Gabrielle Strouse

Gabrielle Strouse is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychology in Education at the University of South Dakota. She is an active member of the Science of Learning Research Group and the Center for Brain and Behavior Research. Her academic career spans over a decade with extensive contributions to child development and educational psychology.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2011
• M.S. in Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2007
• B.A. in Psychology, Northwestern University, 2003

Dr. Strouse's primary research focuses on young children's learning from media, particularly examining how and when children struggle to learn from different media formats (books, videos, apps) and identifying methods to support this learning. She also investigates how children transfer information from learning contexts to new situations. Her expertise spans early childhood research, cognitive development, and media psychology, with strong methodological training in statistics and research design. Her work bridges developmental psychology with practical educational applications, particularly in the digital age where children increasingly interact with various media forms.

Her research output shows a clear trajectory examining children's interactions with digital media, with recent work expanding to include video chat interactions across generations, particularly during the pandemic. Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on how media format affects learning outcomes, with increasing attention to the social context of media use and the role of adult-child interactions in mediating learning from media.

Scientific Awards:

• Professor of the Game, 2024
• President's Award for Research Excellence, Established Faculty or Staff, University of South Dakota, 2023
• 2023 Faculty Excellence Award - Research, School of Education
• 2021 Faculty Excellence Award - Research, School of Education
• 2017 Faculty Excellence Award - Research, School of Education

Dr. Strouse has secured numerous research grants, demonstrating her ability to translate theoretical questions into funded research projects. Her current projects include examining the use of large language models in rural education, enhancing caregiver-child language during e-book reading, and studying video chat interactions between children and grandparents. She actively collaborates with colleagues across institutions, as evidenced by her extensive publication record with multiple co-authors. Her work has practical implications for educators, parents, and developers of children's media.

As a member of the Science of Learning Research Group and the Center for Brain and Behavior Research at USD, Dr. Strouse contributes to interdisciplinary efforts examining how children learn in various contexts. Her research team appears to include graduate students and collaborators who work on projects related to children's media use, learning transfer, and digital literacy development.