LETHA
Research Practices
Scholarly works
Book Chapters
Farber, M., Williams, M. K., Mellman, L. & Yu, X. (2020). Systems at play: Game design as an approach for teen self-expression. Journal of Games, Self, and Society, 2(1).Rivers, Susan E.; Dunlap, Kelli (2020): Journal of Games, Self, & Society, Vol. 1, No. 2. Carnegie Mellon University. Book. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/12215417.v2
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Manuscripts in Preparation
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Mellman, L., Williams, M. K., & Slykhuis, D. (Revise and resubmit for publication). Transforming Teacher’s Online Pedagogical Reasoning for Teaching K-12 Students in Virtual Learning Environments: Using Generation Z’s Learning Approaches to Create Meaningful Online Learning. Editors Niess, & Gillow-Wiles, H. IGI Global.
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Williams, M. K. & Mellman, L. (in preparation). Perception to Practice: Definitions of Creativity by Preservice Teachers. (target: Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education)
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Williams, M. K., & Mellman, L. (in preparation). Education Students’ Definitions of Creativity in Education: Developing Common Ground to Embrace Shifting Educational Contexts. Creative Education.
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CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
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Watts, J., Gibson, R., Bull, G., Nguyen R., & Mellman, L. (2022, April 11-15). Creating Music Through Coding [Conference session]. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) Annual Conference, San Diego CA.
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Williams, M. K., & Mellman, L. (2020, November 29 - December 5). Building Awareness of Teens Lived Experience Through Game Design [Conference session]. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Annual Conference, International Society for Technology in Education, Anaheim, CA. https://conference.iste.org/2020/
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Highby, W., Monson, J., Mellman, L., Shawcross, M., & Trembach, S (2020, March 16 - 17). You Are Not Alone: Facilitating a Holistic Graduate Academic Experience through a Dissertation Writing Workshop [Conference panel]. Transforming Libraries to Serve Graduate Students. Kingsport, TN. https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/gradlibconf/2020/ (Conference canceled)
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​Williams, M. K., & Mellman, L. (2019). Education Students’ Definitions of Creativity in Education: Developing Common Ground to Embrace Shifting Educational Contexts. In K. Graziano (Ed.) [Conference presentation]. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 128-133). Las Vegas, NV, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
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Mellman, L., & Bernander, P., (December 10, 2019). Outdoor Recreation Behaviors and Health Status: A Proposed Mixed-Methods Comparative Case Study of Northern Colorado Undergraduates [Poster presentation]. The University of Northern Colorado Biannual Research Evening, Greeley, CO.
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Williams, M. K., Mellman, L., & Farber, M., (October 10, 2019). Studying Game Design as a Critical Pedagogy through Mixed-Methods [Conference presentation]. Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association (NRMERA) Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
Mellman. L.,(June 13, 2019). Motivation and Creativity in the Classroom [Poster presentation]. Innovative Education Colorado (InnEdCO) Annual Conference, Keystone, CO.
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Mellman, L., Bernander, P., & Hamlin, J., (April 30, 2019). Perceptions on How to Improve the Dying Experience According to End-of-Life Care Team Members [Poster presentation]. The University of Northern Colorado Biannual Research Evening, Greeley, CO.
2021-2022
2020
2020 was a big year. I wrote a dissertation. While not many people want to read the whole thing, you might find this interesting!
2019
AACE/SITE Oral Presentation March 2019
Las Vegas, Nevada
I had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Williams and another TIP student to the AACE/SITE conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. I presented with Dr. Williams on the need for a common definition of creativity among educators. Above you can scroll through the slides we used for the presentation.
While we were there we were able to take in the sites and conduct little food research. For mouthwatering burgers and sandwiches, Guy Fieri wins hands down. If you want sensational fries, check out Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen.
Deserts were fantastic everywhere! All these pictures were taken by me at Guy Fieri's.
InnEdCO Poster Presentation June, 2019
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I was invited back to InnEdCo to present a poster presentation in June of 2019.
Oral Research Presentation
UNCO Research Evening Spring 2019.
