Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2025, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership

Preparing youth for the workforce is a growing priority in the United States as required skills evolve. While college and career readiness (CCR) is widely discussed in K–12 education, the role of nonformal education programs like 4-H in fostering CCR remains underexplored. This study examines how Ohio 4-H professionals perceive CCR within the positive youth development framework. Using Q-methodology (Q), this research identifies key perspectives on experiential learning, mentorship, and career exploration in youth preparedness for postsecondary education and the workforce. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and the 4-H Thriving Model, this study explores how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and supportive environments shape career readiness in nonformal education settings. Findings reveal four perspectives among 4-H professionals: (a) Hands-On Pathways to Career Success, (b) Building Bonds and Belief through Mentorship, (c) Empowering Youth for Community Impact, and (d) Discovering Identity and Purpose. These perspectives highlight the value of hands-on experiences, strong adult-youth relationships, and self-efficacy in fostering CCR. Implications include a creating standardized framework for CCR efforts across Ohio 4-H, offering enhanced professional development for 4-H professionals, and developing stronger partnerships between 4-H and postsecondary institutions. This study contributes to research on nonformal education's role in workforce preparation and provides insights for strengthening CCR initiatives in youth development programs.

Committee: Emily Buck (Committee Co-Chair); Kellie Claflin (Committee Member); Theresa Ferrari (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Education; Education History; Education Philosophy; Educational Theory; Pedagogy; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Psychology

Instance models are widely used to model memory and inference and have been a staple of computational cognitive modeling since their inception. However, there have recently been important developments in our understanding of energy-based memory models and their ability to make reasonable inferences. In this thesis, I argue that one class of energy-based model, known as modern Hopfield Networks, is closely related to extant instance models of cognition, and that understanding the relationship between these approaches suggests new ways that instance models might be understood and used. To do this, I introduce ATHENA, a novel instance model that makes inferences via retrieval in a modern Hopfield network and investigate its properties and capabilities. I then turn to cognitive development, using ATHENA to help understand the different features that children and adults use when reasoning and their differing ability to maintain distinguishable memory traces. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings for early cognition and cognitive modeling.

Committee: Vladimir Sloutsky (Advisor); Brandon Turner (Committee Member); John Opfer (Committee Member); Julie Golomb (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2022, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study assessed a linkage between father-nurture or lack thereof and the development of leadership capacities through the lens of Bowlby's (1969, 1988) Attachment Theory. The constructs of father-nurture or lack thereof, which was theoretically grounded in Bowlby's key parental attachments of Secure, Anxious-Resistant, and Anxious-Avoidant, were measured by the five constructs of Safe, Fearful, Parentified, Distant, and Dependent relationship with fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence, delineated from Michael and Snow's (2019) Adult Scale of Parental Attachment. The leadership capacities were measured by the aspects of cognitive, moral, and social-emotional development that have been emphasized from well-established leadership theories—Authentic, Charismatic, Servant-Leadership, and Transformational/Transactional. In a sample of 38 adult participants, multiple linear regression models provide evidence that 1) those with a lower level of feeling Safe with fathers or father-figures exhibit a significantly lower level of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development, and 2) those with a higher level of feeling a Distant relationship with fathers or father-figures are significantly more likely to show a lower level of leadership capacities from the aspect of cognitive development. This study signifies the roles of fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence in the development process of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development.

Committee: Ahlam Lee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael A. Riley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stacey Raj Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Developmental Psychology; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Evolution and Development; Families and Family Life; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; Quantitative Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Psychology

