Schedule: Friday, March 7
8:00-8:30 AM Check-in & Breakfast
South Lobby & O’Leary Learning Center (Room 10) [Main Zoom Room]
Check-in at the South Lobby and then head to the O’Leary Learning Center (Room 10) in the basement for complimentary breakfast.
8:30-9:45 AM Opening & Keynote
Room 2 [Main Zoom Room]
Dr. Chrystalla Mouza, Dean of the College of Education, will start the conference with a welcoming message. Then, Dr. JooYoung Seo, Professor in the School of Information Sciences, will give a keynote address titled “Multimodal Learning for an Inclusive Future: From Personal Journey to Accessible Innovation.”
10:00-11:00 AM Roundtable Session 1
Presenters will give a 2–3 minute elevator pitch, followed by informal discussion with audience members. Roundtables will feature research projects at any stage of development, including literature reviews or emerging ideas.
Cultural Responsiveness in Education
Room 176 | [Track A]
Faculty Discussant: Kristen Driscoll
Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson
- Cultural Relevance in the Classroom: Early Elementary Educators Discuss their Selection and Use of Diverse and Inclusive Literature - Katherine Davenport
- The Impact of African-Centered Education: Identity, Self-Esteem, and Academic Achievement of African American Middle School Students - Lutha Maura
- Gamification in Culturally Responsive Classrooms: A Case Study for Pre-Service Teacher Training - Xinyue Zhou, Yesim Akar Hozman
Holistic Approaches to Student Well-Being
Room 333 | [Track B]
Faculty Discussant: Stephanie Toliver
Student Moderator: Cigdem Yurekli
- Mental Health Supports in Elementary Classrooms - Elizabeth Walters
- Social-Emotional Competence Coaching for BIPOC Early Childhood Teachers: A Mixed-Method Study - Casey Kim
- Basic Needs Insecurity in K-12 Schools: Addressing Food and Resource Access - Amanda Randolph
Empowering Educators and Learners
Room 288-A | [Track C]
Faculty Discussant: Paul Bruno
Student Moderator: Lan Ahn Hoang
- Addressing Language Anxiety in EFL Classrooms: Building Teacher Competence for Multilingual Inclusivity - Martin Lehrer
- Pedagogical Agent Toolkit: Empowering ESL Teachers with A.I. Tools - Samuel Hum
- Self-Determined Student as Cofounding Factor in Teaching Research - Joan Nugroho
Educational Technology and Innovation
Room 398 | [Track D]
Faculty Discussant: Robb Lindgren
Student Moderator: Emily Hall
- Leveraging Technology in Early Intervention: Using VR to Coach Caregivers of Young Children with Communication Needs - Maryana Al Tobi
- Ethical Dilemmas of Technology Leaders in Schools - Ashish Gaur
- Big Ten Universities' Website Discourse on the Future of Education - Minjoo Chong
Social Studies Education
Room 10-I | [Track E]
Faculty Discussant: Mirelsie Velázquez
Student Moderator: Samuel Kumi
- Civic Identity and Voting Behavior - Phillip Foster
- Teaching the Korean War through Community Engagement - Lisa Ryou
- Human-Centered Design and Modern Slavery Education: A Collaborative Online Course - Joey Shepherd
11:10 AM–12:10 PM Roundtable Session 2
Presenters will give a 2–3 minute elevator pitch, followed by informal discussion with audience members. Roundtables will feature research projects at any stage of development, including literature reviews or emerging ideas. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].
