Research

• Observations for blended courses – what we’re learning

  One of the most exciting times for a researcher (I think) is beginning to analyze data. At this stage, you get a first peek into what your research is finding and hints at what broader patterns may be uncovered. We’re at that stage in EDLI’s blended courses grant. Blended courses, or those that take place…

  Rachel Szczytko

  August 19, 2025

  hybrid, Research

• Observations for blended courses – why we do them 

  Researchers are often observing the world around them, but what’s the difference between an everyday observation and a scientific observation used in research? Observations, or first-hand eyewitness accounts, have been utilized in research since the 1920s (Flick, 2014; Schwandt, 2014). Even though collecting visual data is not a new technique, it can still be an…

  Rachel Szczytko

  August 12, 2025

  hybrid, Research

• EDLI at 2025 Spring TALKS: Sharing Innovations in Teaching and Learning 

  The EDLI team participated in 2025 Spring TALKS, presenting a range of projects that reflect our commitment to inclusive, evidence-based, and technology-enhanced teaching. Across two days of presentations, EDLI team members shared tools, research findings, and frameworks that support teaching, ranging from midsemester feedback systems to generative AI for neurodivergent support, and a campus-wide view…

  Min Zhuang

  June 6, 2025

  AI, Midsemester, Presentations, Research

• Reframing AI in Higher Education: From Savior to Advocate

  Neurodivergent students are enrolling in higher education at increasing rates internationally. Therefore, it is important to understand how new educational innovations can be used to support neurodivergent learners. Once such innovation is artificial intelligence (AI). AI programs have proliferated across higher education in recent years, especially with the advent of ChatGPT. AI tools can be…

  Richard Marks

  March 18, 2025

  accessibility, AI, Research

• Teaching Technical Writing with AI: A Study on ChatGPT’s Strengths and Limitations

  The EDLI team recently completed an applied study examining ChatGPT’s role in technical writing education. This study investigates ChatGPT’s potential as both a way of modeling technical writing and a tool for critique. Students’ observations from the study noted that ChatGPT-generated instructions were well-structured and easy to follow but often lacked the detail, audience awareness,…

  Imari Cheyne Tetu

  March 12, 2025

  AI, Research

• Beginning My Dissertation Research: Recruiting Interview Participants at BMCC

  After months of preparation, refining my research questions, and navigating the IRB process, I’m excited to share that I am officially beginning data collection for my dissertation! This milestone marks the start of an in-depth exploration of online course design quality at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), with Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) as my…

  Sarah Wellman

  February 25, 2025

  collaboration, online learning, Quality Matters, Research

• Navigating the IRB Process for Generative AI Research

  Figure: The IRB Process for Generative AI Research. This figure may be shared and used freely with proper attribution to the creator. When I embarked on my research project analyzing student surveys using ChatGPT, I knew I needed to go through the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. My goal was to explore whether ChatGPT—or any…

  Hala Sun

  February 21, 2025

  AI, generative AI, IRB, Research

• Celebrating our Unfunded Grants

  By Caitlin Kirby, Associate Director of Research & Interim EDLI co-Director I was trained as a graduate student to embrace failure as an expected part of my professional career. That training embodied itself in the outfit I wore for my dissertation defense in 2019. I made a skirt out of a selection of rejection letters…

  Caitlin Kirby

  February 7, 2025

  grants, Research

• Report: Year One of IUSE Grant Improving Learning Outcomes & Equity in Blended Learning

  Recently, EDLI completed our first year running a National Science Foundation (NSF) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) grant that focuses on improving learning outcomes and equity in blended online and face-to-face learning. Caitlin Kirby is the PI of this grant, along with collaborator Casey Henley as co-PI, and Scott Schopieray and Stephen Thomas serving as…

  Caitlin Kirby

  December 2, 2024

  hybrid, Research

• The “R” (Research) and “E” (Evaluation) of our Work: Insights from the 2024 EDLI Fall Retreat

  On October 22, 2024, the EDLI team members gathered for the 2024 Fall Retreat, where discussions centered around our ongoing work on Research, Evaluation, and Implementation (REI). A key focus of our session was to unpack the differences between research (R) and evaluation (E), an important distinction that has continuously shaped how we approach our…

  Hala Sun

  November 4, 2024

  evaluation, implementation, REI, Research