Memory is an essential aspect of cognition, enabling us to retain information that can be used to guide decision-making and future planning. However, we often forget information due to proactive and retroactive interference from other, competing memories. Proactive interference occurs when new learning is more difficult as a result of previously acquired memories, whereas retroactive interference occurs when it is more difficult to remember previously acquired information as a result of new learning. Recent work has presented evidence that children are more vulnerable to interference effects than adults, experiencing dramatic levels of forgetting due to new learning. An essential question is what mechanisms modulate interference and changes in the magnitude of interference across development. This dissertation uses four experiments to examine factors modulating susceptibility to interference, including consolidation (i.e., the stabilization of memory traces across time) and memory binding (i.e., forming complex associations between multiple elements of an experience). Experiments 1 and 2 examined the effect of time delays on children's susceptibility to retroactive interference by comparing forgetting due to new learning upon immediate testing and following a 48-hr delay. The results indicated that children's retroactive interference was strong when memory was probed immediately after learning of new information, but was eliminated following a delay, suggesting a powerful role of consolidation in early memory development. Experiments 3 and 4 were designed to test whether memory binding processes might contribute to children's and adults' ability to resist interference effects. These experiments introduced a new paradigm to test interference and memory binding in 5- and 8-year-old children, as well as adults, and found evidence of decreased susceptibility to interference and improvements in memory binding across development. In addition, individual differences in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vladimir Sloutsky (Advisor); John Opfer (Committee Member); Per Sederberg (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Psychology

MEd, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Education : Educational Foundations

This thesis analyzes the major theories of moral development and how they apply to public schooling in America. The importance of morality among children is discussed as an eminent need. Social Learning, Psychoanalytical, and Cognitive Developmental theories are discussed. Because it is contrary to the purpose of studying morality to have so many theories, an integrated theory is described. The practical application of this theory for American public schools is presented in the format of a presentation. This presentation is intended to be a professional development seminar for educators. Many examples of implementation are given, both school-wide and classroom specific, which reach across curriculums.

Committee: Dr. Suzanne Soled (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Sociology of

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Arts and Sciences : Psychology

Knowledge acquisition and change has long been argued to progress through sequential, qualitatively different developmental stages. Mounting evidence, in the form of performance variability on tasks in the balancing micro-domain, suggests that this explanation is not sufficient. This study employed two experiments using a balance beam task that examined three disparate manipulations: feedback, symmetry, and the frequency and variety of beams. Experiment I looked specifically at how performance varies as a function of whether feedback was allowed or visual symmetry cues were present. Findings in this experiment indicate that access to visual symmetry cues plays a role in performance. Experiment II considered the impact of frequency distribution and beam-variety. The findings of this experiment were inconclusive, as both the range and types of beams used varied between the groups. Nevertheless, results showed that specific experience during training sessions resulted in better performance with that same beam type in a subsequent test session.

Committee: Adelheid Kloos PhD (Committee Chair); Chung-Yiu Chiu PhD (Committee Member); Rhonda Douglas Brown PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2008, Curriculum and Instruction Special Education (Education)

Students who exhibit disruptive and possibly aggressive behaviors pose a challenge for schools, as administrators and teachers are often held responsible for managing these behaviors. The goal of this study is to identify contributing factors to student involvement in School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS), evidence of overall improvements in discipline problems, and subsequent implications regarding the unique features of student involvement in SWPBS. A phenomenological approach was used to discover and explain the experiences and insights of study participants. Through the use of mixed methods, the effectiveness of student involvement in SWPBS was determined. This included examining office discipline referrals as well as conducting participant observation and semi-structured interviews with students and school personnel.

Committee: Dianne M. Gut PhD (Committee Chair); Steve Safran PhD (Committee Member); Tracy Leinbaugh PhD (Committee Member); Yegan Pillay PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2012, College of Education and Human Services

This study explored whether (1) adult cognitive development correlates with spiritual development, (2) wisdom development mediates the relationship, and (3) age, gender, education level, socioeconomic status, or religious denomination are associated with level of cognitive, wisdom, or spiritual development. University students and alumni (N = 134) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Model of Hierarchical Complexity Helper-Person Problem (Commons & Pekkar, 2004), the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (Hall & Edwards, 1996, 2002), and the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (Webster, 2003). This study hypothesized that wisdom, understood to derive from both personality qualities and life experience, mediates the influence of cognitive development on spiritual. This research hoped to provide empirical support for understanding the direction and degree of influence of cognitive, wisdom, and spiritual development. Using structural equation modeling, spiritual development was measured only as awareness of God. Cognitive development correlated significantly with spiritual awareness with moderate effect size. An inverse relationship was found between wisdom development and spiritual awareness. Wisdom development did not mediate the impact of cognitive development on spiritual awareness. Gender, age, education level, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation were not associated with cognitive, wisdom, or spiritual development.

