Faculty Spotlight: Assistant Professor discusses what students can expect in her online MESA courses

Are you interested in applying to one of the online Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment (MESA) programs at the University of Illinois Chicago, but curious as to what the online classroom experience will be like?

Dr. Ting Dai, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology whose studies center around methodological issues in applied educational and psychological research. Teaching three courses in the online MESA program, Dr. Dai aims to promote a “growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset.”

“Blackboard is how we interact with one another as a community online,” said Dr. Dai. “The interactive learning community, sufficient formative assessment, and timely constructive feedback are what I strive to provide for my students in all my online courses.”

In the EPSY 509: Research Design in Education course, students are introduced to the process of planning, designing, and conducting educational research while receiving an overview of common research methods. Early in the course, Dr. Dai asks students to identify a research topic and have their peers review it. Drawing upon the feedback and experience of others, she wants her students to explore various methodologies and incorporate their findings into their research interests.

Dr. Dai also holds what she calls ‘Reflection and Question’ forums on Blackboard. Each week, she asks a different question that relates to the content of that week’s module. Students are expected to reflect and respond to the prompt. They can also ask general questions or submit their thoughts.

“These discussions boards are the go-to for students to share their reflections, feedback, and thoughts,” said Dr. Dai. “This is how we interact regularly online and get everyone to engage.”

In the EPSY 561: Assessment for Measurement Professionals course, students will craft different types of assessment instruments to measure a variety of learning outcomes. Students will discuss key pieces of assessment-related research, focusing on validity and reliability issues that different types of assessments raise.

In the EPSY 587: Structural Equation Modeling course, students understand the uses of structural equation models (SEM) for cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental data analysis. In Dr. Dai’s final project, she encourages her students to submit their work to their boss or develop it further into a scholarly journal or conference proposal.

“We like to give autonomy to our students,” said Dr. Dai. “We like to create length between their job, their data, and the skill set that we teach.”

According to Dr. Dai, the MESA program equips students to be better in “critical thinking, utilizing resources to learn, and problem-solve.” She has loved working within the online program at UIC.

“I love interacting with the MESA faculty and MESA students within the online realm,” said Dr. Dai. “The online community within the MESA program is a fantastic experience.”

MESA online graduates are in high demand. Receiving this nationally ranked graduate degree or certificate, 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 in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment, and begin your journey today. Talk to an enrollment specialist to learn more about these online programs.