Hierarchical data is often observed in education data. Analyzing such data with Multilevel Modeling becomes crucial to understanding the relationship at the individual and group levels. However, one of the most significant problems with this kind of data is small sample sizes and very low Intraclass Correlations. The multivariate Latent Covariate…

Multistage adaptive testing (MST) has become popular in the testing industry because the research has shown that it combines the advantages of both linear tests and item-level computer adaptive testing (CAT). The previous research efforts primarily focused on MST design issues such as panel design, module length, test length, distribution of test…

Virtual Reality (VR) is rapidly gaining popularity as a consumer technology, yet accessibility has not been prioritized. VR enables users to interact with immersive virtual worlds, but effective interaction requires the ability to perceive and navigate the environment. Fortunately, over the past thirty years, hundreds of scene-viewing and…

Teacher preparation programs are ever evolving based on research and student needs. The use of technology, such as virtual reality (VR), is at the forefront of education to help provide opportunities for teacher candidates to practice teaching in a semi-authentic classroom environment of students with and without exceptionalities. VR is a way for…

In this thesis, I use a combination of simulations and empirical data to demonstrate that a small set of structural and functional principles - the basic tenets of predictive coding theory - succinctly accounts for a very wide range of properties in the language processing system. Predictive coding approximates hierarchical Bayesian inference via…

Recently, with the advancement in 2D imaging techniques and 3D visual sensors such as LiDAR, RGB-D cameras, etc. The use of 2D and 3D data is ubiquitous in various fields like autonomous driving, AR, and VR. Therefore, we are faced with an ever-increasing demand for approaches toward the automatic processing and analysis of data from multiple…

The primary purpose of this exploratory multi-case study was to investigate how virtual reality (VR), when utilized as the primary driver of hands-on instruction, could influence the completion of the Experiential Learning Cycle (ELC) for high school level Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors. Specifically, this qualitative study…

The purpose of this study was to increase first-semester Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nursing students' simulation exposure by 50% using the ATI education platform and measure student perceptions of readiness for clinical rotations. This study addressed the research gap of simulation in beginning nursing courses and the impact…

Research suggests that newly graduated nurses lack confidence in caring for deteriorating patients and this lack of confidence could lead to poor patient outcomes. The aim of this project was to examine the effectiveness of a simulation intervention on the confidence level of Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students in caring for deteriorating…

The extent to which an intervention is perceived as socially valid significantly influences whether the intervention is selected, implemented, and maintained (Kern & Manz, 2004). Social skill interventions and evidence-based practices are often ranked with low social validity by adolescents (McCoy et al., 2016). Interventions delivered through…

The topic for this study was police cadet perceptions of learning using video simulators. The main research question for this project was: "How are video simulators perceived by police cadets as a learning method at the police academy?" The participants for this qualitative study were 16 recently graduated police cadets from an anonymous…

Growth mixture modeling (GMM) is a methodological tool used to represent heterogeneity in longitudinal datasets through the identification of unobserved subgroups following qualitatively and quantitatively distinct trajectories in a population. These growth trajectories or functional forms are informed by the underlying developmental theory, are…

Educators and researchers have long contemplated the most effective ways to provide feedback to students, to build sustainable feedback practices, and to establish feedback literacy. While a considerable amount of research, theory, and practical approaches exist to support the effect of formative feedback practices, less research exists on the…

Research has shown that new graduate registered nurses (NGRNs) do not possess the critical thinking skills needed to provide adequate patient care upon entrance into the workforce. Today's healthcare facilities demand that NGRNs possess the critical thinking skills that will allow them to apply their knowledge to patient care situations.…

This dissertation examines the possibilities and anxieties that attend a notion haunting Western thought since at least Kant--that reality itself is a revisable construct, a kind of collective game with social and physical rules that simultaneously delimit and solicit radical interactivity. Investigating experiments in the gamification of reality…