I have had the privilege of collaborating with other graduate students in group projects at the University of Tennessee.
EDPY 574: Facilitating Change in Organizational Environments
(Artifact of Evidence of Collaboration in the Field)
In EDPY 574, Facilitating Change in Educational Environments, I worked with my peers in a group of four to develop a proposal for a mode of change for incoming undergraduate students at state universities to assist with matriculation, inclusion, and adapting to a new environment. We titled our proposal Connection Lab: ConnectED FY (First Year) Collective.
Our objective with this proposal: The transition to higher education represents a critical developmental period for young adults and is associated with elevated rates of depression and anxiety among first-year college students. Although overall undergraduate retention in the United States has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Generation Z students continue to exhibit high dropout rates, particularly during the first year. Empirical evidence indicates that social support positively influences academic engagement, both directly and through its effects on life satisfaction and academic motivation. Accordingly, institutions can improve retention and student outcomes by implementing structured, inclusive support systems that foster meaningful interactions among peers, faculty, and upper-level students during the first-year transition.
Our proposal is available as a PDF document:
Slideshow used in presentation:
Our group presentation to the class involved presentations by all four group members in July of 2025 during the final class meeting. This recording was made by me, recording my screen on my end in Zoom. My apologies if it is a less-than-seamless viewing experience.
This project, the proposal, slideshow, and presentation demonstrates skills demonstrated my skills in designing, implementing, evaluating, and managing educational technologies, applying pedagogy, and using research to improve learning and performance.
AECT Standards:
- AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): My group and I demonstrated the knowledge necessary to create, use, assess, and manage theoretical and practical applications of educational technologies and processes.
- AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): My group and I developed as reflective practitioners and were able to demonstrate effective implementation of educational technologies and processes based on contemporary content and pedagogy.
- AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge and Skills): My group and I designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated technology-rich learning environments within a supportive community of practice.
- AECT Standard 5 (Research): My group and I explored, evaluated, synthesized, and applied methods of inquiry to enhance learning and improve performance.
ESM 533: Program Evaluation I
(Artifact of Evidence of Collaboration in the Field)
For ESM 533, Program Evaluation I, my group and I formulated a proposal for evaluating the learning programs of elementary school teachers in public schools in Tennessee who were using the IXL online program for math skills instruction.
Our Objective with this proposal: This evaluation will focus on IXL’s implementation in K-6 mathematics classrooms. IXL offers an extensive math curriculum and analytics that promise to help teachers differentiate instruction and students master skills at their own pace.
Our proposal is available as a PDF document:
Our group presentation to the class involved presentations by all four group members in a pre-recorded video to the class discussion forum in December 2025.
This project, the proposal, slideshow, and presentation demonstrates skills demonstrated my skills in designing, implementing, evaluating, and managing educational technologies, applying pedagogy, and using research to improve learning and performance.
AECT Standards:
- AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): My group and I demonstrated the knowledge necessary to create, use, assess, and manage theoretical and practical applications of educational technologies and processes.
- AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): My group and I developed as reflective practitioners and were able to demonstrate effective implementation of educational technologies and processes based on contemporary content and pedagogy.
- AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge and Skills): My group and I designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated technology-rich learning environments within a supportive community of practice.
- AECT Standard 5 (Research): My group and I explored, evaluated, synthesized, and applied methods of inquiry to enhance learning and improve performance.