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 the peer reviewed journal, EDUCAUSE Quarterly and presented at the following high profile conferences.

1. 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
2. Fleming, R., Reddy, D.M., & Pedrick, L.E. (2012), “Comprehensively Documenting Learning: Measuring Psychological Mediators of Mastery,” EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
3. Reddy, D.M. (2011), “Meeting Student Needs with Innovative Digital Solutions,” National University Telecommunications Network Conference, Fort Worth, TX.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.