Overview

The research in our lab mainly focuses on three general topics related to language and literacy, shown in the table below: Theory Testing, Program or Treatment Effects, and Social or Context Effects. Our goal is to apply statistical approaches to address scientific questions related to these three areas (and frequently crossing areas). We also provide resources for researchers, such as sample code and data.

Broad conceptual issue

Example Research Questions

Example Statistical Approaches

Theory testing Is literacy one general cognitive system or composed of several separate but related skills?

How validly do items and tasks measure an intended construct?

Confirmatory factor analysis

Item response theory

Program or Treatment Effects How can intervention programs be evaluated and compared?

How does treatment impact vary across sites or contexts?

Multilevel models
Social/Context Effects What are the school or classroom level effects on children’s language learning?

To what extent are treatment effects or measurement properties equal or fair across groups?

Multilevel models

Confirmatory factor analysis

There have been vast advances in statistical theory and in computational power, such that classical distinctions between many models have become blurry. In L-MILL, we take an integrated, holistic approach. For example, from a general latent variable approach, Item Response Theory is a special form of a factor model. Similarly, a multilevel model is a special form of a confirmatory factor model. We assist students and researchers to learn these models in order to examine important questions in exciting and innovative ways.

You can learn about our research on these issues by clicking them in the table above. Alternatively, you can explore our list of Research Projects. We also provide resources for researchers, such as sample code and data.

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