The dissertation consists of three studies that are the process of designing, developing, and evaluating generative-AI-powered story-authoring platforms for children. The first study focuses on the formative study on how stakeholders in education (i.e., teachers, parents, and students) perceive and leverage generative AI platforms (i.e., ChatGPT…

The push to teach coding in schools continues to gain momentum. Coding helps students develop skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity, as well as improve overall academic performance. However, students with disabilities often face challenges in areas such as problem-solving, mathematics, and multistep reasoning when learning…

Academic writing courses are critical in higher education. However, they often rely on directive measures, or "shoves," that impose rigid guidelines, high-stakes assessments, and punitive consequences. These approaches, such as inflexible deadlines and harsh grading penalties, can increase student anxiety, disengagement, and surface…

Debates surrounding the use of data science in educational AI are frequently rather entrenched, revolving around commercial models and talk of teacher replacement. This article explores the potential for digital textual analysis within humanities and social science education, advocating for a sociologically-driven approach that complements, rather…

Research has revealed that online writing instructors use a variety of instructional methods in class to improve student learning experiences. However, current research has not addressed rural students' learning experiences with connectivism in an online composition course. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore what, if any,…

Historical reasoning, as a disciplinary literacy, aims to develop higher-order thinking in addition to depth of historical knowledge beyond the textbook and memorization of facts. It teaches students to use information across multiple sources to contextualize and corroborate historical accounts, constructing an informed yet critical interpretation…

Writing is the highest form of thinking, as evidenced by neuroimaging that shows how more neural networks are activated simultaneously during writing than during any other cognitive activity. This book will help teachers understand how the brain learns to write by unveiling 15 stages of thinking that underpin the writing process, along with…

This new edition of the bestseller "Reading, Writing, and Talk" responds to the urgent need for creating language and literacy pathways that are inclusive, intentional, and center wholeness and belonging. The authors explain, show, and offer critical reflections on the development, teaching, and learning of reading, writing, and talk…

This research explores the impact of ChatGPT, an AI tool, on ESL students' writing proficiency at a Saudi Arabian university. Using a mixed-methods approach, data from 130 students showed a significant positive effect on their writing. A focus group interview with six students highlighted opportunities such as personalized feedback, language skill…

In an attempt to increase writing center attendance and overall retention, a social media strategy was put into place in the Spring 2019 semester at Edward Waters College, an HBCU in Jacksonville, FL, and continued through the summer. In this case study, the choice of social media platforms is considered, including what platforms the Writing…

Writing at school start is critical for students' literacy development but student composition is often undervalued in early education classrooms and understudied by literacy researchers. To address such needs, this mixed methods, sequential survey study investigated how writing practices are enacted in the fall semester of Norwegian 1st grade…

Despite the early emergence of oral argumentation, written argumentation is slow to develop, insensitive to alternative perspectives, and generally of poor quality. These findings are unsettling because high quality argumentative writing is expected throughout the curriculum and needed in an increasingly competitive workplace that requires…

Walter Benjamin (1936) provocatively suggests that art is an object consumed in a state of concentration. That is, you give yourself over to the artwork in a conscious decision to contemplate it deeply. John Dewey (1934) argues that art requires long periods of activity and reflection, and it comes only to those absorbed in observing experience. I…

This symposium enacts a debate over a high-stakes question for writing studies: How does standardization within and across writing programs enable or constrain our democratic aspirations? It includes: (1) "Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Assessment " (Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein); (2) "Assessment, Coherence, and…

The resiliency of literacy clinics was tested during 2020-2021, as many pivoted from in-person (F2F) to online or 3-way remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. University-based literacy clinics advance teacher education, provide services to K-12 students who may need instructional support, and are a laboratory for research. The purpose…