Jennifer Cross

Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University

Papers

10

Total Citations

177

H-Index

7

About

Jennifer Cross is a leading researcher in K-12 STEM education, specializing in broadening participation in technology through creative, arts-integrated robotics. Her central contribution is the development and dissemination of the **Arts & Bots** program, a craft-based robotics platform that combines creative materials with programming to make technological fluency accessible to all students, particularly those traditionally underserved by technical electives. Cross’s work demonstrates that integrating robotics into non-technical subjects—such as English, health, and social studies—can engage a more diverse range of learners. Her most cited paper (44 citations) outlines techniques for scaling this program across K-12 classrooms, while subsequent work (32 and 27 citations) details the visual programming environment and teacher professional development models essential for transdisciplinary implementation. Notably, she developed a validated assessment tool (20 citations) to measure middle school students’ attitudes toward robotics, providing crucial evidence of the program’s impact. Cross has also pioneered the **Flutter** robotics kit for elementary students and explored reinforcement learning for K-12 audiences. Her cumulative work, with over 175 citations, has reshaped how engineering and computing are introduced in schools, emphasizing equity, creativity, and integration across the curriculum.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

7
H-Index
10
Papers
177
Total Citations
18
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Arts & Bots: Techniques for distributing a STEAM robotics program through K-12 classrooms
44 citations · 2013
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2016 (3 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 21
🏛 Institutions: Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts University

Top Papers

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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 13 days ago