Areas of Expertise

  • Science education
  • Educational data science
  • AI in education

Interests

  • Learning progression
  • Process data mining and analysis
  • Adaptive learning
  • Machine learning-based innovative assessment

Concentrations

Education

  •  Ph.D. in Measurement, Evaluation, and Data Science, 2023
    University of Alberta

Contact

 706-542-7220 (office)

Research Summary

I am an Assistant Professor in Science Education. My research focuses on utilizing psychometric models and educational data science models to delve into complex cognitive processes (e.g., learning progression, problem solving). I am also passionate about contributing to student learning by developing innovative assessment tasks and adaptive learning tools. Through these efforts, I aim to enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of science education practices.

Grants

Learning Technologies Grant
2024.08
The project focuses on developing an Adaptive Learning System to promote inquiry-based science learning.

Publications

Chapters

Rasch-CDM: A combination of rasch and cognitive diagnosis models to assess a learning progression
  • Yizhu Gao, Xiaoming Zhai, Ahra Bae, and Wenchao Ma
  • Advances in Applications of Rasch Measurement in Science Education, 2023, Volume 57

Articles

Examining adults’ behavioral patterns in a sequence of problem solving tasks in technology-rich environments
  • Qin Wang, Amin Mousavi, Chang Lu, and Yizhu Gao
  • Computers in Human Behavior