Educational Psychology

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College of Education and Human Development

Department of Educational Psychology

Thinking Skills Lab

Focus

  • Cognitive abilities associated with chess cognition
  • Creativity among school-aged students
  • Cognitive effects of online instruction
  • Cognitive effects of chess training on seniors

Projects

Levels of creativity among 8th and 11th graders in Minnesota

In this project, my collaborators and I are examining the relationships among creativity test scores and scholastic achievement levels as measured by Minnesota state achievement tests.

The cognitive correlates of chess competency

In this project, we are examining the relationships between chess competency levels as indicated by Elo ratings (i.e., international measures of chess competency) and cognitive measures of fluid intelligence and visual-spatial ability. The participants are primarily university undergraduates and graduate students.

"I am currently pursuing my interests in the relationships among cognition, instruction, and testing through research on cognitive diagnostic testing and on the development of talents and gifts among students."

William M. Bart headshot

William M. Bart

  • Lab director
  • Professor of educational psychology in the psychological foundations of education program
  • Emphasis: Learning and cognition/educational technologies

Research group

Jenifer Doll headshot

Jenifer DollPhD student, psychological foundations of education: learning & cognition/educational technologies

Jennifer Doll is collaborating on the chess cognition research. She plans to examine the cognitive and educational effects of online instruction

Chelsea Rowles headshot

Chelsea RowlesPhD student

Chelsea focuses on the importance of creativity, and is interested in the idea of mini-c, creativity for oneself and the validity of self-creativity. She believes we need to start here to help ourselves and others to grow in their creative abilities. The evaluation of creative programming and finding methods to better measure and understand what students learn in the areas of creativity also interest her.

Recent publications

Bart, W. (August 8, 2014). On the effect of chess training on scholastic achievement. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg. 2014.00762.

Bart, W., Hokanson, B., Sahin, I., & Abdelsamea, M. (2015). An examination of the gender differences in creative thinking abilities among 8th and 11th grade students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 17, 17-24.