Laura O'Dwyer

Last updated
Laura Mary O'Dwyer
Alma materBoston College
Scientific career
InstitutionsBoston College
Thesis Extending the application of multilevel modeling to data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)  (2000)

Laura Mary O'Dwyer is a professor of Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at Boston College known for her work on examining the impact of technology in education, especially science education, and for quantifying outcomes for K-12 student success.

Contents

Education and career

O'Dwyer has a B.Sc. (1992) and an M.Sc. (1993) from the National University of Ireland. [1] She earned her Ph.D. from Boston College in 2000, where she worked on modeling data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. [2] Following her Ph.D., she worked at University of Massachusetts Lowell until she joined the faculty of Boston College in 2006. [1] O'Dwyer is an associate editor of Irish Educational Studies journal [3] and co-edited a special edition of Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment on the topic of One-to-one computing. [4]

In September 2021, the National Science Foundation announced funding for new Science and Technology Centers [5] and O'Dwyer is participating in the center being led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. [6]

Research

O'Dwyer is known for her application of statistical tools to qualitative data, particularly with respect to analysis of educational outcomes. Her textbook, Quantitative Research for the Qualitative Researcher, was published in 2014. [7] O'Dwyer's graduate research examined data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, [2] a study which she has further examined to compare success in math across different nations. [8] O'Dwyer has examined math education in the K-12 setting, especially algebra using on-line classes [9] and the perception and assessment of ability in math. [10] In 2016, O'Dwyer received funding from the National Science Foundation to increase student success in algebra. [11] [12] For high school students, O'Dwyer has examined their understanding of models in the study of biology, physics and chemistry. [13] O'Dwyer has also assessed the use of technology in the classroom, specifically the impact of assigning individual laptops to students and teachers in classrooms. [14] Her research on one-to-one computing includes quantifying how these programs influence teaching in the classroom [15] and she has examined how e-learning benefits teachers [16] in addition to the students. Locally, O'Dwyer applies her research to analysis of elementary education, as she did in her town of Milton, Massachusetts in an examination of foreign language classes in 2012. [17]

Selected publications

O'Dwyer has an h-index of 32 at Google Scholar, and as of September 2021 has over 5800 citations to her publications. [18]

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

Science education is the teaching and learning of science to school children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education includes work in science content, science process, some social science, and some teaching pedagogy. The standards for science education provide expectations for the development of understanding for students through the entire course of their K-12 education and beyond. The traditional subjects included in the standards are physical, life, earth, space, and human sciences.

Social constructivism is a sociological theory of knowledge according to which human development is socially situated, and knowledge is constructed through interaction with others. Like social constructionism, social constructivism states that people work together to actively construct artifacts. While social constructivism focuses on the artifacts (constructs) that are created through social interactions, social constructionism focuses on social constructions as active processes, rather than outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montessori education</span> Teaching method encouraging autodidacticism

The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It discourages some conventional measures of achievement, such as grades and tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathematics education</span> Mathematics teaching, learning and scholarly research

In contemporary education, mathematics education—known in Europe as the didactics or pedagogy of mathematics—is the practice of solving the problems of others, these questions often pertaining to numbers or other forms of mathematics, as they apparently cannot solve them themselves. This field also involves teaching, learning, and carrying out scholarly research into the transfer of mathematical knowledge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constructivism (philosophy of education)</span> Philosophical viewpoint about the nature of knowledge; theory of knowledge

Constructivism is a theory in education which posits that individuals or learners do not acquire knowledge and understanding by passively perceiving it within a direct process of knowledge transmission, rather they construct new understandings and knowledge through experience and social discourse, integrating new information with what they already know. For children, this includes knowledge gained prior to entering school. It is associated with various philosophical positions, particularly in epistemology as well as ontology, politics, and ethics. The origin of the theory is also linked to Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Educational technology is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, "EdTech," it often refers to the industry of companies that create educational technology. In EdTech Inc.: Selling, Automating and Globalizing Higher Education in the Digital Age, Tanner Mirrlees and Shahid Alvi (2019) argue "EdTech is no exception to industry ownership and market rules" and "define the EdTech industries as all the privately owned companies currently involved in the financing, production and distribution of commercial hardware, software, cultural goods, services and platforms for the educational market with the goal of turning a profit. Many of these companies are US-based and rapidly expanding into educational markets across North America, and increasingly growing all over the world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progress in International Reading Literacy Study</span> International study of fourth graders literacy