I presented with two other students at the UNCO Research Evening in the Spring of 2019. The research we presented was conducted in the SRM 680 Introduction to Qualitative Research class, I took the Spring of 2019. We conducted a Qualitative Phenomenological study. What you see on the left is the slides for the presentation at Research Evening.
Rocky Mountain Celebration of Women in Computing Conference
This is the first conference I have attended just to attend. I went with Dr. Williams and another TIP student. It is important to support the women and men who make a difference in the way the world sees and accepts each other. This was a great conference. I learned that conferences are an invaluable component of networking. They are also a fun way to stay up to date with current trends and research. I hope to go to this conference again, as it is located here in Colorado.
Research Subject
I had the opportunity to participate, as a subject, in a study at UNCO looking at the ability to manipulate molecules using VR. The researchers were studying the effect VR manipulation had on a participant's ability to understand and remember molecular makeup.
Research Advisor
I had the opportunity to be an advisor for two young, middle school women. Their science fair experiment involved creating a prototype home that could withstand hurricane-force wind and water.
My part in the project was to provide support, ask questions, and drive the car to hurricane wind speed! The young women decided to build a pyramid-shaped home out of cement. They tested the water by taking the house to a high-pressure sprayer at the car wash. Their idea for testing wind was to hold the house out of the sunroof while driving down the highway.
It was an interesting opportunity for me to apply what I have learned and offer guidance without imposing my beliefs and ideas on the researchers.
UNC & iThrive Game Design Studio
Summer of 2019 I had the unique opportunity to be one of two researchers tasked with collecting notes on the minute by minute experience of the two-week Game Design Studio. This not only caused me to actively apply what I have learned thus far in my doctoral studies, but it also stretched my abilities and sharpened my research skills. The notes and other data collected by researchers are currently being used to explore how today's teens can use games as a way to express themselves and problem solve. As we utilize the notes and other artifacts collected I am learning that detailed notes and rich data make for good research. These are practices that I am incorporating in to my future reserach.
NRMERA
In October of 2019, I traveled to Denver with Dr. Williams and another TIP student to the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association (NRMERA) conference. Dr. Williams and I presented on research we had been working on with Dr. Farber. the other student presented on something else, and we had the opportunity to support each other. The study, Studying Game Design as a Critical Pedagogy through Mixed Methods is one of the papers we are working on with the data from the Game Design Studio. While the game design as a critical pedagogy is interesting to me, it is the creative and innovative pedagogy associated with game design that I thrive on. Innovative and creative pedagogy are the topics I hope to continue to pursue as I continue my academic and professional careers.
Poster Research Presentation
UNCO Research Evening Spring 2019.
At the culmination of SRM 660, Mixed Methods Research, another student and I presented a poster on our proposed study: Outdoor Recreation Behaviors and Health Status: A Proposed Mixed-Methods Comparative Case Study of Northen Colorado Undergraduates. We presented at Research Evening at the University of Northern Colorado. While our topic has nothing to do with my field of interest, I am interested in how health influences education. This research also gave me experience with mixed-method research. I would not be surprised to see mixed-method studies in my future.
2018
Research Subject and Advisor
During the fall of 2018 I had the opportunity to advise two middle schoolers with their science fair research. These two fantastic young women wanted to test washing hands. They created three different soaps. One that had abrasives, one that had hand sanitizer, and one that was a plain soap. They hypothesized the final outcomes and prepared to test that hypothesis. They asked me to be the handwashing subject. I was asked to dirty my hands with dirt and then wash them three separate times. The pictures on the left show my hands in a blacklight (to pick up the dirty spots best). The girls recorded each washing and cleaning and compared them. They then compiled a report and presented their findings at the science fair. They were asked to compete in the state science fair.
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InnEdCo Poster Presentation 2018
This Poster was created for the Summer 2018 InnEdCo poster presentation in Keystone, CO. I had the opportunity to research with the guidance of Dr. Mia Kim Williams. I then had the opportunity to present my findings at the conference. While she did not present with me, she was available throughout my learning process to answer questions and offer support.
