The current study compares estimates of peer influence from an analytic approach that explicitly address network processes with those from traditional approaches that do not. Using longitudinal network data from the PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience peers project, we obtain estimates of social influence on…

This study examined the use of sentence-level support software as a tool to encourage students' belief in their ability to write. The research originates from prior research in the field of educational psychology that suggest beliefs in one's abilities are often formulated by successful experiences and that learning is developed through conscious…

This paper describes the development and evaluation of Interaction Competence Elicitor (ICE), a spoken dialog system (SDS) for the delivery of a paired oral discussion task in the context of language assessment. The purpose of ICE is to sustain a topic-specific conversation with a test taker in order to elicit discourse that can be later judged to…

Iowa Wesleyan University (IW) has historically struggled with both assessment and supporting online students. Newly-appointed librarians and an impending re-accreditation visit prompted an increase in involvement and presence with assessment. In an attempt to expand the library's influence on campus, librarians took on a nontraditional role in the…

Spatial-Temporal Math (ST Math) is game-based, instructional software for K-12 students created by the MIND Research Institute (MIND). ST Math is integrated into classroom instruction, but can also be used in a computer lab or at home. The ST Math software games begin without language and symbol abstractions by posing math programs as purely…

One goal of Extension is to provide practical information that makes a difference to producers. Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software (CHAPS) has provided beef producers with production benchmarks for 30 years, creating a large historical data set. Many such large data sets contain useful information but are underutilized. Our goal was to create…

School leaders around the world navigate a learning environment where most students have (or soon will have) ubiquitous access to an Internet-connected device. As a result, districts have implemented acceptable use policies (AUPs) to address the ways that students are using those technologies. In this study, we analyzed the AUPs of 75 one-to-one…

An increasing number of studies on the use of tools for automated writing evaluation (AWE) in writing classrooms suggest growing interest in their potential for formative assessment. As with all assessments, these applications should be validated in terms of their intended interpretations and uses. A recent argument-based validation framework…

This paper is based on a presentation made at NADE 2016, in Anaheim, California, entitled "Turnitin--An Extraordinary Teaching and Feedback Tool in the Writing Classroom" which discussed the value and benefits of using Turnitin (TII), a subscription-based software/website available to universities that serves as an audio-visual feedback…

Data and information are important components of school improvement. They show how schools are changing and how students are progressing. Providing and interpreting data is one of the critical functions of the Iowa Department of Education. The annual Condition of Education report provides valuable data about students, educators and school…