Zhao's Teaching and Learning Lab
Research Areas
- Higher ed. teaching and learning
- Instructor-student relationship
- Undergraduate research skills development
- Open education resources (OER)
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) practices
Lab Projects
- Curating inclusive multi-modal introductory psychology OER content: Interviewing historically underrepresented experts (with OpenStax.org)
- Involving undergraduate students in summer research: assessing research skill gains in an open pedagogical design
- Productive failure: increase undergraduate research skills through ill-structured activities
- What does it look like in therapy?: Using symptommedia.com to enhance clinical teaching and training
Student Projects
- Gender hiring decisions (Jai Earhart)*
- How does that make you feel..chatGPT: Utilizing AI as a Therapeutic Tool (Joshua Milliner)*
- Impact of "big points" on learning outcomes (Jackson Stringham & Gracie Winder)*
- Let chatGPT do the drawings: using AI generated images to enrich OER curriculum (Joshua Milliner)*
- Minority Ethnic Centrality, Affirmation, and Attitudes Toward Mental Health Care (Chandler Peterson & Allyson Barraza)*
*Undergraduate student project leaders
Contact
Interested in joining the lab? Email: Dr. Xin Zhao
About Dr. Xin Zhao
Dr. Zhao joined Weber State Psychological Sciences Faculty in fall 2022. He earned his bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech, and Ph.D. in Combined Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology from Utah State University. His research interests focus on everything higher ed. teaching related. In his spare time, other than keeping up with his two young children, he likes to follow latest happenings with various sports, and read behavioral economic books.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Preston Thomas
Lab Manager / Summer 2024
Jai Earhart
Spring 2024
Jai is a Psychology Major and plans to attend graduate school focusing on Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Social Psychology. Their current research projects focus primarily on mental health, marginalized populations (e.g., nontraditional students, sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic minorities), experiences of microaggressions, and hiring decisions.
Megan Millerberg
Spring 2024
My name is Megan, I am a Psychology Major minoring in Sociology. I plan to attend graduate school and become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. I have participated in research projects focused on diversity, local ethnic minority resilience, LGBTQ+ mental health, and depression. My research interests include mental health in marginalized populations (LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, underprivileged), religiosity, morality, mindfulness, and resilience.
Joshua Milliner
Spring 2025
Aonika Russell
Fall 2023
My name is Aonika, and I am a Psychology Major minoring in Criminal Justice. I plan to attend graduate school in Clinical Psychology or Forensic Psychology. My current research projects focus on mental health, ADHD perceptions, stigma, marginalized populations (e.g., nontraditional students, gender, and racial/ethnic minorities), perfectionism, state-trait anxiety, and teaching styles.
Jackson Stringham
Spring 2025
Jackson is a double major in Psychology & Geography and plans to attend graduate school in Clinical Psych. Even though he does a wide variety of research in the psychology department, he enjoys projects relating to relationships and education the most.
Allyson Barraza
Spring 2022/Lab Alumni
Ally is attending a Ph.D. program in Developmental Psychology at University of Missouri.
Chandler Peterson
Spring 2024/Lab Alumni
Gracie Winder
Fall 2022/Lab Alumni
My name is Gracie and I am a Psychology Major, moving into the field of Industrial and Organizational Psych for my Masters Program. My current research projects focus on a variety of topics including: mental health, minority affirmation, ADHD perceptions, stigma, religiosity, intrinsic motivation, and chronic homelessness.
Lab Pictures
April 13 & 15, 2023
WSU | April 10, 2023
Lab website updated: 10/14/2023