Committee: Elizabeth Welfel PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Horvath PhD (Committee Member); Elliott Ingersoll PhD (Committee Member); Katherine MacCluskie PhD (Committee Member); Lynn Underwood PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Psychology; Spirituality

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2025, Psychology

Attention is a key component of cognition, enabling humans to selectively prioritize relevant information for processing, thereby contributing to effective learning and optimal decision-making. Despite being an essential cognitive ability, attention is immature in early childhood and undergoes protracted development. In this thesis, I propose three key aspects of attentional development and present four experiments to illustrate how these developmental changes shape human learning and decision-making. Specifically, I argue that attention develops 1) from being more stimulus-driven (bottom-up) to increasingly goal-driven (top-down), 2) from being more distributed to more selective, and 3) from engaging in structure-insensitive selection to structure-sensitive selection. By examining and comparing adults' and children's attention allocation and performance in a sequential decision-making task (Experiment 1), and various category learning tasks (Experiments 2 – 4), I found compelling evidence for the role of attentional development in facilitating optimal decision-making, hierarchical category acquisition, and generalization of learned knowledge. Based on the findings, I discuss how the findings challenge the traditional view of attention as a latent mechanism and posit a potentially critical role of attention in shaping model-based learning, particularly by supporting the formation of internal models.

Committee: Vladimir Sloutsky (Advisor); Julie Golomb (Committee Member); Brandon Turner (Committee Member); John Opfer (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2025, Management

The software industry, historically driven by creativity, faces a paradox. While developers are drawn to intellectual challenges, their creativity is increasingly constrained by efficiency-driven methods and so-called productivity metrics. Although positioned as innovation engines, Agile software development (hereinafter referred to as Agile) and open-source software (OSS) approaches may prioritize incrementalism over transformative breakthroughs. This tension between structure and creativity threatens individual potential and the industry's capacity for meaningful innovation. Without addressing this gap, contemporary development approaches may fail to support the creativity necessary for crafting novel and impactful software. This dissertation examines this gap, investigating how modern development approaches shape individual creativity into project-level innovation. Drawing on multi-level interactionist theories of creativity, we explore the conditions under which individual, team, and organizational interactions foster or constrain creative outcomes. By addressing this critical gap, our research reconceptualizes development methodologies as enablers of radical innovation rather than constraints, ensuring the industry's continued creative and transformative impact. Using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, this dissertation integrates qualitative and quantitative techniques to analyze creativity within software development. The qualitative strand examines individual developer experiences through 31 semi-structured interviews with Agile practitioners. The quantitative strand assesses cognitive conflict's impact on team performance in OSS development, analyzing 40 projects and 82,949 code commits. The mixed convergent strand evaluates corporate and open governance interplay, leveraging data from 40 projects, 10,862 releases, and 15 interviews. By synthesizing insights across these strands, this dissertation delivers theoretical contribution (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Chair); Philip Cola (Committee Member); Neil Maiden (Committee Member); Aron Lindberg (Committee Member); James Gaskin (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Systems; Management; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

This dissertation investigates the developmental trajectory of cognitive mechanisms underlying category learning and decision-making, with a particular focus on the role of cognitive control, working memory, and metacognition. The research attempts to address how children's cognitive processes transition from reliance on simpler, more automatic to more complex, goal-directed strategies. Chapter 3 explores the influence of cognitive control, specifically inhibition failure, in category learning contexts. It was hypothesized that immature cognitive control drives children's distributed attention, resulting in compression-based learning. To test this hypothesis, we introduced a paradigm that substantially decreased cognitive control (i.e., filtering) demands. If immature cognitive control is the principal driver of distributed attention, reducing such demands should result in greater attentional selectivity. However, the experimental results did not support the immature cognitive control hypothesis, instead pointing toward working memory as a more critical factor. This led to the formulation of the working memory hypothesis –compression-based, not selection-based learning results from immature working memory that cannot provide reliable guidance for selective attention. Chapter 4 presents an adult study using a dual-task paradigm to manipulate working memory capacity and assess its impact on attention distribution during category iii learning. The findings that under working memory load, adults tend to distribute attention establish a causal link between working memory and attention distribution. They suggest that immature working memory, rather than cognitive control, is the primary driver of distributed attention and compression-based category learning in children. Chapter 5 shifts to a longitudinal study that tracks the development from uncertainty-driven to performance-optimizing decision-making, discussed within the framework of metacognitive development. Th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vladimir Sloutsky (Advisor); Hsin-Hung Li (Committee Member); John Opfer (Committee Member); Brandon Turner (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

