Instructional Research Group

This study investigated a journalistic learning approach in a high school English class within a civic media literacies framework toward civic intentionality. Informed by social-cognitive theory, this study focused on learning if and how the student experience developed (a) motivational factors for student writing, including self-efficacy, belonging, writing anxiety, agentic engagement, metacognitive self-regulation, flow in writing, and intrinsic writing motivation, and (b) cognitive factors for writing, including critical thinking and digital media literacy. The sequential mixed method study used correlations, pre- to post-program change analysis, and the triangulation of qualitative thematic analyses of student focus group and teacher interview data. Results supported most of the expected relationships, suggesting the experience likely contributed to a positive shift in motivational and cognitive factors for writing. Qualitative data highlighted the most impactful parts of the journalistic learning experience, such as interviewing real-world experts for their stories, that increased students’ interest and motivation in writing about real-world issues. The mixed method results build an integrated narrative of students’ agentic, cognitive, and metacognitive development in journalistic skills, reinforcing the importance of interest-driven learning opportunities in writing and autonomy-support in skill development, such as in writing, that brings anxiety to many students.

An XGBoost regression model has been utilized to accurately predict the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity (κ), electrical conductivity (σ), Seebeck coefficient (S), and figure of merit (ZT) of skutterudite materials from 50 to 1000 K. Shapley values, derived from cooperative game theory, were employed to quantify the contributions of various material descriptors, providing valuable insights into the underlying correlations and trade-offs between different features and thermoelectric properties. The analysis revealed crucial factors influencing the thermoelectric performance of skutterudites, including temperature, compositional attributes, electronic configurations, and structural properties. The model predicts a room-temperature ZT of approximately 0.45 for Nd(CoP3)4, a promising thermoelectric material that has not yet been experimentally investigated. In addition, the prediction of half-metallic ferromagnetic behavior in Nd(CoP3)4 by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) with Hubbard corrections has led to the investigation of its thermoelectric properties. At elevated temperatures, a strong correlation was observed between XGBoost predictions and DFT calculations for the σ and S of Nd(CoP3)4. The agreement between predicted and calculated values was less pronounced, though still reasonable, for κ and ZT. By integrating machine learning with fundamental materials science principles, this study paves the way for accelerated discovery and optimization of high-performance thermoelectric materials, contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy technologies and the pursuit of a more energy-efficient future.

ABSTRACT The ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel is characterised by its strong cohesion, unique educational system, and limited adoption of technology. In this study, we examined the viewpoints and motivations of ultra-Orthodox parents regarding the implementation of various learning technologies in elementary schools. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative research to explore the viewpoints of ultra-Orthodox parents with children in elementary schools on the effectiveness of digital learning during emergency conditions. Additionally, qualitative research was conducted to examine parental perceptions of technology in general and its implementation within educational settings, encompassing both everyday routines and periods of crisis. The findings demonstrate that ultra-Orthodox parents’ expressed reservations about almost any form of technology adoption in their children’s elementary schools. There were reservations regarding screen addiction, possible harm to cognitive functions and reservation skills, and exposure to explicit content, violence and ideas that conflict with religious beliefs.

Education should strive to keep pace with the developments of the modern world and to fulfill its mission by not deviating from the principles of ethical and effective learning. In this process, it continues to be tested by unstoppable technological developments. GAI, with both its positive and negative effects, has spread incredibly quickly to every aspect of our lives. This study, which deals with GAI especially in the context of higher education, aims to evaluate the benefits and limitations of GAI on a common ground. In this context, both academicians and university students were asked to express their views on the current situation regarding the use of AI in higher education and their suggestions for the use of AI in higher education. In the study conducted within the framework of qualitative research, semi-structured interview forms prepared by the researchers were answered by 36 university students and 14 academicians. Academicians and students advocated the need for improvement in the use of GAIs, especially in terms of ease of access to information and teaching/learning support. In addition, it was stated that there are ethical problems in use; they stated that it would be important to take precautions and provide general awareness trainings.

