IRML Team Members

  • Dr. Iv谩n M. Jorr铆n Abell谩n is professor of educational research at Kennesaw State University (Ga) (USA).He worked for twelve years (2002-2014) for the  
    ivan abellan.
    Research Group at the  (Spain), where he obtained his PhD in Educational Technology. Within this transdisciplinary team formed by engineers, computer scientists and educators, he contributed to the development of a series of innovative technologies to support teachers in the complete life-cycle of collaborative learning environments. In 2009, after a Fulbright research stay at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he founded and later directed, the Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Education (CETIE-UVa), also at the University of Valladolid.In 2014 he started working at Kennesaw State University (Ga) where he has developed the  (a theoretical model and a web tool to support the generation of research designs, especially in Education), and more recently, the Interactive Research Methods Lab. You can view his CV on his .
  • olga koz.
     is an experienced Graduate Education Librarian at Kennesaw State University. She provides instruction, training, and research support for faculty and graduate students on topics including research synthesis, systematic and traditional literature review, literature searching and evaluation, research data, and citation management. She was assisting Dr. Ivan Jorrin Abellan in the selection of appropriate resources and creating tutorials that inform users of the HopScotch web tool. Olga holds a Doctor of Management (DM) with a concentration in Emerging Media Management f and a Master鈥檚 of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS). She also earned the postgraduate diploma in Psychology from the Tver State University. You can find more information about . You are welcome to schedule a consulting session with her using this app: 
  • rachel gaines.
    Dr. Rachel Gaines is Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Kennesaw State University. She studies teacher stress, emotions, and perceptions of school climate. She is also interested in how pre-service teachers develop teacher identities in online learning environments. You can find more information at .
  • mei lin chang.
    Dr. Chang is Associate Professor of Applied Quantitative Research and Educational Analysis; Program Coordinator of Ed.D. in Secondary or Middle Grades Education. She teaches applied quantitative research courses for the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs in the the Bagwell College of Education. Her research focuses on the sociocultural and emotional factors in shaping teacher motivation and student engagement. You can find more information at 
  • jihye kim.
     is an Assistant Professor of Educational Research at the Department of Secondary and Middle Grades Education at the Bagwell College of Education. Her expertise is research, measurement, and statistics. Dr. Kim teaches quantitative research methods courses for the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs across the Bagwell College of Education since 2015. Her current research interest lies in evaluating survey instruments鈥 validity and reliability in order to provide an accurate identification of emotional and behavioral risk in middle and high school students. You can find more information at 
  • anete vasquez.
     is Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction. She teaches courses in English/language arts and general education in the Department of Secondary & Middle Grades Education. Her research interests include all aspects of the clinical preparation of teachers, particularly in the area of preparing teacher candidates to work with diverse learners. You can find more information at 
  • connie lane.
    Mrs. Lane is the Grants & Special Projects Manager at the Bagwell College of Education. She assists faculty in obtaining grants to further their research, and leads media-driven special projects.
  • lateefah id deen.
    Dr. Lateefah Id-Deen is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Elementary & Early Childhood Education at the Kennesaw State University. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education at Michigan State University, with foci in Mathematics Education and Urban Education. Her research examines marginalized students鈥 perspectives on their experiences in mathematics classrooms, and ways to support educators in hearing and developing practice in relation to students鈥 expressed interests. Further, she investigates instructional practices that promote student-teacher relationships, affirm mathematics identities and cultivate belongingness to support students鈥 learning experiences in mathematics classrooms. Her research and teaching reflect her passion for creating equitable learning environments for historically marginalized students in mathematics classrooms.
  • megan adams.
    Dr. Megan Adams is an Associate Professor of Reading Education and Co-Director of the Academy for Language and Literacy at Kennesaw State University. Her research interests focus on qualitative inquiries into issues impacting marginalized communities, students, and teachers.
  • april munson.
    April Munson is Professor of Art Education for the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, as well as an MA and BA from the University of Kentucky. Her areas of expertise include assessment, evaluation, distance learning, and qualitative research methodology. Her work has been published in journals such as Qualitative Research in Education, Comunicar, International Journal of Information and Education Technology and the International Journal for Education in the Arts. Her research has been part of conference proceedings for the National Art Education Association, International Congress for Qualitative Inquiry, the American Evaluation Association, and the International Conference on Distance Learning and Education.You can find more information at     .