People routinely use numbers to encode spatial locations. For example, to flip to a page in a book, a mental number line might be mapped to the number of pages, with numbers ascending from the front to the back of the volume. Crucially, while thickness must be attended to, the content of the book should be ignored for greater efficiency. In the present study, we investigated children's and adults' use of numbers to encode spatial locations, examining competition between task-relevant relational information and task-irrelevant object information. We hypothesized that accurate relational reasoning required selectively attending to relational information and ignoring object information. To test the hypothesis, a novel map-then-recognize paradigm was applied to 128 adults and 153 3- to 10-year-old children. During mapping, they completed a relational match-to-sample task: two arrays comprised of cross-mapped objects were presented, with search for a common ordinal position reinforced after every trial. After mapping, an object recognition task was conducted to measure the memory of irrelevant object information. Competition between relational and object information predicts a negative correlation between mapping and memory. In Study 1, we found that labeling the objects by number words (e.g., “the second”) improved relational reasoning compared to labeling by object name (e.g., “the squirrel”), which decreased object recognition in adults. The improvement in relational reasoning was also observed in children, but no decrease in recognition sensitivity was observed. In Study 2, we discovered that increasing between-object similarity also decreased object recognition and increased relational reasoning in adults. However, high similarity hindered children's object recognition but did not improve their relational reasoning. Across both studies, we observed an advantage of mapping objects from left to right over right to left. Our results suggest that adults' mapping (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Opfer (Advisor) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

In our everyday lives, there are often more aspects of the environment than we can reasonably attend to. Consequently, we selectively attend to some aspects of the environment -- usually those aspects which are most relevant to our goals -- and ignore aspects that are deemed irrelevant. It follows then, that using selective attention can limit a learner's impression of an environment, because the information that is stored in memory is only a biased sample or partially encoded version of that environment. However, previous theories assume perfect and consistent access to all available dimensions, regardless of how attention is distributed. Here, we build upon existing models of categorization to illustrate how partial encoding can account for differences in learning. We use three benchmark datasets to demonstrate how the model can flexibly capture different learning strategies within the same task by creating a map of the corresponding representation. Most importantly, models equipped with partial encoding readily account for unique behavioral profiles suggesting failure of selective attention to relevant dimensions.

Committee: Brandon Turner (Advisor); Andrew Leber (Committee Member); Vladimir Sloutsky (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Food Science and Technology

Structural and functional age-related changes contribute to cognitive decline in older adults. Cognitive intervention like diet improves cognitive function.. Diet lessens cognitive aging symptoms by modulating the gut-brain axis (two-way signaling between gut microbe community and the nervous system). Two potential interventions to improve cognition via the gut-brain axis are blueberry anthocyanins (ACNs; a polyphenol) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS; a prebiotic). Blueberry ACNs reduce systemic inflammation, and GOS increases health benefiting bacteria populations. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a product for food interventions and to investigate behavioral outcomes and physiological changes with similar bioactive concentrations in a preclinical model. A functional confection containing blueberries, GOS, and other neuroprotective ingredients is formulated for future clinical trials to investigate the combined ingredient effects on the gut brain axis. The hypothesis is a well-liked blueberry and GOS made from whole fruit and neuroprotective ingredients will maintain known bioactive concentrations (>90%) during 28-day storage and prevent ACN release in an enzyme-free simulated gastric fluid (SGF). Three confections were created to compare bioactive retention, water distribution, and texture properties. Confections evaluated were a base blueberry and GOS confection (BC), a 1% high methoxyl (HM) pectin confection with the same base (BC+P), and a 1% HM pectin and sugar formula. All confections contained or exceeded the targeted amounts of blueberry ACNs (330 mg) and vitamin E (12 mg) on day 1. Only ACN concentration significantly decreased (p<0.05) over the 28-day period. The addition of pectin in the GOS confections resulted in a softer and less sticky confection. Liking between BC and BC+P was driven by the texture differences in the confections causing the BC+P formula to be more preferred by panelists. Formula did not prevent ACN release in simulated g (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Yael Vodovotz PhD (Advisor); Christopher Simons PhD (Committee Member); Cole Vonder Haar PhD (Committee Member); Richard Bruno PhD, R.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Food Science