Student dialogue is often not spontaneously productive. Teachers can provide guidance, but with multiple small groups to orchestrate, they find it challenging to scale effective guidance. Collaborative Conversational Agents (CCAs) seem to be a promising solution. <br/>This dissertation explores the use of Clair, the "Collaborative learning agent for interactive reasoning," in science learning tasks. Clair aims to facilitate productive student dialogue using "talk moves" based on the Academically Productive Talk (APT) framework. Clair's design incorporates learning analytics, machine learning, and a fuzzy rule-based system to trigger talk moves adaptively. <br/>Three classroom trials involved university student dyads and assessed Clair's effect on dialogue productivity. Findings indicated a significant improvement in two to three of these goals, suggesting Clair's potential to provide effective guidance. Still, the effects on students' perceived productivity and knowledge acquisition could not be detected. To conclude, the dissertation discusses key challenges for evaluating CCAs in education.

Students with disabilities drop out of high school at a higher rate than typically learning students, impacting their short and long-term educational and employment opportunities and making long-term financial stability less likely. In this review, the authors examined the indicators of dropout among students with high-incidence disabilities at the secondary level within correlational literature. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria and suggest two important areas of focus in predicting and preventing dropout: school engagement and restrictive educational placement. Evidence from the literature indicates a significant positive relation between school-engagement and completion of high school and mixed indications for the connection between restrictive educational placement and school completion. The authors discuss implications for future research and practice.

Literacy skills in early childhood contribute to overall academic achievements across the school years. This finding has stimulated research on the best way of supporting children’s literacy development. This thesis sets out to explore the design and effectiveness of an innovative approach for literacy and digital literacy development in early childhood education. The design integrated storytelling as a natural activity within a structured method, the nine events of instruction from Gagné. There are two main phases in the design namely storytelling and follow-up activities. Along with the new activities designs, the project for this thesis also developed a new set of tests focused on assessing early literacy and early digital literacy development. The effectiveness of storytelling activities on children’s (digital) literacy development was assessed in a natural context. Three studies were conducted in public kindergartens (4-6-year-old children) in Surabaya, Indonesia. All studies involved three conditions. In the control condition, the regular literacy lessons were given. In the two experimental groups, the lessons revolved around storytelling. The corresponding follow-up activities were likewise carried out in two ways, oral storytelling, and digital storytelling, under the same story lines. The results indicated that the two storytelling approaches contributed more strongly to literacy and digital literacy development of the children than did the control condition. Of these approaches, the digital storytelling approach consistently but not always significantly provided the best results, making it the preferred approach. This thesis thus provides tentative evidence that a structured storytelling approach that is structurally integrated into the children’s daily activities can enhance their literacy and their digital literacy skills concurrently.

Corpus Delicti is a collection of drawings on 30" × 22" paper. Each is inspired by seeds, which hold quiet, hidden potential for transformation and regeneration. Botanicals are familiar but mysterious in their capacity to enact cycles of birth and death. In nature as in medicine, themes of health, illness, reciprocity, and vulnerability are essential features of participation in these cycles. Patients and clinicians in particular negotiate compassion, respect, and dignity in their relationships and clinical encounters. These drawings offer visual exploration of these and other values.

As the CS for All movement spreads nationwide, it is critical to continue to collect detailed information about students’ learning experiences in order to understand if and how historically underrepresented youth in CS—including students of color, low-income students, and females—are gaining opportunities to feel empowered to pursue CS or incorporate CS into their future learning, personal interests, and/or career pathways. In this poster, we share our working definition of equity that sits at the heart of our our project entitled “Researching Equity, Access, and Learning in CS Education (REAL-CS),” as well as our mission to highlight the voices and experiences of high school students historically underrepresented in CS who have had little to no prior experience with CS. Our poster shares preliminary findings from surveys administered to over 2,000 Los Angeles CS students about their interests and how they see their passions and concerns connected (or not) to computer science. The poster also summarizes our broader research methods—including student interviews and classroom observations conducted in a research-practice partnership where educators and administrators work closely together with the UCLA research team through every stage of the research project, from development of data collection protocols to data analysis. Through this poster we will introduce RESPECT participants to our 3-year research project taking place in CS high school classrooms across Los Angeles, Mississippi, and the Northeast.