Faculty Spotlight: Professor’s passion reflects in her MESA courses

Assessment plays an important role in the process of learning and instruction, which can be an integral part of instruction and can determine whether the goals of education are being met. In the UIC online Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment (MESA) program, Professor Yue Yin has a passion for using assessment to help improve instruction and learning. With a PhD from Stanford University in Science Education and Assessment, Dr. Yin has conducted research on various assessments with STEM subjects ranging from K-12 to higher education. She is committed to leveraging assessments to support and facilitate student learning.

Dr. Yin has received three teaching awards at UIC: Teaching Recognition Program Awards in 2012 and 2017, and Teaching Excellence Award in 2022. Learn more about Dr. Yin’s area of research and the benefits of pursuing a Master of Education or Graduate Certificate in MESA.

What drew you to this field of study?

I believe that well-designed and implemented assessments can significantly enhance learning and instruction in several ways. Assessments provide learners with opportunities to practice and apply their learning, as well as aid learners and instructors in identifying learning gaps, allowing for tailed instruction and personalized learning plans.

My research encompasses a range of innovative assessments and spans various STEM disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and statistics, and ranges from K-12 to higher education. I utilize learning theory as the foundation and employ measurement and statistics as tools to explore ways assessments can improve the learning process. I currently collaborate with colleagues to examine the potential of using machine learning to score students’ responses to open-ended science assessments and support teachers’ instructional decision-making. Ultimately, I am committed to leveraging assessments to support and facilitate student learning.

What are valuable skills/knowledge that you think MESA students will learn in your courses and be able to apply professionally?

As an educator, I have extensive experience teaching intermediate statistics and measurement courses, such as analysis of variance, regression, multivariate analysis, and educational measurement. Through these courses, students can develop a robust understanding of how to analyze quantitative data and interpret results in various fields.

In addition to theoretical concepts, my courses provide hands-on experience using a variety of statistical software, e.g., SPSS, SAS, GENOVA, and IRTPro. Equipping students with practical skills is critical to their future success in a range of settings, such as universities, research institutes, testing industries, and school districts. This knowledge will also prepare students to take more advanced MESA courses, such as EPSY 584: Hierarchical Linear Modeling and EPSY 587: Structural Equation Modeling, so that students can tackle even more complex data analysis projects and contribute to impactful research and decision-making processes in their future careers.

What is the future for the MESA industry and workforce? How will the MESA program better prepare students?

MESA is the foundation for quantitative methodology. These techniques can be applied in various educational settings. In the digital age, data is generated at an unprecedented scale in fields other than education as well, e.g., healthcare, financing, marketing, and technology. Analyzing and making sense of this data is crucial for informed decision-making. Data-driven approaches are becoming the norm across industries, so individuals with strong data analysis skills are highly needed. Data analytical skills with insights and critical thinking cannot be fully replaced by machines, although automation and artificial intelligence can facilitate data analysis.

What do you think sets UIC apart? Why should students choose UIC?
UIC offers a series of comprehensive and high-quality courses in measurement, evaluation, statistics, and assessment, which are designed to help students develop a deep understanding and skill set in these areas. The online MESA program is an excellent option for those who cannot quit their jobs and/or relocate homes. These self-paced courses offer flexibility and academic rigor so that students can complete the program at their own pace to accommodate their other professional and family obligations.

Our dedicated MESA faculty are passionate about teaching and care about their students’ success. We are always ready to help and guide our students.

The online nature of our program attracts students from all over the world. For example, besides North America, we had students from Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Our MESA students also come from diverse backgrounds, such as educational settings, industries, research firms, and medical fields. I have had students who were medical doctors, assessment directors, classroom teachers, faculty members from other universities, educational consultants, and doctoral students in other fields. Although our students come from different backgrounds, they share the same passion for quantitative methodology and work hard in the MESA program. Therefore, they create an ideal learning environment where students can inspire each other and learn how MESA knowledge and skills are applied across different fields.

Dr. Yin teaches EPSY 543: Advanced Analysis of Variance in Educational Research, EPSY 546: Educational Measurement, EPSY 547: Multiple Regression in Educational Research, EPSY 551: Item Response Theory, and EPSY: 583 Multivariate Analysis of Educational Data.

MESA online graduates are in high demand. Receiving this nationally ranked graduate degree, students are ready to succeed in a variety of research settings and environments. Choose from two online programs, a Master of Education Degree or a Graduate Certificate, and begin your journey today. Talk to enrollment specialist to learn more about these online programs.