About

Dr. Daniel Kelly is an Assistant Professor of Technology, Design, and Engineering Education in the Department of STEM Education at NC State University, where he has served since 2023. He also functions as the graduate program coordinator for Technology and Engineering Education and is affiliated with the Engineering Education Program, a joint venture with the College of Engineering. His research focuses on increasing access to STEM education for students who are historically underrepresented in Technology and Engineering fields, as well as improving academic outcomes for students at high risk of not completing their education. This work spans both K-12 and higher education settings, with particular emphasis on engagement and access for students with limited or no access to high-quality STEM activities. Dr. Kelly's efforts include working with children in foster care and youth involved with the criminal and juvenile justice systems. He received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant to collaborate with incarcerated and justice-involved youth, integrating programming and robotics activities with social and emotional learning to enhance STEM access and interest, with the aim of reducing recidivism.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics education
• Psychology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Engineering management
• Software engineering
• Surgery
• Computer graphics (images)
• Human–computer interaction
• Medicine
• Multimedia

Selected publications

• Assessing Academic Progress in First-Year Engineering and First-Generation College Students Through Engineering Design Graphics Courses

  2025-08-21

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Supporting Student Persistence in Engineering Graphics through Active Learning Modules

  2024 · 2 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics education

  Kelly studies how STEM education and engagement can improve the educational out-

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Understanding Factors of Engineering Student Persistence Using Predictive Modeling

  2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings · 2024-02-20

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Student persistence in higher education is a topic of discussion in the academic literature and within our colleges and universities.This is especially relevant as university programs continue to focus on equity, inclusion, and support for student populations that are historically underrepresented in higher education and within specific disciplines.Engineering education has been attempting to address these issues for some time and with the graduation rates for engineering programs averaging up to 50%, understanding why students stay or leave these programs is crucial information.The reasons students persist or leave higher education programs are important data points for any university program.However, traditional statistical analysis methods may not be robust or accessible enough to understand and communicate these factors.To determine these factors, machine learning and predictive analysis software were employed to examine these factors of persistence for engineering education students.Dozens of variables including academic scores, non-cognitive and skill-based assessments, and demographic information for 300 students in an introductory engineering graphics course were used to develop a model capable of predicting whether a student will persist with nearly 94% accuracy.This research indicated that age, gender, three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy, and parental career were the most influential factors of persistence.Using this information, combined with the theoretical underpinnings of these constructs, may provide areas in which to focus and specifically target in order to improve persistence rates in engineering education.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Educators’ knowledge of and perceptions towards students with autism in Nigeria

  International Journal of Developmental Disabilities · 2024-06-03 · 3 citations

  article

  Global research about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly important as the disorder occurs across cultures and geographical regions. Literature indicates that there were no studies conducted among Nigerian educators about their knowledge of and perceptions towards ASD. This study surveyed 477 secondary school Nigerian educators to examine the knowledge and perceptions of ASD. The results showed that educators had high levels of awareness in the knowledge domain and low levels of awareness in the perception domain. In addition, results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between educators who received prior training or college education in ASD and their current knowledge of ASD. Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship between educators who are certified in Applied Behaviour Analysis and the knowledge of ASD. Conversely, the relationship between current educators of students with ASD (who have experience as their only training), and the knowledge of ASD was significantly negatively related. Results are discussed and implications for research and practice are provided.

  PublisherDOI

• Facilitative Teaching Utilizing Active Learning Modules in Engineering Graphics: A Model for Promoting Success and Engagement in Technology and Engineering Education

