Supported by grants from EDUCAUSE, funded through
Next Generation Learning Challenges, and the U.S. Department
of Education - Institute of Education Sciences

Research

Further Rigorous Evaluations of U-Pace in Progress

With support from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, we are conducting a four-year randomized controlled study involving 1,920 undergraduates across three disciplines (psychology, sociology, and political science). The results of this research will reveal whether Amplified Assistance with learning, mastery-based learning, or the combination of these core U-Pace components are responsible for the greater learning and greater academic success associated with U-Pace instruction. This research will also determine whether all students benefit from U-Pace instruction and whether improvements in U-Pace students' perceptions of control over their learning mediate student outcomes.

With support from EDUCAUSE, funded through Next Generation Learning Challenges, we have seeded U-Pace introduction to psychology courses in three public universities. In addition, we have provided U-Pace training to instructors from 20 additional colleges or universities. Evaluation data from this first wave of adopting institutions will determine whether the technology-enabled U-Pace instructional approach is effective across institutions, LMSs, and student populations.

The findings on U-Pace have been published in EDUCAUSE Quarterly, EDUCAUSE’s Seeking Evidence of Impact Case Study Series, the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, and have been presented at the following high profile conferences.

  1. Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L. E., Jirovec, D. L., Pfeiffer, H. M., Ports, K. A., Barnack-Tavlaris, J. L., Helion, A. M., & Swain, R. A. (2013). U-Pace instruction: Improving student success by integrating content mastery and amplified assistance. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17 (1), 147 – 154.
  2. Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., & Pedrick, L. E. (2012). Increasing student success: Evaluating the effectiveness of U-Pace instruction at UWM. EDUCAUSE Seeking Evidence of Impact Case Study Series: www.educause.edu/library/resources/increasing-student- success-evaluating-effectiveness-u-pace-instruction-uwm
  3. Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., Jirovec, D. L., Pedrick, L. E., Pfeiffer, H. M., & Stoiber, L. C. (in press). Increasing student success in higher education through U-Pace instruction. Higher Learning Commission Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement.
  4. Fleming, R. & Walker, J. D. (2013). Why intervention and impact evaluation is critical for improving student learning. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  5. Fleming, R., Reddy, D. M., Pedrick, L.E., Barth, D. J., Jirovec, D. L., Pfeiffer, H. M., & Stearns, S. S. (2013). U-Pace: A new model for online instruction in higher education. 20th Georgia Conference on College and University Teaching, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Kennesaw, GA.
  6. Fleming, R., Reddy, D. M., Pedrick, L. E., & Barth, D. J. (2013). Measuring fundamental processes critical to deep learning in the SoTL. 2013 SoTL Commons, Savannah, GA.
  7. Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L. E., Jirovec, D. L., & Pfeiffer, H. M. (2013). Increasing student success in higher education through U-Pace instruction. Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
  8. Fleming, R., Reddy, D. M., Pedrick, L. E., & Barth, D. J. (2013). U-Pace: A new technology-enabled approach for online instruction. 6th Annual Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium, Las Vegas, NV.
  9. Jirovec, D. L., Pfeiffer, H. M., Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L. E., & Barth, D. J. (2013). Applying learning science to increase student success. Office of Professional and Instructional Development Spring Conference, Madison, WI.
  10. Reddy, D. M. & Fleming, R. (2013). U-Pace instruction: Advancing the practice of distance education. World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Victoria, Canada.
  11. Pfeiffer, H. M., Jirovec, D. L., Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., & Pedrick, L. E. (2013). Closing the achievement gap by applying the science of learning. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
  12. Pfeiffer, H. M., Jirovec, D. L., Reddy, D. M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L. E., & Barth, D. J. (2013). Replication of U-Pace student outcomes across universities and student populations. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
  13. Stearns, S. S., Jirovec, D. L., Pfeiffer, H. M., Fleming, R., & Reddy, D. M. (2013). Learning how to learn: U-Pace instruction facilitates study skill development. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Honolulu, HI.
  14. Reddy, D.M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L.E., Ports, K.A., Barnack-Tavlaris, J., Helion, A., & Swain, R. (2011), “U-Pace: Facilitating academic success for all students,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 4. www.educause.edu/library/EQM1140
  15. Fleming, R., Reddy, D.M., & Pedrick, L.E. (2012), “Comprehensively Documenting Learning: Measuring Psychological Mediators of Mastery,” EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
  16. Reddy, D.M. (2011), “Meeting Student Needs with Innovative Digital Solutions,” National University Telecommunications Network Conference, Fort Worth, TX.
  17. Reddy, D.M., Fleming, R., & Pedrick, L.E. (2011). The U-Pace Instructional Approach: Greater Student Learning through Student-Centered Online Instruction, Best Practices in the Teaching of Psychology Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  18. Reddy, D.M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L.E., et al. (2012). U-Pace Instruction Produces Deep Learning in Academically Underprepared Undergraduates, Innovations Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
  19. Pfeiffer, H. (graduate student), Lafleur, R. (graduate student) Jirovec, D. (graduate student), et al. (2012) “Effect of U-Pace Instruction on Student Success” Association for Psychological Science Annual Conference, in Chicago, IL.
  20. Reddy, D.M. (2012). “Advantages to Using an Evidence-based Approach in Designing Online Instruction and Evaluating Student Outcomes,” American Psychological Association Symposium, Orlando, FL.
  21. Reddy, D.M., Fleming, R., Pedrick, L.E., et al., (2012) “The Results of a Randomized Controlled Study of U-Pace Instruction,” Nineteenth International Conference on Learning, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK.
  22. Millichap, N. Stevenson, K., Varma-Nelson, P., & Reddy, D.M. (2012) “Spreading Innovations for Student Success: Three Next Generation Learning Challenges Projects,” Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL.