Projects

Examples of The Lab Ongoing Research Projects

• Promoting Effectiveness in Intro Chemistry Courses
  • The following suite of projects focuses on building supportive and balanced active learning environments in general chemistry. The first project examines the long-standing effects of COVID on students’ course performances. The second project examines the learning goals and complexity tested on general chemistry assessments. In this process, learning goals for general chemistry I were created, used to tag exam questions with complexity scores, and analyzed across student performance. The third project examines the effects of STEMentors, which is a program designed to support students better navigate the general chemistry course, from the student and mentor perspective.
• Promoting Effectiveness in Intro Mechanical Engineering Courses
  • This study introduces research-based teaching methods to an introductory mechanical engineering design course. We redesigned the course to include preparation for future learning (PFL) and  deliberate practice (DP). Based on DP theory: 1) we designed targeted learning activities for each of the weekly course learning goals, 2) students would receive timely, and specific feedback on their performance in these activities, and 3) they would be provided opportunities to incorporate the feedback for improving their performance. Based on PFL, these learning activities are given to students in workshops in advance of corresponding lectures to prepare students. The workshops are comprised of students in small groups working through a worksheet. During these workshops, the teaching team monitors and answers questions. The learning activities are designed to be novel to not advantage better prepared students due to sheer similarity with previous courses, and to be authentic to engage students regardless of their background or experience level. The effectiveness of the redesign is measured across multiple metrics: 1) A pre- and post-course survey which will measure student self-efficacy in ME and sense of belonging in engineering, 2) a pre- and post-course assessment of student mechanical engineering design competency, 3) student interviews, and 4) the artifacts students produce as part of the class are examined to evaluate their development.
• Access to Higher Education Academic Resources
  • Providing campus resources is critical for advancing opportunities in higher education. We conducted a survey during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to understand how students from different backgrounds 1) use resources, 2) find resources helpful, and 3) experience barriers to using resources. Results do not show significant differences in how students meet with classroom, peer, and advising resources. However, students from first-generation and underrepresented backgrounds use programs and centers more often than continuing-generation students. More work is needed to address first-generation students’ barriers including limited awareness, access, and time. The university can centralize resources and proactively reach out to students to improve effective access for all students.
• Effectiveness in Graduate Training
  • Studying how we can provide effective graduate training for all students.
• Developing Problem-Solving Competencies in STEM with AI-Enhanced Tools
  • This project addresses the gap between textbook exercises and real-world problems in STEM education. Through analysis of student approaches in introductory chemistry and physics courses, we developed STEPS (STEM Tutor for Effective Problem-Solving), an LLM-powered learning tool that presents context-rich problems with targeted scaffolding. Our work demonstrates how educational technology can cultivate authentic problem-solving competencies essential for today's technical fields.
• Exploring the Feasibility of AI-Simulated Patients for Clinical Reasoning Instruction
  • Developing strong clinical reasoning skills requires medical students to engage with complex, real-world patient cases rather than simplified scenarios. Our research investigates how AI-generated patient simulations can support this learning process. We are conducting a feasibility study with 100 medical instructors from LCME-accredited U.S. medical schools to evaluate how Clinical Mind AI can be integrated into clinical education. This study examines the accuracy of AI-simulated patient interactions, the usability of the instructor interface, and the insights instructors need to assess student performance. By exploring these factors, our work contributes to understanding how AI can enhance clinical reasoning instruction and inform the future of medical education.
• Joyful Learning in Higher Education
  • This project explores how joyful learning is defined, operationalized, and implemented in U.S. four-year colleges, focusing on instructors using positive pedagogical approaches with undergraduates. Our findings will inform the development of specialized approaches for neurodivergent adult learners, particularly exploring how online gaming communities can reconnect these learners with educational enjoyment and motivation.