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Attention is a cognitive process that, when stable, allows the mind to focus on relevant information. While attention can shift and fluctuate nonlinearly, research shows that a two-factor model can be used to capture the stability of selective sustained attention. Nevertheless, nonlinear dynamics of attention remain elusive under this two-factor model of attention. Hence, a one-sided focus on attentional stability undermines ways to control the processes of focusing and ignoring. To shed light on non-linear shifting in attention, I applied ideas from complexity science, a framework that anticipates such nonlinear phenomena. Specifically, I sought to apply a cusp model of selective sustained attention to explore the extent to which complexity science could be a useful approach to attention. The following demonstrates how a cusp model anticipates the presence of two orthogonal factors that align with those already identified in extant research on selective sustained attention. I also found that the empirical findings of selective sustained attention are conducive of fitting data to a cusp model. This research provides the first step in establishing a consistent framework for taking a dynamical complexity approach to the study of attention that inherently changes.

Committee: Heidi Kloos Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Holden Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anthony Chemero Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Educational Studies

The publication of the Family Engagement Core Competencies by the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement in 2022 provided a body of knowledge of the work of educators engaging with families, a domain not well-understood previously. Situated in the pandemic recovery phase in U.S. education, this dissertation study aimed to explore the nature of efficacy beliefs of educators in family engagement, a latent construct grounded in social cognitive theory. To achieve this aim, a survey measure was developed, and an interpretation and use argument (IUA) anchored the process of the validation of the interpretation and use of its scores. The study was conducted in five phases. In the first phase, the Family Engagement Efficacy Beliefs of Educators (FEEB-E) survey was drafted based on a review of literature, existing instruments, and subject-matter expert and user feedback. In the second phase, the FEEB-E was piloted with a national sample of educators, and exploratory factor, parallel, and reliability analyses were conducted. In the third phase, the FEEB-E was revised based on findings from the pilot study. In the fourth phase, the FEEB-E was administered to a sample of teachers in two Ohio urban school districts, and confirmatory factor, correlation, and reliability analyses were conducted. In the fifth phase, the IUA was constructed, and the appropriateness of the interpretation and use of the scores from the FEEB-E was determined. The study found that survey items were valid for interpretation as representative of their target domain of self-efficacy beliefs for family engagement. There were no extraneous sources of variability in wording of items and directions, order of items, or the scoring scale. The survey items measured the intended population by reflecting a range of efficacy beliefs around multiple dimensions of family engagement and did so reliably (α = .917). Further, the FEEB-E was found to be valid for use as a research instrum (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Karen Stansberry Beard (Advisor); Minjung Kim (Committee Member); Roger Goddard (Committee Member); Barbara Boone (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Families and Family Life; Teaching

Master of Education, The Ohio State University, 2022, Art Education

This is a domain-based, systematic literature review in the fields of art education and neuroscience. The goal of this research is to understand the effects of art education on the developing human brain. This I seek to accomplish by looking at qualitative and quantitative studies on the development of visual processing, executive function, hand-eye coordination, and creativity. Surveying literature on the subject, I will examine what effect art education has on the cognitive development of children. As education is about children solving cognitive problems, arts inquiries engaging neural centers, connections, processes, and systems contribute to a child's development differently from other classes. I consider art education to be essential to healthy cognitive development, and argue the subject be protected within our school systems. This literature review thesis surveys terms and biomedical studies potentially grounding pedagogy informed by empirical neuroscientific research that can not only drive innovation and efficacy in art classrooms of the future, but also advocate for art and other elective programs in every school.

