Research Overview
This body of research examines the transformative role of instructional technology in preparing the next generation of educators and supporting diverse language learners. By investigating the use of virtual worlds, social media, and mobile devices, these studies provide evidence-based strategies for creating authentic, collaborative, and technologically-enriched learning experiences.
Teacher Professional Development & Virtual Worlds
- Using Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Electronic Storybooks in ESL Teacher Education (2015) Examines the role of diverse digital narratives in expanding the cultural and instructional perspectives of pre-service teachers.
- Dialogic Practices in Using Podcasting and Blogging as Teaching Tools (2014) Examines how ESOL teachers use technology to develop innovative teaching methods and enhance their professional identities through peer engagement.
- Using Second Life as a Virtual Collaborative Tool for Preservice Teachers (2013) Explores how immersive virtual environments facilitate collaboration and pedagogical growth for teachers seeking ESOL endorsement.
- Revealing Authentic Teacher Professional Development Using Situated Learning in Virtual Environments (2012) Investigates how situated learning within virtual worlds provides authentic contexts for teacher training and professional identity formation.
- Incorporating Podcasting and Blogging into a Core Task for ESOL Teacher Candidates (2011) Analyzes the integration of Web 2.0 tools to foster dialogic practices and digital competence in teacher preparation.
- Implementing Podcasts and Blogs with ESOL Teacher Candidates: Preparation and Implications (2011) Investigates teacher candidates’ attitudes and perceptions toward integrating new media while developing case studies for English language learners.
Digital Literacy & Reading Strategies
- International Students’ Reading Digital Texts on Tablets: Experiences and Strategies (2020) A study on the specific navigational and cognitive strategies international students use when engaging with academic texts on mobile devices.
- English Language Learners’ Strategies for Reading Online Texts: Influential Factors (2017) Identifies factors and patterns of use that influence how fourth and fifth-grade ELLs process online information at home and in school.
- English Language Learners’ Strategies for Reading Computer-Based Texts (2016) Identifies unique strategies and patterns of use that influence how ELLs process digital information across different learning contexts.
- Play Games or Study? Computer Games in eBooks to Learn English Vocabulary (2013) Evaluates the effectiveness of integrating inference-based gaming elements into digital textbooks to enhance vocabulary acquisition.
Online Collaboration & Social Media
- Students’ Use of Second Life in Learning Spanish as a Foreign Language (2018) Documents how virtual world interactions support foreign language practice, reduce communicative anxiety, and foster participatory culture.
- Adolescent ELLs’ Collaborative Writing Practices in Face-to-Face and Online Contexts (2017) Compares student perceptions and actual practices when writing collaboratively in digital versus physical environments from an ecological perspective.
- One Wiki, Two Groups: Dynamic Interactions Across ESL Collaborative Writing Tasks (2016) Winner of the 2016 Best Article Award from the Journal of Second Language Writing. Analyzes how student groups navigate collaborative digital spaces.
- Incorporating Facebook in an Intermediate-Level Chinese Language Course (2014) A case study on the use of social networking platforms to facilitate authentic language use and community building in language learning.