Carla Firetto

Carla M. Firetto is an associate professor of educational psychology in the Division of Teacher Preparation in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The overarching focus of her research aims to facilitate learners’ high-level comprehension of complex texts and content through the use of small-group discussions. Dr. Firetto's research in this area also focuses on identifying the individual differences that account for variation in learners’ ability to comprehend and integrate between multiple, complex texts as well as the mechanisms that promote learners’ comprehension and integration processes. 

Recent Publications 

Firetto, C. M., Murphy, P. K., Starrett, E., Herman, E. A., Greene, J. A., Tang, Y., & Yan, L. (2025). Investigating grade-level and text genre effects in Quality Talk discussions: An AI-powered discourse analysis of upper primary students’ high-level comprehension. Learning and Instruction, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102208

Firetto, C. M., Murphy, P. K., Yan, L., & Tang, Y. (2025). AI-Powered coding of elementary students’ small-group discussions about text. Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Works in Progress, 125–134. https://aclanthology.org/2025.aimecon-wip.15

Hyatt, J.-P. K., Bienenstock, E. J., Firetto, C. M., Woods, E. R., & Comus, R. C. (2025). Using aggregated AI detector outcomes to eliminate false positives in STEM-student writing, Advances in Physiology Education, 49(2), 486–495. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/advan.00235.2024 

Firetto, C. M., Starrett, E., & Jordan, M. E. (2024). Using small-group discussion to foster in-service teachers’ comprehension and instruction of sustainable energy transitions through PV science. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 35(3), 243–275. 10.1080/1046560X.2023.2246777