Dr. Gressick earned her Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2012. Her dissertation examined how training in argumentation skills influenced undergraduate students’ scientific reasoning. In 2009 she earned her M.S. in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Her Master’s thesis investigated the distribution of leadership roles in online collaborative learning groups. Prior to graduate school, she spent two years teaching middle school mathematics in the Newport, Rhode Island Public Schools followed by one year working in elementary special education.
Dr. Gressick currently teaches instructional technology and educational psychology courses at IU South Bend. Her research interests include the design and study of educational games, the development of 21st Century skills and competencies, and innovative approaches to online teaching and learning. She is broadly interested in understanding how to best support students’ reasoning and argumentation in social, resource-rich formal and informal learning environments.
In her free time Dr. Gressick enjoys following Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers football, traveling and spending time outdoors. She especially likes returning to her homeland of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to hike and kayak.
Educational Background
- Ph.D. - University of Wisconsin – Madison (2012), Educational Psychology (minor: Curriculum and Instruction)
- M.S. - University of Wisconsin – Madison (2009), Educational Psychology
- B.A. - St. Norbert College (2003), Elementary Education (minor: Mathematics)
Classes Taught
Undergraduate
- EDUC-P 250, General Educational Psychology
- EDUC-W 200, Using Computers in Education
- EDUC-W 310, Integrating Technology in K-12 Classrooms
- EDUC-M 457, Methods of Teaching Senior High – Junior High/Middle School Mathematics
- EDUC-U 100 Threshold Seminar
Graduate
- EDUC-P 510, Psychology in Teaching
- EDUC-P 507: Assessment in Schools
- EDUC-K 501 Adapting Computers for Special Education
- EDUC-K 505: Introduction to Special Education for Graduate Students
Research Interests
- Games and learning
- Online teaching and learning
- 21st Century skill development
- Undergraduate education
Select Recent Publications
Gressick, J. & Langston, J.B. (2019). A reason to play: How a card game improved critical thinking skills for at-risk college students. The Journal of Global Engagement and Transformation, 3(1). Retrieved from https://everypiecematters.com/jget/volume03-issue01/card-game-to-improve-critical-thinking.html
Gressick, J. & Langston, J.B. (2017). The Guilded Classroom: Using Gamification to Engage and Motivate Undergraduates. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(3), 109-123.
Linton, J., Campbell, J.A. & Gressick, J. (2016). What’s in a Word? Assessing Lay Persons’ Definitions and Interpretations of Commonly Used Terms in Alcohol and Drug Treatment: Letter to the Editor. The Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 60(1), 9 – 19.
Gressick, J. (2016). What About the Small Talk? Using Quizzes and SpeedGrader Comments to Foster Individual Dialogue with Students in Online Courses. Quick Hits on Teaching and Learning with Canvas, Volume 1. Retrieved from https://iu.instructure.com/courses/1590235/modules
Gressick, J. & Langston, J.B. (2015). 13 Fallacies: A card game to promote critical thinking in at-risk college students. In Oschner, A., Dietmeier, J., Williams, C.C. & Steinkuehler, C. (Eds.). Games+Learning+Society 11 Conference Proceedings. ETC Press.
Gressick, J. & Derry, S.J. (2014). Adventures in Argument: Training in Argumentation Influences Student Resource Use in Collaborative Meaning. In Polman, J.L., Kyza, E.A., O'Neill, D.K., Tabak, I., Penuel, W.R., Jurow, A. S., O'Connor, K., Lee, T. & D'Amico, L. (Eds.), Learning and Becoming in Practice: International Conference of the Learning Sciences 2014 Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1, pp. 370 - 377). International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Gressick, J., Spitzer, B.A, & Sagarsee, K. (2014). Designing Interactive Scavenger Hunts Using QR Codes. Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology (JoTLT) Volume 3, Number 1.
Select Recent Presentations
Gressick, J., Langston, J.B. & Sullivan, K. Learning Through Gameplay: An Approach to Improving Critical Thinking for At-risk College Students. Presented at the 2017 AERA Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, April 2017.
Gressick, J., Langston, J.B. & Hottois, S. Broken Behaviors: When Game Design Fails. Presented at the North American Gaming and Simulation Association (NASAGA) 2016 Conference, Bloomington, IN, October 29, 2016.
Gressick, J. Serious Fun: How Games Promote Learning for Undergraduates. Presented at The Dean’s Seminar, Indiana University South Bend, March 26, 2016.
Gressick, J. & Langston, J.B. Using A Collaborative Design Challenge to Promote Student Understanding of Motivation Concepts. Presented at the 17th Annual Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Indiana University South Bend, April 1, 2016.
Sullivan, K. & Gressick, J. Designer Babies and Robot Companions: Case Studies to Engage Undergraduates in Critical Thinking, at the 17th Annual Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Indiana University South Bend, April 1, 2016.
Muniz, J.A, Gressick. J., Langston, J.B., Sullivan, K. &. Innovative Pedagogies to Engage the Learner in Writing and Critical Thinking. Presented at the AACU Indiana Faculty Collaboratives Conference, Indianapolis, IN, February 26, 2016.
Gressick, J., Campbell, J.A. Play Therapy and Games: Increasing Techniques and Skills with Clients and Supervisees. Session presented at the 2015 Illinois Counseling Association (ICA) Conference, Skokie, IL, November 14, 2015.
Gressick, J. & Langston, J.B. 13 Fallacies: A card game to promote critical thinking in at-risk college students. Presented at the Games+Learning+Society 11 Conference, Madison, WI, July 10, 2015.