  • sanjuana rodriguez.
    Dr. Sanjuana Carrillo Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Reading and Literacy Education and Co-Director of the Academy for Language and Literacy at Kennesaw State University. Her research interests include early literacy development of culturally and linguistically diverse students, Latinx children's literature, and the experiences of Latinx teachers and pre-service teachers.
  • paula guerra.
    Dr. Paula Guerra is a Professor of Mathematics Education. She teaches math methods courses, and equity of education courses in the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department. Her researcher interests include the experiences of Latinos (specially Latinas) learning mathematics, teaching and learning mathematics for social justice, and the experiences of Latinos completing their teaching preparation program.
  • jim wright.
    Jim Wright is an Instructional Technologist and Associate Professor at Kennesaw State University. Using a mixed method approach, his research agenda focused on teaching and learning, technology integration in the classroom, and the design, development, and delivery of online instruction. In addition, Jim has an interest in developing multicultural competencies with international activities in Poland, Thailand, Ghana, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Belize. Jim holds degrees from the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt University, and Kennesaw State University. 
  • parandoosh sadgehinia.
    Dr. Parandoosh Boger-Sadeghinia, Research Associate at the Interactive Research Method Lab (IRML), holding Ph.D. in Curriculum Development and Instruction with a focus on Adult Education and her MA in Adult Education with a focus on Human Resource Development and Leadership from the University of South Florida (USF).
    Her research focuses are on the effectiveness of high-impact practices-based co-curricular activities in higher education, adult development, and adult learning. She previously served in different roles at the University of South Florida where she was involved in designing co-curricular activities such as Operation: Global Action, the Maternal Child Health Undergraduate Pathway Program, along with the evaluation and development of Global Competency Test. She additionally served as adjunct faculty at the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College, where she designed and instructed upper-level courses on Global Competency and UN Sustainable Development Goals, Human Sustainability, and Comparative Literature.
    Dr. Boger鈥檚 commitment to innovative education and interdisciplinary approaches highlights her dedication to enriching the educational experience for learners and contributing to the field's advancement. She advocates the importance of creating safe environment for learners that advances ongoing learning and skill development, to elevate their educational and professional goals. She believes IRML serves as a space that encourages and supports this continuous learning journey.
  • is a postdoctoral fellow from the University of A Coru帽a (Spain). In 2018, she got a FPU predoctoral fellowship by the Spanish Ministry of Science,
    carolina rodriguez llorente.
    Innovation and Universities to complete her PhD. Her dissertation was defended at the University of A Coru帽a in July 2023 and she received the qualification of Outstanding Cum Laude with International Mention. She has been a member of the  (GIPED) of the University of A Coru帽a for five years. Carolina is visiting BCOE at Kennesaw State University for a year, where she will conduct a research project on family involvement and the confidence and self-regulation of students with learning disabilities in collaboration with the IRML. She has already completed two international research stays at the Escola de Psicologia de la Universidade do Minho (Portugal) with Dr. Pedro Ros谩rio and Kyoto University (Japan) with Dr. Emmanuel Manalo. Now she hopes to continue her research training at the IRML thanks to a postdoctoral fellowship from the Xunta de Galicia (Spain). View her CV at .
  • Dr. Roc铆o Gonz谩lez Su谩rez is a Fulbright Postdoctoral Researcher at Kennesaw State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of A Coru帽a, Spain. Her research focuses on student motivation, self-regulation, and the impact of instructional feedback on learning. She seeks to deepen our understanding of how self-regulation and motivation processes shape students' academic performance and overall well-being. Using a mixed-methods approach, her work explores how feedback, motivation and self-regulation strategies contribute to both academic success and personal growth. Driven by a commitment to advancing education, Dr. Gonz谩lez Su谩rez is dedicated to developing practices that optimize learning processes and foster greater student engagement.
  • casiana maye.
    Casiana Maye is the IRML's GRA. She is from Equatorial Guinea, and graduated from high school at IES Cardenal Cisneros in Alcala de Henares, Spain. Then, she graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in Finance. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Information Technology with a concentration in Data Analytics at KSU as well.
  • rachel barlev.
    Rachel Barlev graduated from Kennesaw State University with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is currently perusing her Master of Social Work degree at Kennesaw State University. She is passionate about helping vulnerable individuals through trauma related therapy.