  Journal of Technology Education · 2023-01-27

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Success in post-secondary engineering graphics courses in technology andengineering often relies on self-efficacy, academic success, and mental rotationabilities. Using a facilitative instructor model, the Improving UndergraduateSTEM Education (IUSE) team applied active learning modules as supplementalmaterial at two post-secondary institutions in the United States of America, thenused a quasi-experimental design iterative study approach to investigate impactsin an introductory engineering graphics course. Active learning modules werecomposed of ten units that engaged students through relatable examples andpractices of foundational principles and applications of engineering graphics thatare heavily applicable to the Standards for Technological and EngineeringLiteracy. The modules were presented to students through an online learningmanagement system that encouraged elements of self-regulated learning.Measurements of self-efficacy, mental rotation ability, and academic successwere gathered. Differences in academic and non-academic indicators wereexamined in combination with students at risk of non-matriculation and studentsnot at risk of non-matriculation subgroups. Results from paired t-tests supportedprevious findings that there are positive impacts of supplemental materialsavailable to students. Students at risk of non-matriculation benefited from thecombination of active learning modules and supplementary video tutorialsresulting in greater self-efficacy and higher final exam scores than at-riskstudents whose modules did not include video tutorials. Students not at risk ofnon-matriculation had higher levels of self-efficacy and mental rotation abilitywhen video tutorials were not included. With this information, engineering,engineering education, and other STEM programs can model elements of activelearning modules to promote early student success in both subgroups.Furthermore, the IUSE team has published the material through open access foreducators and students to utilize.

  PublisherDOI

• A mixed methods evaluation of the implementation of 'Freedom to Speak Up Guardians' in NHS England acute trusts and mental health trusts

  ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) · 2021-07-14

  articleSenior author

• Keyhole Surgical Approaches for Skull Base and Other Intracranial Meningiomas: Technical Nuances and Clinical Outcomes in 177 Patients

  Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B Skull Base · 2021-02-01

  articleSenior author

  Introduction: Intracranial meningioma treatment has evolved with increased use of endonasal and other minimally invasive keyhole routes often aided by endoscopy. As this concept remains controversial, we present 90-day and long-term outcomes, and assess the value of endoscopy.

  PublisherDOI

• Active Learning in Engineering Graphics: An Analysis of Self-Efficacy for At-Risk and Not At-Risk Students

  Engineering design graphics journal · 2020-06-23 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Part of a more extensive National Science Foundation-funded study, this study presents the findings and analysis of the effect on three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy (3DSE) by the inclusion of online active learning modules (ALM). Using multiple datasets, we found that the use of ALM in an introductory engineering graphics course, closed a gap in 3DSE scores between majority and minority students, populations historically underrepresented in engineering. Although limited to a single university, the results support that the inclusion of active online learning may address an important construct known to be a factor in academic success and persistence in engineering.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the PSVT: R with Data from Engineering Design Graphics Students

  Engineering design graphics journal · 2020-06-23 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT: R) is a widely used assessment of spatial ability. In this report, the factor structure of the PSVT: R test items was examined through confirmatory factor analysis with data from 541 engineering design graphics students. Stata 15 and Mplus 8.2 statistical software were used to examine a hypothesized 30 item one-factor model. Upon initial examination, data from engineering design graphics students produced a poor model-fit for the hypothesized one-factor 30 item model in both statistical programs. Respecified one-factor models with 10 test items and eight test items produced acceptable model-fit for the data employing Stata 15 and Mplus 8.2, respectively.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• <p>Reliability and Validity for a 3-D Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale for Pre-College Students</p>

  The Journal of Technology Studies · 2020-04-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Engineering graphics education has long been a required component of technology and engineering education at the university level. In middle and high schools, the number of computer-aided design (CAD) programs continue to proliferate and grow. Lacking in the research related to these programs is the effect on non-cognitive factors such as self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a predictor of success and perseverance and is an important consideration in technology and engineering education. This research investigates the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure the three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy among middle and high school students.
 This study found the Three-Dimensional Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale to be a reliable measure within this population with strong evidence of validity. Based on these findings, the scale was revised, and recommendations for future study were made. This research begins to fill a gap not only in research related to engineering graphics self-efficacy but also within a pre-college population, especially those who are historically underrepresented in engineering disciplines, in this case, female students.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Aaron C. Clark

  Xi'an Aeronautical University

  31 shared

• Jeremy V. Ernst

  Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

  28 shared

• Erik Schettig

  North Carolina State University

  14 shared

• Chester F Griffiths

  Pacific Heart Institute

  13 shared

• Garni Barkhoudarian

  12 shared

• Daniel M. Prevedello

  The Ohio State University

  9 shared

• Ricardo L. Carrau

  The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

  8 shared

• V. William DeLuca

  8 shared

Labs

• Technology, Design, and Engineering EducationPI

Awards & honors

• National Science Foundation CAREER grant award