AutoTutor uses conversational intelligent agents in learning environments. One of the major challenges in developing AutoTutor applications is to assess students' natural language answers to AutoTutor questions. We investigated an AutoTutor dataset with 3358 student answers to 49 AutoTutor questions. In comparisons with human ratings, we found…

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental pilot study of the impacts of a high school teacher professional development (PD) series. The 10-session series, "Engaging High School Students in Academic Work," was designed to equip teachers to deepen students' learning and engagement and thereby increase course-passing rates. The study took…

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented education equity crisis in California. K-12 schools continue to remain closed and it is yet unclear if they will re open in the fall. Similarly, the University of California and California's Community Colleges have not yet announced a systemwide decision, but the California State University's…

This mixed-methods phenomenological study explored teacher perception and the phenomenon of general education teachers' lived experiences regarding the intricacies involved with assigning homework to diagnosed dyslexic students. Seven third and fourth grade general education teachers gave their perceptions, strategies, and experiences of assigning…

This study examined student, professor, and employer perceptions of how reward for effort expended and meeting task performance criteria should be factored into college grades and employment compensation. The sample consisted of students, faculty, and employers. Participants completed a survey assessing perceptions of effort and performance in…

This multicase study explores students' understandings about revision in the light of successive findings that they typically revise their texts little and at superficial levels. Students' limited revising has been variously explained, both in terms of cognitive-metacognitive factors and restrictive school models. Few studies, however, have…

The lagging behind of underrepresented minority (URM) students in higher education, and particularly in the STEM fields, is well documented. In this paper we draw on critical race theory in education to frame and present counter-narratives of URM students in STEM fields, to explicate the function of the interactions that occur between these…

This study explored high school teachers' perceptions of the effects of standards-based grading (SBG) on planning, instruction, assessment, classroom management, and student behaviors. Findings indicated that despite some infidelity and an initial implementation dip, systemic (SBG) changes made teaching clearer, more purposeful, and more conducive…

Employers have continually indicated that writing instruction is much needed in higher education across all majors. It has become more imperative now than before to better prepare our graduates for professional success in an age of increasing writing necessity, data analytics and reporting, and technical sophistication. Writing assessment in a…

Online learning is experienced by students and instructors at many universities, and enrollment has continued to increase in recent years (Legon & Garrett, 2017; Legon & Garrett, 2018). Several researchers have identified elements of instructor presence or the various roles instructors play in courses (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer,…

U.K. higher education research routinely pinpoints the racialized nature of academic performance, but it often fails to even consider if racism contributes to such a pervasive racial or ethnic disparity. While research in the area often focuses on comparing the attainment of home white and ethnic minority students, little attention is given to the…

Speaking in public involves three parts: an act, a process, and art; however, stage fright is a common dilemma for students across all proficiency levels and cultural orientations. In this paper, some critical factors of successful public speaking affecting both students' self-scoring and the professor's grading of in-class presentations were…

Containing all of the practical tools needed to put theory into practice, "STEM for All" by Leena Bakshi McLean provides a roadmap for teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders to better understand the challenges that create low engagement and scores in STEM subjects and implement exciting and culturally relevant teaching plans. This…

In this note, I argue for and discuss my experiences with explicitly incorporating principles of critical and creative thinking in a transitions course which serves mathematics, mathematics education, and statistics majors. I describe several specific assignments and classroom tasks designed to enhance critical and creative thinking. I also…

Standards-based grading has been researched for years, but the research has not focused on the impact it had on intermediate elementary aged students and their mathematical achievement. This quantitative research study examined the impact standards-based grading had on intermediate elementary age students in math, as well as the impact it had on…