  • chandana saribala.
    Chandana Saribala is Graduate Research Assistant at the Interactive Research methods Lab, Kennesaw State University. She holds a post-graduate in Data Science & Engineering (Great Lakes Institute of Management Bangalore), and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Engineering (Madanapalle Institute of Technology & Sciences). She is currently pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Computer Science at KSU. She is a team-oriented problem solver expert in Python and Java programming, as well as in statistical modelling. More information about her work can be found in the following links: 

  • bhuvanesh gangisetty.
    Bhuvanesh has worked as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) for the IRML in Summer 2024 and Fall 2024. As an expert in UI/UX design and web development, he has helped members of IRML build web pages with library resources. He's worked in close collaboration with the BCOE college webmaster.

    He has 3 years of professional experience in UI/UX design and front-end development, with proficiency in tools and technologies such as Adobe XD, Figma, React.js, Next.js, Angular, AWS, OMNI CMS, C++, and Python. 

    He recently completed his Master鈥檚 in Computer Science at Kennesaw State University, where he achieved a 4.0/4.0 GPA and was honored as a member of the College of Computing and Software Engineering's 4.0 Club.

 

 Publications

    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Steiner, H. H., Koz, O. (2023). Hopscotch 4-SoTL: An open Access Framework and Webtool for generating Well-Informed Research Designs. In San Mart铆n Alonso, A., Gallardo Fern谩ndez, I.M. y Peirats Chac贸n, J. (coords.). Libro de Actas. XXIX Jornadas Internacionales Universitarias de Tecnolog铆a Educativa. Aprender entre im谩genes y pantallas (pp.  593-598). NauLlibres. ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Gaines, R., Vasquez, A., Chang, M., Koz, O.,Kim, J. (2021). Developing the Interactive Research methods Lab 4-Teachers. In Garc铆a-Valc谩rcel Mu帽oz Repiso, A. & Casillas Mart铆n, S. (Eds.), Nuevos Horizontes para la Digitalizaci贸n Sostenible en Educaci贸n (pp. 265-276). Dykinson.
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Fontana Abad, M., & Rubia Avi, B. (2021). Investigar en educaci贸n. S铆ntesis.
    • Castej贸n, J. L., N煤帽ez, J. C., Gilar-Corbi, R., Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., eds. (2021). New Challenges in the Research of Academic Achievement: Measures, Methods, and Results. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88966-507-5 ()()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2023). The Interactive Research Methods Lab: A Hub for the Promotion of Educational Change based on Methodological Equity. Revista Electr贸nica Interuniversitaria de Formaci贸n del Profesorado, 26(2), 1-16. DOI: 
    • Chang M., Gaines R., and Mosley, K. (2022) Effects of Autonomy Support and Emotion Regulation on Teacher Burnout in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. 
    • Id-Deen, L., Ebanks, R., & Cirillo, M. (2022). From Green Book to Gradebook, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 115(5), 330-338. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from 
    • Chang, M.-L., Gaines, R. E., & Mosley, K. C. (2022). Effects of autonomy support and emotion regulation on teacher burnout in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, Educational Psychology, online first. 
    • Jorr铆n Abell谩n, I. M., Vasquez, A., & Gaines, R. E. (2020). Co-designing Research Methods Lesson Plans in the Interactive Research Methods Lab. Edutec. Revista Electr贸nica De Tecnolog铆a Educativa, (74), 51-71. 
    • Chang, M., Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Wright, J., Kim, J., Gaines, R.E. (2020) "Do Advanced Degrees Matter? A Multiphase Mixed-Methods Study to Examine Teachers鈥 Obtainment of Advanced Degrees and the Impact on Student and School Growth," Georgia Educational Researcher, 17 (1), Article 5. Available at: 
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2019). Rayuela 2.0: Una herramienta para promocionar la labor innovadora de maestros y maestras mediante la generaci贸n de dise帽os de investigaci贸n rigurosos. Revista Latinoamericana de Tecnolog铆a Educativa, 18 (1), 23-39.
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M. (2019) "Hopscotch 2.0: an enhanced version of the Model for the Generation of Research Designs in Social Sciences and Education," Georgia Educational Researcher, 16 (1). ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M. (2016) "Hopscotch Building: A Model for the Generation of Qualitative Research Designs," Georgia Educational Researcher: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 4. DOI: 10.20429/ger.2016.130104. ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Steiner, H. H., Koz, O. (2022, June 15-17) Hopscotch 4-SoTL: An open Access Framework and Webtool for generating Well-Informed Research Designs. . Valencia, Spain, June.
    • Vasquez, A., Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Chang, M., Koz, O.(2022, May 19-20). Hopscotch and the Interactive Research Methods Lab. . Atlanta (GA), USA, May.
    • Camilli Trillo, C.,  Asensio Mu帽oz, I.,  Fontana Abad, M., Navarro Asencio, E., Mateos Gordo, P., Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M.  (2022, June 14-17). Necesidades, fortalezas y dificultades en la elaboraci贸n de revisiones sistem谩ticas en estudiantes universitarios de Educaci贸n. . Santiago de Compostela , Spain, June.
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M., Gaines, R., Vasquez, A., Chang, M., Koz, O.,Kim, J. (2021, June 24-25) Interactive Research Methods Lab 4-Teachers: A Professional Development Tool to help Teachers鈥 use of research-based practices and data-driven decision making. . Salamanca, Spain, June.
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M. (2020, Apr 17-21) Two Open Science Initiatives to Help Novice Teacher-Researchers Develop Research Designs [Symposium]. AERA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA. ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I. M.; Gaines, R., Koz, O., Chang, M., Kim, J.,Lane, C. (2019) "The Interactive Research Methods Lab: a Hands-on Innovative Space for the Teaching and Learning of Research Methods in Education" (2019). . ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M.,Koz, O., Gaines,R., Chang, M., Vasquez, A., (2019) Interactive Research Methods Lab: una iniciativa transformadora para fomentar la innovaci贸n reflexiva en las aulas (Interactive Research Methods Lab: a transformative initiative to promote reflective innovation in the classroom). . Santander, Spain, June. (178-184) ()
    • Chang, M., Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M., Kim, J., Wright, J. (2018). "Does Advanced Degree Matter? A Multiphase Mixed Methods Study to Examine Teacher Obtainment of Advanced Degree and Its Impact on Student Growth and Schools." The Georgia Educational Research Association (GERA) Meeting. Macon (GA), USA, October 2018. ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2015). 鈥淗opscotch Building: a Model for the Generation of Qualitative Research Designs鈥 The Georgia Educational Research Association (GERA) Meeting. Savannah (GA), USA, October 2015.