Committee: James Sanders III (Advisor); J.T. Eisenhauer Richardson (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education; Cognitive Psychology; Neurology; Neurosciences

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Instructional Technology (Education)

It is not uncommon for teachers to feel neglected when leaving a traditional one-and- done professional development workshop. Too often teachers are left to fend for themselves as they begin to implement new strategies into their teaching. Teachers need and deserve continued support as they attempt to carry out the lessons learned in these workshops. This requires more time from the teachers, a resource that is in short supply. To address this issue, this research study sought to design a technology-themed professional development design guide that focused on sustained support, efficiency, and teacher needs when delivered through social media. The design capitalized on a teacher's cognitive surplus (Shirky, 2010), which is the free time typically used to scroll, swipe, and click through social media feeds. Through a process of diffusion, new teaching strategies that focused on the innovative use of technology were introduced to K-12 teachers in a rural district in Southeast Ohio. The diffusion and subsequent adoption of this innovation were achieved through a design that focused on the relative advantage of the new teaching strategy, its compatibility, and its complexity as perceived by the participating teachers. Communication channels and social systems were intentionally utilized in social media in a way that would increase the likelihood of adoption (Rogers, 1998). These strategies perpetuated the ideals of participatory culture, where users make a social connection, mentor each other through shared experiences online, and are valued for their contributions to the social media feed. Two separate iterations of this design-based research study featured a traditional workshop experience followed by the delivery of continued support through a Facebook group focused on learning how to integrate innovative technology teaching practices. Data collected via design critiques, observations, the Facebook stream, and my design journals informed the design of a Worksho (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Greg Kessler (Committee Chair); Sara Helfrich (Committee Member); Krisanna Lou Machtmes (Committee Member); Jesse Strycker (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Higher Education Administration

My study addresses how experiences within the role of a resident assistant (RA) may be related to need for cognition, a measure describing an individual's capacity and desire to engage in effortful thinking. To investigate this relationship, I used a pretest and posttest survey methodology. This methodology allowed me to determine if RAs experienced a significant change in their need for cognition after one year in the RA role and what variables within the RA role were related to need for cognition. Several factors within the RA experience were correlated with need for cognition. These factors were ACT score, gender, positive diversity experiences, the changing of a significant belief as a result of working as an RA, and weekly hours worked as a RA. Of these factors, only ACT was predictive of need for cognition. The results of my study confirm that ACT is a significant predictor for need for cognition. My results also suggest that RAs' experiences with diversity may play a significant role in the development of their need for cognition.

Committee: Ellen Broido D.Ed. (Advisor); Patrick Pauken Ph.D.; J.D. (Other); Maureen Wilson Ph. D. (Committee Member); Hyeyoung Bang Ph. D. (Committee Member); Rachel Vannatta Ph. D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Educational Studies

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of self-regulated learning (SRL) on students' cognitive engagement in an online mastery-based course using both techniques—learning analytics and self-report surveys. The research questions for this study are as follows: 1) How many types of online SRL behavior can occur in a mastery-based online course? 2) How are the two instruments (traces and self-report survey) used to assess SRL associated with each other? 3) How do these two instruments predict two levels of students' cognitive engagement—deep and shallow strategy use? The analyses in this study use secondary datasets, including self-report survey responses and learning management system (LMS) logs of 110 students from eight class sections of a seven-week online mastery-based course on skills for self-regulating and succeeding in online courses at Ohio State University in autumn 2016 and autumn 2017. All participants completed consent forms and demographic surveys in the first week, and then completed self-regulation and deep and shallow strategy-use surveys in the seventh week. Their logs with timestamps from the first week to the seventh week were recorded by trackers developed for the university LMS. The total number of traces (coded LMS logs) was calculated based on the frequency (count) and time (duration) of the LMS logs. Since there were two versions (count and duration) of the trace data calculated from the cleaned LMS logs, the three research questions were answered based on the two versions of the trace data. After trace data were analyzed using Zimmerman's SRL theoretical framework, four types of online SRL behavior emerged: 1) goal-setting, 2) help-seeking, 3) reading for comprehension, and 4) self-evaluation (DiBenedetto & Zimmerman, 2010; Zimmerman, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000; Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1988). The descriptive statistical results for the first research question demonstrate that, among the four types of SRL behavior, goal-set (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kui Xie PhD (Advisor); Rick Voithofer PhD (Committee Member); Dorinda Gallant PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Technology