About Me

Curious by nature, I like to discover, learn, share and exchange on various topics. I'm intrigued by new technologies, especially in a learning context. As a psychologist, I've always been interested in mental processes and learning. Luckily I combine these two conditions in working at TECFA as a Associate Researcher. By pure chance, I also met people who made me discover the amazing world of learning 3D complex information

Contact Details

Sandra Berney
University of Geneva
TECFA - FAPSE
42, Bld du Pont d'Arve
1205 Geneva - Switzerland

sandra.berney@unige.ch

Education

University of Geneva

PhD in Psychology February 2014

Thesis : Learning complex and 3D objects with animations: Effect of learners' visuo-spatial abilities and design factors.

University of Geneva

M.A. Degree in Cognitive Experimental Psychology August 2006

Smith College (MA - USA)

Diploma in American Studies May 2003

One-year exchange : This program is a unique, competitive, interdisciplinary program including a year of intensive coursework and research in the study of American Society and culture.

Work

Associate Researcher

TECFA - University of Geneva January 2014 - Present

My research focuses on the interplay between spatial abilities and dynamic visualizations in learning contexts. I also participated in a project aiming at training spatial abilities in a 3D environment with hapitc devices More information

Lecturer

BSc in Psychology - 3rd-year course • FAPSE - University of Geneva September 2013 - Present

Lecturer for the course "Perspectives et projets professionnels en psychologie" aiming to help 3rd-year psychology students better identify their professional career plan. More information

E-learning and Research Assistant

Edulap & InForMPsy Project • FAPSE - University of Geneva August 2008 - December 2013

Creation and development of the InForMPsy project (pedagogical innovative project). InForMPsy is a web-based platform providing with more information about the various fields of psychology in a multimedia format. More information


Publications

Berney, S. & Bétrancourt, M. (submitted). Does animation enhance learning? A meta-analysis. Computers & Education.

Berney, S., Bétrancourt, M. (manuscript accepted, in the publication process). Learning three-dimensional anatomical structures with animation. Effect of orientation references and learners' visuo-spatial abilities. In R. Lowe and R. Ploetzner (eds.) Learning from dynamic visualizations: Innovations in research and application.

Berney, S., Groff, J. & Gagnière, L. (2015). Does instructional 3D animation support learning three-dimensional complex information?. Paper submitted for the Conference SSP/SCG 2015. The Future of Psychology, 2015, September 8-9, Geneva, Switzerland. pdf

Berney, S., Desrichard, O., Frauenfelder, U. &, Schneider-El Gueddari, N. (2015). Discovering psychology jobs: a three-year approch. Poster submitted for the Conference SSP/SCG 2015. The Future of Psychology, 2015, September 8-9, Geneva, Switzerland. pdf

Gagnière, L., Berney, S. & Frauenfelder, U. (2015). Career path planning in psychology: 2 pilot academic swiss approches. Paper submitted for the Conference SSP/SCG 2015. The Future of Psychology, 2015, September 8-9, Geneva, Switzerland. pdf

Berney, S. Groff, J., Bétrancourt, M. & Boucheix, J.M. (2015). Extracting pertinent and useful spatial information from an animation of a 3D anatomical structure: an eye-tracking pilot study. Paper submitted for the Biennal Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli), 2015, August 25-29, Limassol, Chyprus. pdf

Berney, S. Haddad, R., Hauck, R. & Gradl, G. (2015). Improving spatial abilities with a 3D immersive environment. A pilot study. Paper submitted for the Biennal Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli), 2015, August 25-29, Limassol, Chyprus. pdf

Groff, J., Berney, S. & Boucheix, J.M. (2015). A pictogram is better than thousand words?. Paper submitted for the Biennal Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli), 2015, August 25-29, Limassol, Chyprus.

Berney, S., Groff, J. & Gagnière, L. (2015). L'animation 3D, un soutien à l'apprentissage d'informations spatiales ? Short paper submitted for the Conference on Environnements Informatiques pour l'Apprentissage Humain (EIAH), 2015, June 2-5, Agadir, Morocco.

