SERA Pilot Study Internal Review: UNCW Research Team

Along with seven research-partner teams across the country, we finished collecting data for the SERA Pilot Study: Science Instruction for Students with Disabilities in 2022. As the SERA Team finishes analyzing outcome data (check back soon for a summary of procedures and findings), we conducted internal reviews with our team and participating research partners to elicit their feedback on the implementation of this crowdsourced research study. Without these research partnerships, our efforts to democratize and accelerate the pace of research through crowdsourcing special education research would not be possible. We value these partnerships and are incredibly grateful for all our SERA Research Partners who participated in the pilot study.

One of the seven research teams we worked with throughout the SERA Pilot Study was the team at University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). The UNCW research team included Dr. Amelia Moody, Dr. James Stocker, Dr. Sharon Richter, and Racheal Gliniak (graduate research assistant).

The following post was written by Drs. Amelia Moody and James Stocker to summarize their experience as SERA Research Partners:


Crowdsourcing in special education research offers opportunities to determine the types of evidence-based interventions that function most effectively and efficiently across diverse populations of students. The Special Education Research Accelerator (SERA) at the University of Virginia welcomes a diverse array of researchers to participate in large-scale replication research. At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, we had the opportunity to engage as a research partner in a crowdsourcing pilot study on science facts. We piloted the study in both rural and urban schools, with the majority of schools located in high-poverty locations. 

We received training materials and videos to guide us through each step of data collection. The SERA team provided extraordinary support, and we found them easily accessible to answer questions throughout the study. We enjoyed problem-solving together to meet the unique needs of our students located in high-poverty areas. In one instance, an urban school had a number of issues related to sharing and collecting information through digital means as well as internet accessibility. Our team identified the barriers and generated solutions alongside the SERA team. We quickly converted to paper format and successfully recruited participants through flyers in backpacks. Also, data collection for each participant occurred via a school liaison versus web-based questionnaires for parents/guardians that had outdated contact information. We quickly realized that when developing large and diverse participant samples, it is critical to have multiple options to meet the needs of each population of students.

We discovered that the SERA team at the University of Virginia accepted and valued our feedback on the pandemic-modified intervention procedure. We delivered the intervention via zoom and provided information back to the SERA team to improve the application and fidelity of the protocol. Overall, we collected a significant amount of data across multiple sites alongside other SERA partners across the country. Our participation allowed SERA to gain data from a more diverse population of participants. The goal of the project was to answer critical questions about how to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. The crowdsourcing process was effective and efficient in meeting this goal.


Click here to view a full list of SERA Research Partners. If you are interested in becoming a SERA Research Partner and learning more about our upcoming studies, please submit a message through our Contact Form and a member of the SERA Team will reach out to you!

Meet Sheila Conway!

Name: Sheila Conway, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: University of Pittsburgh

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Sheila Conway, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Practice in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Sheila coordinates special education teacher preparation programs and teaches within those programs. She is interested in the experiences of novice special education teachers to inform teacher preparation and induction programming. All four of Sheila’s children attend/ed Pitt and stop by her office regularly.

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

As clinical faculty, I find it difficult to lead large independent research projects, given my teaching and administrative responsibilities. As a partner on SERA collaborative projects, I can make contributions in a feasible and impactful manner.


Meet Kimberley Davis!

Name: Kimberley Davis, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: Arkansas State University

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Kimberley Davis, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Special Education and Interim Department Chair in the Department of Educational Leadership, Curriculum, and Special Education at Arkansas State University. She has a B.S. in Secondary Education-Social Studies, a M.Ed. in both Special Education and Educational Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Special Education (Mild Moderate Disabilities). Dr. Davis has served in the field of education as a special education teacher, coordinator, consultant, educational diagnostician, and Special Education director (LEA). Her research interests include multi-tiered levels of intervention and support, teacher preparation, inequities in special education, inclusive practices, and culturally responsive teaching.

Dr. Davis is the proud mother of Autumn Grace, a junior middle level education candidate at Arkansas State University and Aiden Nicholas, a 7th grade student in the  Nettleton Public Schools. She enjoys reading, traveling, and participating in service learning projects in her community.

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

The opportunity to work with the [SERA Science Education Instruction for Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities] project would provide collaborative opportunities to address the needs for students with exceptional learning and behavioral needs through evidence-based interventions and supports.


Meet Michael Dunn!

Name: Michael Dunn, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: Washington State University Vancouver

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Dr. Michael Dunn, is an Associate Professor of Special Education and Literacy at Washington State University Vancouver (near Portland, Oregon). His areas of research interest include: skills/strategies for struggling readers and writers, and response to intervention (an intervention/assessment process for classifying students with a learning disability).

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

My research interests focus on developing interventions and offering them to students to apply in their learning. This project also offers me the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers across the US.


Meet Jared R. Morris!

Name: Jared R. Morris, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: Brigham Young University

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Dr. Jared Morris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education at Brigham Young University. Jared completed his Ph.D. in special education with a minor in educational psychology at The Pennsylvania State University. He also completed a graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis at The Pennsylvania State University. He received a master’s degree in special education from The University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University. Jared taught students with disabilities in a variety of settings for five years.

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

I became interested in SERA seeing a need to help further the research base for students with disabilities. Accelerating research through systematic large scale replications using the SERA model has potential to increase the research base by providing more robust data because of the increased quantity and diversity of the research samples.


Meet Chris J. Lemons!

Name: Chris J. Lemons, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: Stanford University

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Christopher J. Lemons, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Stanford University. His research focuses on improving academic outcomes for children and adolescents with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities. His recent research has focused on developing and evaluating reading interventions for individuals with Down syndrome. His areas of expertise include reading interventions for children and adolescents with learning and intellectual disabilities, data-based individualization, and intervention-related assessment and professional development. Lemons has secured funding to support his research from the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, both within the U.S. Department of Education and from the National Institutes of Health.

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

The idea to crowdsource special education research is innovative and well-aligned with other initiatives focused on open science and replication. This project is moving our field forward in creative, meaningful ways and I’m happy to be involved.


Meet Nathan A. Stevenson!

Name: Nathan A. Stevenson, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: Kent State University

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Dr. Stevenson is an Assistant Professor in the area of mild/moderate educational needs at Kent State University. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in core instruction, classroom management, inclusive practices, and instructional methods for struggling learners. He earned his doctorate in special education from Michigan State University. Dr. Stevenson began his career as an elementary classroom teacher with New York City Public Schools. His research interests include classroom behavior management, inclusive practices, and adoption of evidence-based instruction. 

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

Being a part of SERA is truly a unique opportunity to draw on the collective expertise of scholars and speed the pace of research in critical areas. I am delighted to be working with such a distinguished group of scholars.


Meet Amelia K. Moody!

Pictured from left to right: Amelia K. Moody, Ph.D., James Stocker, Ph.D., and Sharon Richter, Ph.D.

Name: Amelia K. Moody, Ph.D.

Institution/Organization Affiliation: University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Additional Research Team Members: James Stocker, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Sharon Richter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

SERA Research Partner Bio:

Amelia Moody received her Ph.D. in special education from the University of Virginia and currently works as a Professor in the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Moody is the director for the Center for Assistive Technology and serves as a member of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Learning Cooperative. Current grant work surrounds the research of innovative technologies that enhance educational outcomes for children with disabilities, with a focus on students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

What made you interested in partnering with SERA?

Our team is interested in participating in SERA because we are dedicated to improving educational outcomes for students with ASD. This project allows for accelerated data collection on innovative educational interventions in efforts to determine how to best meet the needs of this population of students.