Dr. Feiya Luo

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Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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9 February 2022 in ACM Transactions on Computing Education

Journal Article

Elementary Computational Thinking Instruction and Assessment: A Learning Trajectory Perspective

Feiya Luo

Maya Israel

Brian Gane

There is little empirical research related to how elementary students develop computational thinking (CT) and how they apply CT in problem-solving. To address this gap in knowledge, this study made use of learning trajectories (LTs; hypothesized learning goals, progressions, and activities) in CT concept areas such as sequence, repetition, conditionals, and decomposition to better understand students’ CT. This study implemented eight math-CT integrated lessons aligned to U.S. national mathematics education standards and the LTs with third- and fourth-grade students. This basic interpretive qualitative study aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of elementary students’ CT by having students express and articulate their CT in cognitive interviews. Participants’ (n= 22) CT articulation was examined usinga prioricodes translated verbatim from the learning goals in the LTs and was mapped to the learning goals in the LTs. Results revealed a range of students’ CT in problem-solving, such as using precise and complete problem-solving instructions, recognizing repeating patterns, and decomposing arithmetic problems. By collecting empirical data on how students expressed and articulated their CT, this study makes theoretical contributions by generating initial empirical evidence to support the hypothesized learning goals and progressions in the LTs. This article also discusses the implications for integrated CT instruction and assessments at the elementary level.

26 February 2021 in Computer Science Education

Journal Article

Design and validation of learning trajectory-based assessments for computational thinking in upper elementary grades

Brian D. Gane

Maya Israel

Noor Elagha

Wei Yan

Feiya Luo

James W. Pellegrino

Background & Context: We describe the rationale, design, and initial validation of computational thinking (CT) assessments to pair with curricular lessons that integrate fractions and CT. Objective: We used cognitive models of CT (learning trajectories; LTs) to design assessments and obtained evidence to support a validity argument Method: We used the LTs and evidence-centered design to develop assessments that 144 Grade 3 and Grade 4 elementary students completed following the integrated instruction. We analyzed data using multiple psychometric approaches. Findings: The design approach and data analysis suggest that the assessments are well-suited to evaluate students’ CT knowledge, skills and abilities across multiple LTs. Implications: We show how to use LTs to design assessments that can yield valid inferences about students’ CT competencies; these methods can be adopted and extended by others to create additional assessments that can advance computer science education.

7 May 2023 in Journal of Educational Computing Research

Journal Article

Technology-Integrated Computing Education in Early Childhood: A Systematic Literature Review

Ruohan Liu

Feiya Luo

Maya Israel

Technology has become an integral part of teaching and learning, but there is still limited understanding of how it is utilized to support computing education in early childhood. To address this knowledge gap, this review investigated the current implementation of computing technologies in early childhood settings, the implementation of computing activities, the learning outcomes achieved by students, and the utilization of assessment strategies to evaluate student learning. Through a systematic review and synthesis of 31 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2020, this review identified: (1) Twenty-two computing technologies that feature three types of computing environments; (2) Eight types of learning activities to engage children in computing; (3) A variety of learning outcomes accomplished in cognitive and non-cognitive dimensions; (4) A wide range of assessment strategies to evaluate students’ outcomes in different dimensions. This review strengthened the evidence base for the benefits of teaching computing with technology to children, informed the design of age-appropriate computing technology and learning activities, and identified research gaps to inform future research. Implications were provided to inform the future design and delivery of computing instruction to early childhood learners.

11 April 2023 in Journal of Science Education and Technology

Journal Article

Supporting Elementary Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge in Computational Thinking Integration

Feiya Luo

Stephen Abiodun Ijeluola

Jill Westerlund

Amanda Walker

André Denham

Cherelle Young

1 October 2021 in The American Biology Teacher

Journal Article

Community Science, Storytelling, or Inquiry-Based Learning? Evaluating Three Technology-Enhanced Pedagogical Approaches in an Online Botany Course

Natercia Valle

Pavlo Antonenko

Lorena Endara

Ellen Christine Davis

Gabriel Somarriba

Stuart McDaniel

This study explored how the use of three different pedagogical frameworks (community science, storytelling, and inquiry-based learning) influenced learners’ awareness and appreciation of flagellate plants in an undergraduate online botany course. Students’ opinions, attitudes, and perceptions toward science were explored using the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience survey. Qualitative and quantitative results indicated that although most students appreciated all three activities, the storytelling activity produced the most positive perceptions of learning. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that gender and attitudes toward science influenced student perceptions of the activities. Positive science attitudes predicted positive perceptions of the activities, and female students were more likely to report positive perceptions. These results suggest that as a pedagogical framework for organizing learning activities, storytelling holds potential for promoting positive attitudes toward science and science learning, particularly with female learners.

7 March 2024

Conference Paper

Novel Insights into Elementary Girls' Experiences in Physiological Computing

About Me

Feiya Luo received her Ph.D. in educational technology from the University of Florida. Her research expertise lies in elementary computer science (CS) education and the integration of computational thinking (CT) through the use of innovative educational technologies. She is currently the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded grant project to explore upper elementary students’ learning experiences in physiological computing using biosensing devices (e.g., Ganglion Board). She is also leading a research–practice partnership with Tuscaloosa City Schools to help elementary teachers integrate CT into core subject areas, such as science and mathematics, following the culturally responsive-sustaining CS Education framework. She is working with two Ph.D. students to examine teachers’ experiences in the design and implementation of CT-integrated instruction. She has published in top-tier journals and conferences, including Computers & Education, Transactions on Computing Education, Computer Science Education, and ACM’s Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE). She has submitted NSF ITEST and DRK12 grant proposals that aim at broadening the participation of historically underrepresented students in the state of Alabama. Besides teaching and advising Ph.D. students in Instructional Technology, she also teaches for the Nurse Education Ed.D. program, a hybrid degree offered jointly by the UA College of Nursing and the College of Education.

Dr. Feiya Luo

Dr. Feiya Luo

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About Me