Joshua Wilson

Dr. Joshua Wilson is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, specializing in improving writing instruction through automated evaluation systems. His research focuses on leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning, particularly in K-12 settings, and he has secured over $3.4 million in grants from federal, foundation, and industry sponsors. He coordinates the M.Ed. in Exceptional Child and Youth program and teaches courses on elementary special education methods.

• Education: Ph.D. in Special Education (University of Connecticut, 2014), M.S. in Special Education (Southern Connecticut State University, 2005), B.A. in Religion (Wesleyan University, 2000).
• Professional Experience: Joined University of Delaware in 2014 as Assistant Professor, promoted to Associate Professor in 2020.

His research interests include automated writing evaluation systems, formative assessment, and the intersection of technology with writing pedagogy. He has published in top journals such as Computers & Education and sits on the editorial boards of Gifted Child Quarterly and Journal of Educational Psychology.

Recent grants include a $1.49M project on Efficacy of “MI Write” Automated Writing Evaluation (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2020) and a $399,999 study on researcher-practitioner partnerships in writing assessment (U.S. Department of Education, 2017–2021).

• Awards: 2019 Gerard J. Mangone Young Scholars Award (Social Sciences/Humanities), 2017 Dean’s Faculty Research Award, 2015 Harris Kahn Dissertation Award.

Wilson’s work emphasizes the practical application of AI tools to address writing proficiency gaps and improve educational outcomes for diverse student populations.