Centers and Labs

The College of Information is home to a number of research centers and labs, including:

Research Centers

Data Science & Industry Innovation Center
Data Science & Industry Innovation (DSII) Center is a interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration among faculty and students in the College of Information at UNT for strengthening related academic programs in the undergraduate and graduate levels. The research and industry collaboration in the center will help attract the very best students to UNT. 

Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning (IITTL)
The Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning (IITTL), housed at the University of North Texas is chartered by the UNT Council of Deans to conduct research and implement best practices in the area of teaching and learning with technology.

Texas Center for Educational Technology
TCET was legislatively established in 1988 after a competitive grant process between all the major universities in Texas. TCET is a nationally recognized center in research and development of educational technology. Over the past years, TCET has drawn millions of funds to meet the growing needs of technology support in education and has partnered with state and national agencies, universities, businesses, and schools. The mission of TCET to provide national, state-level and regional support in technology-based collaborative efforts; prepare future educators and technology professionals to advance knowledge of technology tools and applications; and to create and facilitate collaborations across regional, national, multi-state, and international initiatives centering on the use of technology in the workplace. TCET focuses on projects and collaborations based on how people learn, think, and create. The research map for the future of TCET is always expanding outward to new places and ideas.  

Research Laboratories

Data Innovation Lab
Our lab is interested in applying/developing novel interdisciplinary research methods to tackle data-driven problems and exploring data-driven methodology in evidence-based information science research and practice.

Data Visualization Extreme Reality (DVXR) Lab  
The Data Visualization and Extreme Reality (DVXR) Lab provides visualization solutions for a wide range of data sets in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and interactive environment. 

Intelligent Information Access (IIA) Lab
Intelligent Information Access (IIA) explores effective and efficient methods for access, interaction, and analysis of large, distributed, heterogeneous, multimedia and sometimes multilingual information.  The IIA Lab conducts cutting-edge research and development in cross-language information access, multimedia retrieval, information filtering, social network analysis, as well as user interaction issues.

Multiple Literacies Lab
The purpose of the Multiple Literacies Lab is to enable the acquisition of multiple literacy skills through research and evidence-based practice.

SURGE Lab is a University of North Texas research lab dedicated to advancing research in VR, AR, MR, and XR.  

Team Science (TSci) is a multidisciplinary field that concentrates on the interpersonal, intrapersonal, organizational, physical, environmental, technological, societal, and political contextual factors in the workplace. Team Science touches on the collaborative functioning of teams and small groups in the workplace, often involving cross-disciplinary and cross-functional groups.

Visual Thinking Laboratory (VTL)
The Visual Thinking Laboratory is a collection of scholars exploring the ways humans interact with the territory at the juncture of image and meaning. Laboratory members include teachers, researchers, students, information scientists, artists, philosophers, filmmakers, computer scientists, behavior analysts, photographers and others.  The Visual Thinking Laboratory weaves together the ideas, talents and abilities of these researchers to create a unique body of work.


Archive


3D Learning Environment Research Lab was established in 2003 to promote research into 3D online learning environments. The 3D Lab is looking into how 3D environments impact learning and how such technology can be deployed into educational settings. 3D environment creates a context or scaffolding for interaction using 3D presentations to engage and/or immerse the student into a situation for learning.

Advanced Research Laboratory serves the doctoral students, as well as all CECS students and faculty, in their pursuit of high-quality research. The R&D Lab offers several services for faculty and staff to assist in achieving their academic goals in the areas of Learning Technologies, Instructional Technology, and technology-based Learning Systems. The lab is located in room G150, at the Discovery Park in Denton, Texas.

Center for Knowledge Solutions (CKS)
The Center enables our constituents to implement knowledge solutions for improving their organizational systems.  We empower scholars and scholar-practitioners to make evident-based decisions that optimize learning and performance systems to improve organizational knowledge.

Computational Neuropsychology and Simulation (CNS) Lab: The CNS Lab aimed to produce well-trained scientists devoted to the continuous development of an empirical knowledge base in Computational Social Science, Neuropsychology, Clinical XR, Cyberpsychology, and Human-Computer Interactions. Students are prepared for employment in academic and industry settings. The CNS Lab used novel technologies (brain-computer interfaces, VR/AR/XR, video games/serious games, Clinical XR) and novel data analytics (neuroinformatics; neural nets; machine learning) for assessment/training of social, neurocognitive, and affective functions. Students training in the lab focus on the following: Teleneuropsychology, Virtual Environment Grocery Store (VEGS) and Virtual School Environment.

The iCenter for Affective Neurotechnologies (iCAN) at UNT's Discovery Park is a multidisciplinary center (with 6 interdisciplinary labs) that integrates computational social neuroscience, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, learning technologies, biomedical AI, and simulation technologies (video games, VR, AR, XR) for novel assessment, modeling, and training of neurocognitive, affective, and social processes.

Information for Research and Analysis (IRA) Lab
The mission of the Information Research and Analysis Lab is to foster innovation and advancement in design, analytics, and the execution of high caliber research.  The IRA lab strives to bring cutting edge rigor and insight to the research process and methodologies.

Joint Research Laboratory (JoReL) was established in 2014 by a supplemental Memorandum of Agreement between the University of North Texas (UNT) and East China Normal University (ECNU). The purpose of JoReL is to conduct collaborative research activities that include but are not limited to: (a) co-development of mobile learning applications, (b) cooperative data collection and analysis, (c) shared use of facilities, laboratories and equipment, (d) faculty and student exchanges, (e) collaborative teaching and research, (f) coordinated grant applications, (g) co-organized meetings and seminars, (h) co-authored publications and presentations. The ECNU Director of JoReL is Prof. Xiaoqing Gu, Dean of the Department of Educational Information Technology at East China Normal University. The UNT Co-Directors of JoReL are Prof. J. Michael Spector and Assoc. Prof. Lin Lin in the Department of Learning Technologies (LT) at UNT.

Technology and Applied Research in Autism (TARA) Lab
TARA is an exploratory, research-driven, hands-on laboratory designed to support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in grades K-6.