Due to the propensity of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to seek predictability, socially assistive robots (SARs) can serve as an efficient medium during ASD treatment (or as a treatment modality itself). Furthermore, a SAR can be an efficient tool for bridging the social gap between the therapist and a client. Because SARs need to…

In a youth-oriented culture, individuals in midlife who are facing 30-40 years of life after full-time employment are redefining retirement. As people are healthier, living longer, and desire to contribute to society in meaningful ways, college and university administrators have the opportunity to create innovative programs that align with…

The purpose of this study was to understand special education (SPED) teachers' creativity as they integrated new technologies to teach autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) learners during the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdowns of schools in the U.S. The theoretical orientation was the componential theory of creativity (CTC), which identifies components…

The integration of behavioral sensing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increasingly proven invaluable across various domains, offering profound insights into human behavior, enhancing mental health monitoring, and optimizing workplace productivity. This thesis presents five pivotal studies that employ smartphone, wearable, and laptop-based…

The increasingly competitive global environment has made continuous innovation vital for survival. In education, teachers' innovative behaviors have become crucial, as successful reforms depend on their effective implementation. Teachers are central to student success, but constraints on their ability to innovate can negatively impact learning…

The typical middle school in the United States is designed for superficial learning rather than deeper learning, compliance rather than engagement. This study sought to understand and develop problem-based learning (PBL), student choice, and community partnerships to increase deeper learning. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of…

The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to a type of online education adopted with startling speed and a scale never before seen. The educational community adopted the term "emergency remote teaching" to distinguish this type of online teaching from carefully planned virtual instruction. The problem addressed in this study was emergency remote…

Little has changed about the physical properties of public schooling in the United States since the industrial revolution--desks, rows, and teachers at the front of the room (McCoy, 2007). Foote (2019) has argued there is no better way to create a more modern learning space than to do a complete redesign. Given the dramatic redefinition of…

For my dissertation requirement, I conducted two research projects, collaborating with my dissertation advisor on both projects. In my first project, I employed a phenomenology methodology to investigate how teachers' professional needs, practices, and motivations align with the goals of the professional learning community to enhance teacher…

Adaptive tutoring systems often model student knowledge in ways that break away from a "one size fits all" approach to learning. Nonetheless, the strengths of these systems can often be limited, as knowledge representations are not easily interpreted by teachers, which make these systems difficult to integrate into pedagogical practices.…

This qualitative, phenomenological study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts lesson design for teachers at a school district in southeast Texas. As generative AI becomes more integrated into education, this research investigates how AI tools influence teachers' abilities to create dynamic, differentiated, and effective lesson plans.…

This three-article dissertation explores educational innovation in charter schools. A common frame of reference for each article is the consideration of the influence of Dr. Benjamin Bloom's 2 sigma problem--the observation that one-on-one tutoring, though often cost prohibitively expensive, produces outcomes two standard deviations higher than…

Though art education and creative placemaking are two established fields within the arts and culture ecosystem, very little research examines the intersections of these two domains. Specifically, a gap exists in practitioner voices to share their practical knowledge and experiences in the field. This study is an investigation of intersections…

In recent years, community colleges have been facing a complex set of challenges in a fast-moving economic environment aggravated by declining student populations and reduced government funding. These external threats have encouraged some college leaders to look at alternatives ways to reduce or eliminate the impact of those challenges on their…

Today's American public schools are expected to promote deeper learning and cultivate 21st-century skills in order to achieve equity and excellence for all students. Yet these goals, and the intellectually ambitious instruction they demand, fall far from the status quo of the schools most students attend, particularly in high-poverty school…