education #Research #Fellows
Meet the fellows 👥 bit.ly/4kQMPij
#Education #Research #Fellows
June 20, 2025 at 3:22 PM
📚 At the #JRF annual meeting, our Research Fellows engaged in three days of structured exchange, sharing research, building interdisciplinary connections, and advancing ideas to improve learning outcomes for children worldwide.
Meet the fellows 👥 bit.ly/4kQMPij
#Education #Research #Fellows
Meet the fellows 👥 bit.ly/4kQMPij
#Education #Research #Fellows
Thrilled to see this registered report published. It's been a long time in the making and a nice little example (we think!) of how language influences mathematical cognition.
How might you answer:
What's 1/2 of 1/2? vs. What's 1/2 x 1/2?
Does 'of' vs. 'x' make a difference? See paper below
How might you answer:
What's 1/2 of 1/2? vs. What's 1/2 x 1/2?
Does 'of' vs. 'x' make a difference? See paper below
June 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Thrilled to see this registered report published. It's been a long time in the making and a nice little example (we think!) of how language influences mathematical cognition.
How might you answer:
What's 1/2 of 1/2? vs. What's 1/2 x 1/2?
Does 'of' vs. 'x' make a difference? See paper below
How might you answer:
What's 1/2 of 1/2? vs. What's 1/2 x 1/2?
Does 'of' vs. 'x' make a difference? See paper below
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Super fun to do! Thanks @theitsinnatepc.bsky.social
🚨 New episode! We are excited to be releasing another "A conversation with a luminary" episode. In it, we chat with Professor Nora Newcombe (@noranewcombe.bsky.social) about her science journey, the geometric module, empiricism & nativism, among other things. Enjoy!
itsinnate.fireside.fm/27
itsinnate.fireside.fm/27
A conversation with a luminary #4: Nora Newcombe
itsinnate.fireside.fm
June 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Super fun to do! Thanks @theitsinnatepc.bsky.social
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Interesting data coming out of a national survey of adults and what they think about math.
www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
What Math Learned in School Is Most Important? Adults and Their Managers Don't Agree
Americans don’t always agree about which skills are the most crucial, according to a new survey from Gallup.
www.edweek.org
June 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Interesting data coming out of a national survey of adults and what they think about math.
www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Very honoured to be awarded the Developmental Psychology Section Impact and Engagement Award by The British Psychological Society. The award is for my work on the importance of spatial reasoning for mathematics.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
University of Surrey on LinkedIn: #surreyshapes
Congratulations to Professor Emily Farran who has been awarded the 2024 Developmental Psychology Section Impact and Engagement Award by The British…
www.linkedin.com
January 28, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Very honoured to be awarded the Developmental Psychology Section Impact and Engagement Award by The British Psychological Society. The award is for my work on the importance of spatial reasoning for mathematics.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Finally our editorial for the "What makes a good theory?" special issue is out (co-edited with @irisvanrooij.bsky.social, @jcskewes.bsky.social, Sashank Varma, and Todd Wareham). It's an interdisciplinary issue and the contents are transdisciplinary.
#philsci #metasci #cogsci #ai #psych 🧪
#philsci #metasci #cogsci #ai #psych 🧪
What Makes a Good Theory? Interdisciplinary Perspectives - Computational Brain & Behavior
Computational Brain & Behavior -
link.springer.com
November 14, 2024 at 4:09 PM
Finally our editorial for the "What makes a good theory?" special issue is out (co-edited with @irisvanrooij.bsky.social, @jcskewes.bsky.social, Sashank Varma, and Todd Wareham). It's an interdisciplinary issue and the contents are transdisciplinary.
#philsci #metasci #cogsci #ai #psych 🧪
#philsci #metasci #cogsci #ai #psych 🧪
Reposted by Zack Hawes
#TodayinHistory #dataviz #Onthisday #OTD 📊
🎂Nov 30, 1756 Ernest Florens Friedrich Chladni born in Wittenberg, Germany 🇩🇪
1787: Visualization of vibration patterns (by spreading a uniform layer of sand on a disk, and observing displacement when vibration is applied)
🎂Nov 30, 1756 Ernest Florens Friedrich Chladni born in Wittenberg, Germany 🇩🇪
1787: Visualization of vibration patterns (by spreading a uniform layer of sand on a disk, and observing displacement when vibration is applied)
November 30, 2024 at 2:20 AM
#TodayinHistory #dataviz #Onthisday #OTD 📊
🎂Nov 30, 1756 Ernest Florens Friedrich Chladni born in Wittenberg, Germany 🇩🇪
1787: Visualization of vibration patterns (by spreading a uniform layer of sand on a disk, and observing displacement when vibration is applied)
🎂Nov 30, 1756 Ernest Florens Friedrich Chladni born in Wittenberg, Germany 🇩🇪
1787: Visualization of vibration patterns (by spreading a uniform layer of sand on a disk, and observing displacement when vibration is applied)
Reposted by Zack Hawes
"Humans have an incredible ability to think and reason about things they’ve never experienced."
