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Measurement Schmeasurement: Questionable Measurement Practices and How to Avoid Them

This article argues that many problems in psychological and behavioral research stem not only from statistical practices but also from how researchers define and measure constructs. The authors introduce the concept of questionable measurement practices (QMPs)—research decisions about measurement that raise doubts about the validity of a study’s conclusions. When such decisions are hidden or poorly documented, it becomes difficult for readers or other researchers to evaluate threats to construct validity, internal validity, statistical validity, and external validity, which ultimately undermines the credibility and replicability of research findings.

Add Time Estimates to Facilitate Self-Regulated Learning

Adult learners are generally very strategic about their learning and prefer to know in advance what their learning tasks are and how much time it will take them so they can plan their busy lives. But, how can you provide them with an accurate estimate for how long it will take them to complete learning tasks, like watching a YouTube video or reading a research article?

The Three Amygdala Podcast

“The Three Amygdala” is a podcast dedicated to understanding the evidence of psychological phenomena that underlies contemporary social events and experiences. Hosted by Doctors Bill Jenkins, Paul Johnson Jr, and Shawn Graham of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Highly-Cited “AI Erodes Critical Thinking” Study Appears To Be AI Generated Slop

This week, I want to highlight a substack post critiquing a recent research article. The author critically examines a widely referenced paper claiming that increased AI use degrades critical thinking skills. Pookins argues that the study’s design and methodology are fundamentally flawed: the sample isn’t representative, the survey measures self-reported beliefs rather than actual critical thinking performance, and many items intended to measure different constructs are essentially redundant. Because of these flaws, he asserts that the paper does not provide reliable evidence that AI use causes a decline in critical thinking, meaning that its frequent citation in media and academic discussions may be misleading or premature. Moreover, he points to evidence that the paper itself may have been AI-generated.

Instructive Alt Text

All images in your files need to have alternate text that describes the purpose and important information for those who cannot see the image. While we used to just consider this as an accessibility issue for people who use screen readers, there are additional uses for alt text: people with low internet bandwidth may turn off images to speed up page loads, descriptions of images will display if the image does not load because of broken links or technical issues, and these verbal descriptions will be included for those using the MP3 audio file created by Ally Alternate Formats. The fundamental purpose of Universal Design for Learning is to design for learner variability which then benefits more learners in ways that you may not have considered.

AI Pedagogy Project

The AI Pedagogy Project is a free, open-access resource developed by metaLAB (at) Harvard that helps educators understand and engage with generative AI — particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT — in a thoughtful, critical, and pedagogically informed way. Its “AI Guide” walks users step-by-step through what generative AI is, how LLMs work, and what their strengths and limitations are; it then offers a hands-on “LLM Tutorial,” letting faculty experiment with AI tools directly, and a comparison module for evaluating different models side-by-side.

Grading Transparency

One of our UMPI Academic Commitments is “A clear and fair grading system”. Do your students know how their final grade is determined and can they keep track of their own progress? If you have set up your gradebook in Brightspace, there are some important settings to make your grading process transparent for your learners.

AI-Supported Civil Discourse

Sway is a chat platform that connects students with differing perspectives into one-on-one conversations and facilitates better discussions between them. Developed with Heterodox Academy and inspired by John Stuart Mill’s radical view that engaging with opposing perspectives is an essential tool for improving reasoning and solving complex problems, Sway aims to create online spaces where we can all learn to discuss controversial issues more openly and constructively.

Learning in double time: The effect of lecture video speed on immediate and delayed comprehension

Researchers examined how lecture video playback speed affects student learning by having undergraduates watch recorded lectures at normal speed (1x), faster speeds (1.5x, 2x, 2.5x), or by watching videos more than once at increased speed. Students completed comprehension tests immediately after viewing and again one week later. The study focused on whether faster playback harms understanding or long-term retention, a common concern among instructors using recorded lectures.