Alan M. Lesgold, Ph.D.
Winner of the Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award 2001

Alan Lesgold received his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University in 1971 and joined the University of Pittsburgh that same year. Until July 2000, he served as executive associate director of Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center. Since then, he has been professor and dean of Pitt's School of Education. Lesgold founded and initially directed Pitt's interdisciplinary doctoral program in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Open University of the Netherlands and is a fellow of the APA Divisions of Experimental Psychology, Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology, and Educational Psychology. He was Secretary/Treasurer of the Cognitive Science Society from 1988 to 1997. And continues to serve on its Board of Governors. In 1995, he was awarded the Educom Medal by Educom and the American Psychological Association for contributions to educational technology.

Lesgold served on the National Research Council Board of Testing and Assessment from 1993 through 1998. He served on two Congressional Office of Technology Assessment advisory panels and was the chair of the Visiting Panel on Research of Educational Testing Service.

Lesgold and colleagues developed a technology of intelligently coached learning-by-doing over the period from 1986 to 1999, with sponsorship by the U. S. Air Force, US WEST, and Intel Corporation. More recently, he and colleagues also developed a technology for supporting rich collaborative engagement of students and professionals with complex issues and complex bodies of knowledge, including professional development for teachers.

Citation

American Psychological Association
Distinguished Contributions of Applications of
Psychology to Education and Training Award 2001
Presented to Alan M. Lesgold, Ph.D.

"If we seek the pioneers who have laid the foundation for our next
generation of instructional practice, those who have advanced what we know
about human cognition, applied that knowledge to enhance learning
environments, and then integrated those capabilities into our
institutions for instruction, we necessarily and inevitably come to
Alan Lesgold. Lesgold's work ranges from basic investigations of human
expertise and task performance to hard-core applications of computer
technology that make individualized, interactive tutorial instruction
accessible and affordable in education, training, and lifelong
learning. His accomplishments testify to the theoretical and
practical power of the profession of psychology and its promise for enhancing human competence and potential."