Gradl , G., Berney, S., Hauck, R., Haddad Zubel, R., Pape, H.C., Knobe, M. & Pfeifer, R. (2015). Spatial ability training in a 3D immersive environment. A pilot study. Paper submitted for the 16th European Congress of Trauma & Emergency Surgery (ECTES) 2015, May 10-12, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Berney, S., Bétrancourt, M., Molinari, G. & Hoyek, N. (2015). How spatial abilities and dynamic visualizaions interplay when learning functional anatomy with 3D anatomical models. Anatomical Sciences Education. DOI 10.1002/ase.1524. pdf

Berney, S. & Bétrancourt, M. (2014). The role of visuo-spatial abilities in learning three-dimensional anatomical structures from animation. Paper to present at the Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli) Sig 2 Text and comprehension , 2014, August 25-27, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. pdf

Berney, S. (2014). Learning complex information and 3D objects with animation. Effect of learners' visuo-spatial abilities and design factors. Ph.D Thesis. Université de Genève. pdf

Berney, S, Thiriet, P. & Hoyek, N. (2014). Quel rôle pour les supports multimédias dans un contexte d'apprentissage ? De la naissance à la validation scientifique d'une ingénierie pédagogique. In G. Lameul & C. Loisy (Eds.), La pédagogie universitaire à l'heure du numérique. Une intelligibilité à trouver dans l'articulation entre recherché, action et formation (pp. 147 - 156). De Boek, Bruxelles, Belgium. pdf

Berney, S., Molinari, & Bétrancourt, M. (2013). Supporting the processing of 3D objects in different orientations with animation: The case of functional anatomy. Paper presented at the Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli), 2013. August 27-31, Munich, Germany. pdf

Bétrancourt, M., Molinari, G. & Berney, S. (2013). Students' preferences and beliefs regarding visual displays as a component of graphicacy. Paper presented at the Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli), 2013. August 27-31, Munich, Germany. pdf

Bétrancourt, M. & Berney, S. (2011). Animation and Learning. In Norbert Seel (ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, (pp. 1428-1430). Berlin : Springer Science and Business Media.

Berney, S, Molinari, G. Hoyek, N & Bétrancourt, M. (2012). Using 3D animation for learning functional anatomy. Paper presented at the Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli) – SIG 2 Text and comprehension. August 28-31, Grenoble, France. pdf

Berney, S. & Bétrancourt, M. (2009). When and why does animation enhance learning ? A meta-analysis. Paper presented at the 13th Biennal Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (Earli) 2009. August 25-29, Amsterdam, Netherlands. pdf

Glaser, B., Schaer, M., Berney, S., Debbané, M., Vuilleumier, P. & Eliez, S. (2007). Structural changes to the fusiform gyrus: a cerebral marker for social impairments in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome? Schizophrenia Research. pdf

Glaser, B., Debbané, M., Schaer, M., Martinez, S., Berney, S. & Andersson, F. (2006). What can face processing tell us about cognitive and social development in VCFS? Paper presented at the 12th Annual International Scientific Meeting of the Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome Educational Foundation, July 8-9, 2006, Strasbourg, France.

Berney, S. (2006). Gyrus fusiforme et reconnaissance des visages dans le syndrome vélo-cardio-facial. Poster présenté à la 9ème journée de recherche des départements de psychiatrie de Lausanne et Genève, 22 juin 2006, Genève.

Berney, S., Bétrancourt, M. & Rebetez, C. (2005). Effect of verbalization and self-explanation on learning from multimedia instruction. Presentation to the Interlearn 2005 Conference: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Learning, December 1-2, 2005, Helsinki (Finland).

Berney, S. (2005). Etude expérimentale de la verbalisation en situation d'apprentissage multimédia. [Mémoire de licence en psychologie]. Université de Genève, FAPSE, Genève.

Skills

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Research
  • data Analysis
  • Statistics
  • Educational Technology
  • E-learning