Even very young children are capable of sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving, says @romanfeiman.bsky.social. #Reasoning #ProblemSolving boldscience.org/the-cognitiv...
Even very young children are capable of sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving, says @romanfeiman.bsky.social. #Reasoning #ProblemSolving boldscience.org/the-cognitiv...
The cognitive scientist asking how kids solve problems
Roman Feiman is discovering sophisticated reasoning in young children
boldscience.org
November 28, 2024 at 11:56 AM
"Humans have an incredible ability to think and reason about things they’ve never experienced."
Even very young children are capable of sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving, says @romanfeiman.bsky.social. #Reasoning #ProblemSolving boldscience.org/the-cognitiv...
Even very young children are capable of sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving, says @romanfeiman.bsky.social. #Reasoning #ProblemSolving boldscience.org/the-cognitiv...
Reposted by Zack Hawes
stories.surrey.ac.uk/YoungMindsFo...
Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand the spatial properties of objects such as their size and location, and to visualise objects and problems in the mind. Training children to think and work spatially leads to improvement in mathematics.
Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand the spatial properties of objects such as their size and location, and to visualise objects and problems in the mind. Training children to think and work spatially leads to improvement in mathematics.
gorodenkoff via Getty
stories.surrey.ac.uk
November 28, 2024 at 10:46 AM
stories.surrey.ac.uk/YoungMindsFo...
Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand the spatial properties of objects such as their size and location, and to visualise objects and problems in the mind. Training children to think and work spatially leads to improvement in mathematics.
Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand the spatial properties of objects such as their size and location, and to visualise objects and problems in the mind. Training children to think and work spatially leads to improvement in mathematics.
Reposted by Zack Hawes
The Raincloud Quartet (new pre-print)
All N = 111, M = 0.04, SD = 0.27.
One-sided t-tests vs. 0 yield: t(110) = 1.67, p = .049.
Only raincloud plots reveal the qualitative differences, preventing the drawing of inappropriate conclusions.
How did we create the quartet?
Where are data & code?
🧵👇
All N = 111, M = 0.04, SD = 0.27.
One-sided t-tests vs. 0 yield: t(110) = 1.67, p = .049.
Only raincloud plots reveal the qualitative differences, preventing the drawing of inappropriate conclusions.
How did we create the quartet?
Where are data & code?
🧵👇
November 23, 2024 at 1:17 PM
The Raincloud Quartet (new pre-print)
All N = 111, M = 0.04, SD = 0.27.
One-sided t-tests vs. 0 yield: t(110) = 1.67, p = .049.
Only raincloud plots reveal the qualitative differences, preventing the drawing of inappropriate conclusions.
How did we create the quartet?
Where are data & code?
🧵👇
All N = 111, M = 0.04, SD = 0.27.
One-sided t-tests vs. 0 yield: t(110) = 1.67, p = .049.
Only raincloud plots reveal the qualitative differences, preventing the drawing of inappropriate conclusions.
How did we create the quartet?
Where are data & code?
🧵👇
Reposted by Zack Hawes
The strain on scientific publishing: we set out to characterise the remarkable growth of the scientific literature in the last few years, in spite of declining growth in total scientists. What is going on?
direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub
direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub
November 19, 2024 at 12:27 PM
The strain on scientific publishing: we set out to characterise the remarkable growth of the scientific literature in the last few years, in spite of declining growth in total scientists. What is going on?
direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub
direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A 🧵 1/n
#AcademicSky #PhDchat #ScientificPublishing #SciPub
Reposted by Zack Hawes
Announcing the launch of the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science: oecs.mit.edu! OECS is a freely-available, growing collection of peer-reviewed articles introducing key topics in cogsci to a broad audience of students and scholars.
Open Encylopedia of Cognitive Science
oecs.mit.edu
July 24, 2024 at 8:19 PM
Announcing the launch of the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science: oecs.mit.edu! OECS is a freely-available, growing collection of peer-reviewed articles introducing key topics in cogsci to a broad audience of students and scholars.