Identity and Reflection [Track A] Room 176
Faculty Discussant: Cherie M. Avent
Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson
When to Clip: Analysis of Self-Selected Responsive Teaching Video Clips in High School Mathematics Classrooms - Eugene Cox
Language Policy of Youth Group Ministry in a Korean Church in the Midwest - Hye-in Yang
Breaking Barriers: Experiences of Asian Graduate Students as Transnational Mothers/Caregivers - Diana Purwaningrum, Triubaida Maya Ardianti
Pedagogical Strategies [Track B] Room 333
Faculty Discussant: Mari Altschuler
Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth
Measuring Higher Education Instructor Inclusive Pedagogy: A Systematic Review - Mikayla Strasser
Embedded Ethics in Engineering - Joseph Tibbs
Personal as Pedagogical: A Teacher Sharing Her Stories for Critical Connections with Classroom Texts and Students - Gautam Bisht
Equity and Access in Education [Track C] Room 288-A
Faculty Discussant: Rachel Roegman
Student Moderator: Jerry Walls
East Meets West: Integrating Cultural Identities in Academic Settings - Kshitij Tewari, Zhiyue Lu
Understanding Experiences among First Generation to College Students’ Access to Social Capital in their Pursuit of Potential College Enrollment - Daniel Miller
Educational Leadership and Policies [Track D] Room 398
Faculty Discussant: Osly J. Flores
Student Moderator: Haeryun Kim
Advertising Curriculum and the Integration of Regulations, Laws & Policies that Support Inclusive Design - Marisa Peacock
“Being a Leader, a Good Leader, is Tough.” Service Coordinator Supervisors in Early Intervention? - Kelly Fulton
Dismantling the Iron Cage of Neoliberalism: Critical Economic Literacy for Teachers in the Promotion of Critical Global Citizenship Education - Cat Ho
Women High School Principals: Perspectives on Navigating and Negotiating their Gendered Role - Anne Allegretti
Culturally Grounded Educational Research [Track E] Room 10-I
Faculty Discussant: Hyun-Sook Kang
Student Moderator: Samuel Kumi
Reframing Education Modality: Examining the New Art School Modality and Black Leadership in Education - Haerim Lee
Through the Lens of “Iyagi”: Korean/Korean American Parents’ Stories on Navigating Their Children’s Early Childhood Education - Pyeong-eun Kim
12:20–1:20 PM Lunch Panel
Room 28 (box lunch pickup), Room 22 (panel), Rooms 28 & 10 (overflow) [Main Zoom Room]
Dr. Karla J. Möller will facilitate a panel with Drs. Molly Hathaway Goldstein, Stephanie Toliver, and Asif Wilson about their research’s connection to the conference theme “Education in the 21st Century: Designing a More Inclusive Future.” They will also share their experiences in academia and as faculty members. Pick up your box lunch in Room 28 and join us for an insightful conversation in Room 22! Room 28 and the O’Leary Conference Center (Room 10) are available as overflow rooms, where the panel discussion can be viewed remotely.
1:30-2:30 PM Paper Session 1
Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].
Equity in STEM and Research Practices [Track A] Room 4-G
Faculty Discussant: Rebecca Hinze-Pifer
Student Moderator: Tiffany Reyes Denis
Exploring Female Engineering Students’ Gendered Internship Experiences - Jing Zhang, Hou Xie
Breaking Barriers: Strategies for Retaining and Advancing Women Faculty in STEM at R1 Universities - Monica Liu
Methodology of Systematic Reviews in Educational Research - Ruiping Huang
Generative A.I. in Education [Track B] Room 323
Faculty Discussant: Paul Bruno
Student Moderator: Jen Whiting
Evaluating the Impact of A.I.-Driven Writing Tools on Student Writing Skills: Insights from the CGScholar A.I. Helper Project - Raigul Zheldibayeva
Generative A.I. with RAG vs. Peer Review: A New Frontier for Assessment in Higher Education - Akash Saini
Rethinking Feedback: Empowering Human-Centered Design Education with Generative A.I. - Akash Saini
Looking at Education Globally [Track C] Room 37
Faculty Discussant: Mary Kalantzis
Student Moderator: Armando Torres
Decolonizing U.S. Education Abroad: A Call for Systemic Change - Gabrielle Haggins, Logan Pender
Evaluating Different International Learning Modalities in Engineering Courses - Joshua Katz, Joie Gindorf
Study Abroad Before ‘Abroad’: The Case of Italy - Elena Broscritto
K-12 Classrooms and Teachers [Track D] Room 42-A
Faculty Discussant: Karla Möller
Student Moderator: Katie Davenport
Bridging Theory and Practice: Exploring Teacher Roles in Implementing Project-Based Learning for 21st-Century Skills Development - Viphawee (Bee) Butler, Shuai Xu
Affordances and Constraints of Curriculum Case Studies in Professional Learning - Nicholas Leonardi, Julia Poel
Fostering Agency through Feedback: A Critical Discourse Analysis in 11th Grade Special Education English Class - Justine Rovin
Accessibility and Interventions [Track E] Room 4-F
Faculty Discussant: Jessica Hardy
Student Moderator: Fatmanur Onder
Caregiver Coaching in Early Intervention - Maryana Al Tobi
School Variability in Service Delivery Model Provision: Placement Patterns and Resource Allocation for Students with Disabilities - Josefina Senese
Beyond Buildings: Designing and Maintaining Classroom Laboratory Spaces for Accessibility - Natalie Taylor
2:40–3:40 PM Paper Session 2
Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].