The IEA's Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international study of reading (comprehension) achievement in 9-10 year olds. It has been conducted every five years since 2001 by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). It is designed to measure children's reading literacy achievement, to provide a baseline for future studies of trends in achievement, and to gather information about children's home and school experiences in learning to read.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics</span> Group of academic disciplines

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of education policy or curriculum choices in schools. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns, and immigration policy, with regard to admitting foreign students and tech workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inclusion (education)</span> Where disabled students spend most of their time with non-disabled students

Inclusion in education refers to all students being able to access and gain equal opportunities to education and learning. It arose in the context of special education with an individualized education program or 504 plan, and is built on the notion that it is more effective for students with special needs to have the said mixed experience for them to be more successful in social interactions leading to further success in life. The philosophy behind the implementation of the inclusion model does not prioritize, but still provides for the utilization of special classrooms and special schools for the education of students with disabilities. Inclusive education models are brought into force by educational administrators with the intention of moving away from seclusion models of special education to the fullest extent practical, the idea being that it is to the social benefit of general education students and special education students alike, with the more able students serving as peer models and those less able serving as motivation for general education students to learn empathy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study</span> Study of international math and science skills

The IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a series of international assessments of the mathematics and science knowledge of students around the world. The participating students come from a diverse set of educational systems in terms of economic development, geographical location, and population size. In each of the participating educational systems, a minimum of 4,000 to 5,000 students is evaluated. Contextual data about the conditions in which participating students learn mathematics and science are collected from the students and their teachers, their principals, and their parents via questionnaires.

English-Language Learner is a term used in some English-speaking countries such as the United States and Canada to describe a person who is learning the English language and has a native language that is not English. Some educational advocates, especially in the United States, classify these students as non-native English speakers or emergent bilinguals. Various other terms are also used to refer to students who are not proficient in English, such as English as a Second Language (ESL), English as an Additional Language (EAL), limited English proficient (LEP), Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD), non-native English speaker, bilingual students, heritage language, emergent bilingual, and language-minority students. The legal term that is used in federal legislation is 'limited English proficient'. The instruction and assessment of students, their cultural background, and the attitudes of classroom teachers towards ELLs have all been found to be factors in the achievement of these students. Several methods have been suggested to effectively teach ELLs, including integrating their home cultures into the classroom, involving them in language-appropriate content-area instruction early on, and integrating literature into their learning programs.

Mitchell J. Nathan is Full Professor of Educational Psychology, Chair of the Learning Science program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

Bárbara M. Brizuela is an American mathematics educator, and an associate professor education at Tufts University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual manipulatives for mathematics</span>

Virtual math manipulatives are visual representations of concrete math manipulatives. They are digitally accessed through a variety of websites and apps, as well as through tablets, phones and computers. Virtual math manipulatives are modeled after concrete math manipulatives that are commonly used in classrooms to physically represent mathematical concepts and support student understanding of mathematical concepts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Boaler</span> British mathematics educator

Jo Boaler is a British education author and Nomellini-Olivier Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Boaler is involved in promoting reform mathematics and equitable mathematics classrooms. She is the co-founder and faculty director of youcubed a Stanford centre that offers free mathematics education resources to teachers, students and parents. She is the author of nine books, including Limitless Mind (2019), Mathematical Mindsets (2016), What's Math Got To Do With It? (2009) and The Elephant in the Classroom (2010), all written for teachers and parents with the goal of improving mathematics education in both the US and UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahoot!</span> Norwegian online educational quiz game

Kahoot! is a Norwegian online game-based learning platform. It has learning games, also known as "kahoots", which are user-generated multiple-choice quizzes that can be accessed via a web browser or the Kahoot! app.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technological pedagogical content knowledge</span> Educational technology knowledge

The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework describes the kinds of knowledge required by teachers for the successful integration of technology in teaching. It suggests that teachers need to know about the intersections of technology, pedagogy, and content. Specifically, how these areas of knowledge interact and influence one another in unique and specific contexts. In terms of teaching with technology, it suggests that it impacts not only what we teach but how we teach. This idea was in the zeitgeist in the early 2000s, with scholars working on variations of the idea.

Michelene (Micki) T. H. Chi is a cognitive and learning scientist known for her work on the development of expertise, benefits of self-explanations, and active learning in the classroom. Chi is the Regents Professor, Dorothy Bray Endowed Professor of Science and Teaching at Arizona State University, where she directs the Learning and Cognition Lab.

