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Biography

Dr. Vasquez is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ with primary responsibilities in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in educational research, educational measurement, and educational statistics. She is the Program Area Leader for the Research Methodology Program. She is also the lead instructor for EDF 3430, Educational Measurement and Evaluation, and Educational Research/ Methods, and oversees all EDF 3430 and EDF 6481 sections across four campuses. She was honored to receive the 2021 Scholar of the Year Award in the College of Education for her contributions to research scholarship within and beyond FAU, and was also recognized as the 2026 and 2024 Distinguished Undergraduate Mentor of the Year for the College of Education. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, including book chapters. She served as the Executive Editor of the and serves on the editorial boards of other peer-reviewed journals and as a reviewer of other journals. Her research focuses on assessment literacy and research capital, as they are critical for supporting individuals in making sense of data and being critical of their knowing, learning, teaching, and inquiry.

Biografía (In Spanish)

La Dra. Vásquez es profesora en el Departamento de Liderazgo Educativo y Metodología de la Investigación de la Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ (FAU), donde sus responsabilidades principales incluyen la impartición de cursos de grado y posgrado en investigación educativa, medición educativa y estadística educativa. Es la directora del Programa de Metodología de la Investigación. Asimismo, es la docente principal de la asignatura EDF 3430 —Medición y Evaluación Educativa, e Investigación/Métodos Educativos— y supervisa todas las secciones de los cursos EDF 3430 y EDF 6481 en cuatro campus. Fue galardonada con el premio «Investigadora del Año 2021» (Scholar of the Year) en la Facultad de Educación por sus contribuciones a la investigación, tanto dentro como fuera de la FAU; además, fue reconocida como «Mentora Distinguida de Estudiantes de Grado del Año» en la Facultad de Educación en 2024 y 2026. Ha publicado más de 30 artículos revisados por pares, incluyendo capítulos de libros.  Se desempeñó como editora ejecutiva del *Florida Journal of Educational Research*, forma parte de los consejos editoriales de otras revistas científicas —sometidas a revisión por pares— y actúa como revisora ​​para diversas publicaciones. Su investigación se centra en la alfabetización en evaluación y el capital de investigación, elementos fundamentales para ayudar a las personas a interpretar los datos y a adoptar una postura crítica respecto a su propio conocimiento, aprendizaje, enseñanza e indagación.

Education

• Ph.D Education (Educational Leadership and Organizational Development), University of Louisville
• M. Ed. (Occupational Training and Development), University of Louisville
• Licenciatura. (Translation and Interpretation), Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón (UNIFE)
• Bachiller (Translation and Interpretation), Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón (UNIFE)

International Work

Invited Professor at the University of Malaya (2017 & 2010) Lecture Topic: Assessment Literacy & Research Methods Literacy.

Invited Professor at Universidad Católica de Santa Maria (UCSM) (2019), Arequipa, Perú. Lecture Topic: Introducción a una Revisión Sistemática

UCSM Doctoral Students and Faculty in the Health Science Programs. I am in the middle, 1st row

Key Professional Appointments

Associate Professor (2017 to present). Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ, Boca Raton, FL

Assistant Professor (2011- 2017). Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ, Boca Raton, FL

Instructor (2007-2010). Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ, Boca Raton, FL

Selected Publications

1. Vásquez-Colina, M. D., Pappas, D., & Barakat, M. (2026). A mixed methods study of Hispanic parents’ educational experiences during times of crisis. Journal of Latinos and Education, 1–17.

2. Gonzalez-DeHass, A. R., J. M. Furner, M. D. Vásquez-Colina, M.D., and J. D. Morris (2026). Student Willingness to Pursue STEM: The Role of Students' Goals, Self-Regulated Learning, Self-Efficacy, and Parental Involvement. School Science and Mathematics,1–10. .

3. Vásquez-Colina, M.D., and J. D. Morris (2026). Student Willingness to Pursue STEM: The Role of Students' Goals, Self-Regulated Learning, Self-Efficacy, and Parental Involvement. School Science and Mathematics,1–10. .

4. Gonzalez-DeHass. A. R., Furner, J. M., Vásquez-Colina, M. D., & Morris, J. D. (2024). Undergraduate students’ math anxiety: The role of mindset, achievement goals, and parents. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 22, 1037–1056.

5. Vásquez-Colina, M., & Morris, J. D. (2023). The case of the mommy network: Getting to know about educational assessment. The Educational Forum, 87(4), 404–421.

6. Vásquez-Colina, M. (2023). Teachers know, but we do too: The case of Mayan parents’ assessment knowledge. Journal of Latinos and Education, 2(1), 57–69.

7. Morris, J. D., Lieberman, M., & Vásquez-Colina, M. (2023). Responsible partialling. General Linear Model Journal, 47(2), 29-37.