Empowering Learners [Track A] Room 4-G
Faculty Discussant: Giselle Martinez Negrette
Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth
A Shakespearean Theatre Program and its Pedagogical Impact on the Future Orientation of Incarcerated Youth at a Juvenile Jail Study Site - Ozivell Ecford
Project Based Learning Through Translanguaging: The Yew-Chung Approach to Integrating Multilingualism in a Project Based Primary Classroom - Angelica Taylor, Zhiyue Lu
Integrating Multiple Ways of Knowing and Sustainability into Co-Designed Science Curriculum Units - Julia Poel, Nicholas Leonardi
Transformative Digital Learning [Track B] Room 323
Faculty Discussant: Xinran Zhu
Student Moderator: Suchen Liu
Unprompted Sparks: Empowering Collaboration in 21st-Century CSCL Environments - Robin Jephthah Rajarathinam
Multiplying the ‘Multiplicador’: A Liberatory Learning Framework for Digital Transformation - Armando Jose Torres
CyberGuardian: A Role-Playing Educational Game for Mastering Cryptographic Primitives and Enhancing Real-World Cybersecurity Awareness - Shan Huang
Equity-Centered and Inclusive Education [Track C] Room 37
Faculty Discussant: Asif Wilson
Student Moderator: Jose Martinez
Preparing Educational Leaders to be “Fierce Advocates” for Equity - Leslie Ellis
Race, History, Policy: Corporal Punishment of Schools in American South - Gariel Pierce
STE(A)M Education [Track D] Room 42-A
Faculty Discussant: Nathan M. Castillo
Student Moderator: Shenheela Naz
Socio-Cultural Theoretical Approach to Understanding Highschool STEM Education in Rural West-Central Illinois - Aparna Kapale
Applying Mindfulness in STEAM Youth Education: A Reflexive Auto-Ethnographical Perspective - Darcy Yue Lu, Monisha Sharma
Qualifying the Gesture-Eliciting Interventions that Promote Mathematical Learning: A Systematic Literature Review - Tiffany Reyes Denis
The Politics of Language [Track E] Room 4-F
Faculty Discussant: Jennifer Johnson
Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson
Language and Legality: The Role of English in Shaping Mexican American Citizenship - Sylvia Rosillo
How Institutional Messaging Shapes Inequity: A Study of the OEAI Website - Minjoo Chong
Can Low-Cost Online Pronunciation Instruction Work? A Case Study of the ACEPC - Ivan Crespo
3:50–4:50 PM Paper Session 3
Presenters will give a formal 15-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the audience. Papers will feature research projects that are completed or nearly completed. The Zoom Breakout Room names are listed in brackets, for example [Track A].
Leadership in Education and Data Science [Track A] Room 4-G
Faculty Discussant: Jina Kang
Student Moderator: Minjoo Chong
The Operations and Effectiveness of School Hiring Committees - Haeryun Kim
Prepared to Collaborate: The State of Principal Preparation and School Counseling in Illinois - Jessica Mulder
Designing Inclusive Pathways for Non-Profit Data Science - Vien Nguyen
Game-Based Learning [Track B] Room 323
Faculty Discussant: Ali Ansari
Student Moderator: Jen Whiting
Comparing Immersive Simulations in XR and Web-Based Environments: Differences in User Preferences, Learning Outcomes, and Design Implications - Chris Palaguachi
BarrelBots: Measuring Self-Efficacy and Puzzle-Based Computational Thinking in Minecraft - Samuel Hum
The Impact of Inquiry-Based Learning on Interest Development: A Minecraft Game Context - Hyeongjo Kim
Postsecondary Education Topics [Track C] Room 37
Faculty Discussant: Vania Castro
Student Moderator: Jose Martinez
Policy Brief: Federal Financial Aid Challenges for Degree-Seeking Undergraduates with Long-Term Disabilities - Kelly Searsmith
Advanced Placement Access and College Enrollment: The Postsecondary Effects of Advanced Placement State Policies - Ian Callen
International Graduate Students’ Perspectives on Sense of Belonging in Leisure - Kshitij Tewari
Inclusion in Learning [Track D] Room 42-A
Faculty Discussant: Gayithri Jayathirtha
Student Moderator: Jasmine Carruth
A Critical Discourse Analysis of Teacher’s Emotionality of Teaching LGBTQ+ History - Colleen Kollasch
Why Do Early Childhood Teachers Leave the Field? - Lucie Cyliax
Special Topics in Education [Track E] Room 4-F
Faculty Discussant: Karla Möller
Student Moderator: Tamorah Johnson
A Sketch of Child Rights Education by Children’s Literature in Vietnam: A Case Study from Examining Vietnamese Award-Winning Picture Books for Children (2018-2023) - Lan Anh Hoang
Fostering Adolescents’ Reading Motivation in the 21st Century: Toward Inclusive and Humanizing Approaches - Cigdem Yurekli
Just Fumbling Through It: Exploring First-Hand Perspectives of Diabetes and Exercise - Annalisa Murphy
5:00-5:45 PM Awards & Closing
Room 2 [Main Zoom Room]
Join us in recognizing exemplary graduate student papers and roundtables at the awards ceremony!