  • Keynotes:

    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2020) "Desterrando modas-Aprendiendo a investigar: Dos herramientas tecnol贸gicas para el fomento de la cultura investigadora en los maestros/as" (Banishing fashions-Learning to investigate: Two tools for the promotion of teacher's research culture.) I International Congress of Educational Psychology, Coru帽a (Spain), December. ()
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2017) "Building Hopscotch: A Model and a Webtool to develop qualitative research designs" (Construyendo Rayuela: Un modelo y herramienta web para el dise帽o de investigaciones cualitativas.) International Congress of Psychology, Health and Education, Oviedo (Spain), November. 
    • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2016) 鈥淲here Research Ideas and Inspiration Come from: Lessons Learned Through my Personal Journey in Academia.鈥 Dean麓s Speaker Series. Kennesaw State University, November. 

    International workshops

    • December 15, 2021-Universidad de C谩diz (Spain): 
    • December 1 & 14, 2021- (Spain): Rayuela y el "magic lab": Dos herramientas para la generaci贸n de dise帽os de investigaci贸n en Educaci贸n ()
    • December 3, 2021-Universidad de M谩laga (Spain): Rayuela: Un modelo y Herramienta web para la generaci贸n de dise帽os de investigaci贸n cualitativos (Hopscotch: A Model and Webtool for the generation of Qualitative Research designs) ()
    • October 19,  2021- Universidad Aut贸noma de Madrid (Spain): Estudio de Caso en Investigaci贸n Cualitativa (Case Studies in Qualitative Research)  ()
    • June 2021 - Visit to Universidad de la Coru帽a (Spain) (): On June 14th, 15th, and 16 we had the pleasure of delivering the workshops: Introduction to Qualitative Research, and Data Analysis in Qualitative Research. 
    • June 2019 - Visit to Universidad de la Coru帽a (Spain): During the first week of June we had the pleasure of delivering the workshop "Qualitative Research in Psychology and Education" (La Investigaci贸n Cualitativa en Psicolog铆a y Educaci贸n) at . We were invited by the doctoral program "" (Desenvolvemento Psicol贸xico, Aprendizaje e Sa煤de) and the .
    • November 2018 - Visit to Universidad del Rosario (Colombia): We had the chance of visiting  (Colombia), where we delivered the following sessions and workshops: 
      • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2018) Pasos y Componentes en la Construcci贸n del Marco Conceptual de una Investigaci贸n. Universidad del Rosario (Colombia) (11/13/2018)
      • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2018) Donde Residen la Inspiraci贸n y las Buenas Ideas de Investigaci贸n: Lecciones aprendidas en mi viaje personal en la academia. Invited presentation at Universidad del Rosario (Colombia).  (11/14/2018)
      • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2018) Proceso de creaci贸n de cursos online en Kennesaw State University. Invited presentation at Universidad del Rosario (Colombia). 11/22/2018
      • Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, I.M. (2018) Rayuela: Un modelo y herramienta web para la generaci贸n de dise帽os de investigaci贸n. Universidad Konrad Lorenz (Colombia). Invited workshop at Universidad Konrad Lorenz. 11/20/2018

The Interactive Research Methods Lab in the News

  • We are really happy to see the work of our colleague  featured/reviewed in "Teaching and Learning Inquiry", the top interdisciplinary SoTL journal. Also very proud to see the impact that Hopscotch 4-SoTL is having in the community in such a short period of time!