Kristin Umland is an American mathematician and mathematics educator. She was on the faculty of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico for nearly two decades before leaving to help build the nonprofit organization Illustrative Mathematics (IM).

Marina Umaschi Bers is the Augustus Long Professor of Education at Boston College. Bers holds a secondary appointment in Boston College's Department of Computer Science. Bers directs the interdisciplinary DevTech Research Group, which she started in 2001 at Tufts University. Her research involves the design and study of innovative learning technologies to promote children's positive development. She is known for her work in the field of early childhood computer science with projects of national and international visibility. Bers is the co-creator of the free ScratchJr programming language, used by 35 million children, and the creator of the KIBO robotic kit, which has no screens or keyboards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "O'Dwyer CV" (PDF). Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 O'Dwyer, Laura Mary (2000). Extending the application of multilevel modeling to data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) (Thesis). OCLC   47669824.
  3. "Irish Educational Studies Editorial Board". www.tandfonline.com. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  4. "Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing Settings" (PDF). The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment. 9 (1). 2010.
  5. "New science and technology centers to address vexing societal problems". www.nsf.gov. September 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  6. "Professor Laura O'Dwyer and Research Team Receive National Science Foundation Grant". www.bc.edu. September 14, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  7. O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Bernauer, James A. (2014). Quantitative research for the qualitative researcher. Los Angeles. ISBN   978-1412997799.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. O’Dwyer, Laura M; Wang, Yang; Shields, Katherine A (2015). "Teaching for conceptual understanding: A cross-national comparison of the relationship between teachers' instructional practices and student achievement in mathematics". Large-Scale Assessments in Education. 3 (1): 1. doi: 10.1186/s40536-014-0011-6 . ISSN   2196-0739. S2CID   51914610.
  9. O’Dwyer, Laura M.; Carey, Rebecca; Kleiman, Glenn (March 2007). "A Study of the Effectiveness of the Louisiana Algebra I Online Course". Journal of Research on Technology in Education. 39 (3): 289–306. doi:10.1080/15391523.2007.10782484. S2CID   62653303.
  10. Russell, Michael; O’Dwyer, Laura M.; Miranda, Helena (May 2009). "Diagnosing students' misconceptions in algebra: Results from an experimental pilot study". Behavior Research Methods. 41 (2): 414–424. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.2.414 . PMID   19363182. S2CID   25846095.
  11. "$3.8M NSF Grant for BC 'Supporting Success in Algebra' Project". www.bc.edu. March 8, 2017. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  12. "NSF Award Search: Award # 1621011 - Supporting Success in Algebra: A Study of the Implementation of Transition to Algebra". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  13. Gobert, Janice D.; O’Dwyer, Laura; Horwitz, Paul; Buckley, Barbara C.; Levy, Sharona Tal; Wilensky, Uri (2011-03-15). "Examining the Relationship Between Students' Understanding of the Nature of Models and Conceptual Learning in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry". International Journal of Science Education. 33 (5): 653–684. Bibcode:2011IJSEd..33..653G. doi:10.1080/09500691003720671. ISSN   0950-0693. S2CID   145169117.
  14. "A computer per student leads to higher performance than traditional classroom settings". ScienceDaily. January 22, 2010. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  15. Stansbury, Meris; Editor, Associate (2010-02-16). "One-to-one computing programs only as effective as their teachers". eSchool News. Retrieved 2021-08-15.{{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  16. silicon (2010-08-17). "E-learning benefits teachers, not just students - Discovery | siliconrepublic.com - Ireland's Technology News Service". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  17. Barnes, Jennette (September 13, 2012). "Milton could cap enrollment in popular French immersion program". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  18. "Laura O'Dwyer". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  19. "The Bruce H. Choppin Memorial Award, IEA". www.rasch.org. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  20. "IEA Bruce H. Choppin Memorial Award | IEA.nl". www.iea.nl. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  21. "Newsletter Lynch School of Education BOSTON COLLEGE". studylib.net. March–April 2012. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  22. Peoples, Shelagh M.; O’Dwyer, Laura M.; Wang, Yang; Brown, Jessica J.; Rosca, Camelia V. (April 2014). "Development and application of the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES): measuring student perceptions of constructivism within the science classroom". Learning Environments Research. 17 (1): 49–73. doi:10.1007/s10984-013-9152-8. S2CID   144163422.