8. Coulson-Johnston, K. &, Salinas, C., Jr., & Vásquez-Colina, M. (2022). A document analysis of community college published scholarship about Native American students and Tribal colleges and universities, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 46(7), 511–524.

9. Vásquez-Colina, M., & Morris, J. D. (2022) Hispanic parents’ self-evaluation on assessment knowledge. Journal of Latinos and Education, 21(2), 108–114.

10. Vásquez-Colina, M., Shatara, L. &, & Meredith, T. L. (2022). A mixed-method research study of dual enrolled students’ experiences in a research course: Research capital development? Journal of Advanced Academics, 33(1), 104–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X211056551

Research Interest

My research interests include assessment literacy, classroom assessment methods, and the use of standardized assessment in multicultural educational contexts, especially Hispanic parents and other minorities. My scholarship, dedicated to informing students, parents, and decision makers about the importance of assessment and making data-driven decisions, is also informed by my experiences as an international student, immigrant Latino woman, as well as, by the authenticity of my current experiences as an interpreter, teacher, and mother.

I view myself as someone who is adept in interpreting assessment language for others. As a teacher, I assist others to understand research designs and advocate for the use of curriculum aligned assessment. My quest for knowledge has gradually led me to speak the methodological languages of quantitative and qualitative data analysis and to embrace a critical epistemology that has strengthened my educational philosophy and skills.

Agenda de Investigación

Mi agenda de investigación incluye: la alfabetización de la evaluación, los métodos de evaluación en el aula y el uso de la evaluación estandarizada en contextos educativos multiculturales, especialmente referente a padres hispanos y otras minorías. Mi pensamiento crítico, dedicado a informar a estudiantes, padres y responsables de la toma de decisiones en cuanto a evaluaciones y la toma de decisiones basadas en datos, también se basa en mis experiencias como estudiante internacional, mujer latina inmigrante, así como en la autenticidad de mis experiencias actuales como intérprete, profesora y madre.

Me considero una persona experta en interpretar el lenguaje de la evaluación para los demás. Como profesora, ayudo a otros a comprender los diseños de investigación y defiendo el uso de la evaluación alineada con el plan de estudios. Mi búsqueda del conocimiento me ha llevado gradualmente a hablar las lenguas metodológicas de los métodos cuantitativos y cualitativos, y a adoptar una epistemología crítica que ha fortalecido mi filosofía y habilidades educativas.

Research

A Systematic Review of Hispanic Undergraduate Students’ Academic Achievement at HSIs

This project examines academic performance variables as well as students’ characteristics for undergraduate students at Hispanic Serving Institutions in the United States

Artificial Intelligence uses within Classroom Assessment: A Systematic Literature Review

This project reviews empirical sources examining technology skills, tech literacy and the use of artificial intelligence in classroom assessment among K-12 educators. Data from this review comes from empirical sources published in bibliographic databases published in English and Spanish.

Classroom Assessment and Methodology Research Lab (CAMeRL)

Classroom assessment is part of every K-20 educational curriculum. It includes the utilization of formative and summative assessment and feedback to enhance learning. Dr. Vasquez’s lab focuses on improving the understanding of validity, fairness and assessment literacy through the discussion of assessment methods and utilization of educational technology and tools. In addition, her lab seeks to utilize and enhance research methodology understanding to develop research protocols in multidisciplinary research.

Dr. Vásquez’s group is currently investigating

• Academic performance variables as well as students’ characteristics for undergraduate students at Hispanic Serving Institutions in the United States
• Artificial intelligence uses within classroom assessment

Research Methodology program and support unit within the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology (ELRM) at the College of Education offers a wide variety of classes in Introduction to Multidisciplinary Research, Research Methods, Mentorship and Grants, Field Research, Educational Measurement and Evaluation, Educational Research, Advanced Research, Educational Statistics and Advanced Educational Statistics.

Teaching

Courses Taught

• EDF 3430 – Measurement and Evaluation in Education

• EDF 6432 – Measurement

• EDF 6481 – Educational Research

• STAT 6113 – Educational Statistics

Research Opportunities

• EDF 4916 – Direct Independent Research

Research Interest Keywords

Program Evaluation, Curriculum Alignment, Assessment Literacy, AI Literacy, Pre-service Teachers, In-service Teachers, Parent Involvement, Math Anxiety, Research Anxiety

Research Methods Keywords

Mixed-method Research, Integration Of Quantitative And Qualitative Methods, Regressions, Mean Differences, Survey Research, Correlational Research, Systematic Reviews, SPSS, Criterion, Rayyan, Zotero

Software Used in Your Research

SPSS, Qualtrics, R, Criterion, Rayyan, Zotero