Research

My research is grounded in theories and methods used in educational psychology and the learning sciences, as well as developmental and cognitive educational psychology. In the course of pursuing my doctoral degree and in the years since, I have developed a range of analytic and computational skills. As a common theme through these research areas, I also consider implications for equity and fairness related to instructional and assessment practices. Some recent publications are listed below. For more up-to-date information about my research activities, please see my CV.

Research Interests

Some current research areas include the following:

  • Engagement and learning in technology-mediated environments
  • Assessment and individual differences in applied educational contexts
  • Systematic review and meta-analyses to synthesize psychological and educational research

Select Publications

Peer-reviewed Publications
  • Ober, T. M., Cheng, Y., Carter, M. F., & Liu, C. (2024). Leveraging performance and feedback-seeking indicators from an online platform for early prediction of students’ learning outcomes. Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning, 401), 219–240. doi:10.1111/jcal.12870

  • Ober, T. M., Lu, Y., Blacklock, C. B., Liu, C., & Cheng, Y. (2023). Development and validation of a cognitive load measure for general educational settings. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 41(6), doi:10.1177/07342829231169171

  • Ober, T. M., Cheng, Y., Carter, M. F., & Liu, C. (2023). Disruptiveness of COVID-19: Differences in course engagement, self-appraisal, and learning. AERA Open, 9. doi:10.1177/23328584231177967

  • Ober, T. M., Hong, M. R., Carter, M. F., Brodersen, A. S., Rebouças, D. A., Liu, C., & Cheng, Y. (2022). Are high school students accurate in predicting their AP exam scores?Assesment in Education: Principles, Policy, and Practice, 1–24. doi:10.1080/0969594X.2022.2037508

  • Ober, T. M., Coggins, M. R., Rebouças, D. A., Suzuki, H., & Cheng, Y. (2021). Effect of teacher support on students’ math attitudes: Measurement and moderation of students’ background characteristics.Contemporary Educational Psychology, 66, 101988. doi:10.1037/stl0000264

  • Ober, T. M., Hong, M. R., Rebouças, D. A., Carter, M. F., Liu, C., & Cheng, Y. (2021). Linking self-report and process data to performance as measured by different assessment types.Computers & Education, 167, 104188. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104188

  • Ober, T. M., Brenner, C., Olsen, A., Homer, B. D., & Plass, J. L. (2021). Detecting patterns of engagement in a digital cognitive skills training game. Computers & Education., 165, 104144 doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104144

  • Ober, T. M., Cheng, Y., Jacobucci, R., & Whitney, B. M. (2021). Examining the factor structure of the Big Five Inventory-2 with an adolescent sample. Psychological Assessment, 33(1), 14–28. doi:10.1037/pas0000962

  • Ober, T. M., Ahn, J., Ali, A., Moner, A., Azam, A., Ramos, N., & Homer, B. D. (2020). A mixed-methods analysis of mechanisms that support college enrollment among low-income high school students. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(2), 118–131 doi:10.1037/tps0000226

  • Ober, T. M., Brooks, P. J., Homer, B. D., & Rindskopf, D. (2020). Executive functions and decoding in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic investigation. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 735–763. doi:10.1007/s10648-020-09526-0

  • Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., MacNamara, A., Ober, T. M., Rose, M. C., Hovey, C. M., Pawar, S., & Olsen, A. (2019). Emotional design for digital games for learning: The affective quality of expression, color, shape, and dimensionality of game characters. Learning and Instruction, 70, 101194. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.01.005

  • Homer, B. D., Ober, T. M., Rose, M. C., MacNamara, A., Mayer, R. & Plass, J. L. (2019). Speed versus accuracy: Implications of adolescents’ neurocognitive developments in a digital game to train executive functions. Mind, Brain & Education, 13(1), 41–52. doi:10.1111/mbe.12189