Bio
I grew up in Québec, Canada, where I completed a Clinical and Research PhD in Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. I then completed a postdoc in the US (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh), and moved to the UK, where I am now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics Education at Loughborough University.
Research Interests
I am a psychologist interested in how research evidence is produced, evaluated, perceived, and communicated. My research interests include:
- How to communicate statistical numerical information, such as effect sizes and their associated uncertainty, to non-experts.
- How to make evaluation research, such as large-scale educational RCTs, more informative.
- How to assess study quality and its impact on research outcomes.
- How to improve the teaching of mathematical (e.g., fraction arithmetic) and statistical concepts.
As part of my research, I have developed expertise in a range of experimental (e.g., RCTs) and observational methods (e.g., meta-analysis). Most of my research is done in collaboration with education researchers, economists, and psychologists and has been published in a range of academic outlets such as Educational Researcher, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Psychological Bulletin. Some of my research has also been featured in Nature (see link)
Selected Publication
Lortie-Forgues, H, Sio, U. N., Inglis, M (accepted). Should We Communicate the Uncertainty of Educational Effects to Teachers?. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness
Sio, U. N., & Lortie-Forgues, H. (2024). The impact of creativity training on creative performance: A meta-analytic review and critical evaluation of 5 decades of creativity training studies. Psychological bulletin, 150(5), 554.
Sims, S., Anders, J., Inglis, M., & Lortie-Forgues, H. (2023). Quantifying “promising trials bias” in randomized controlled trials in education. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 16(4), 663-680.
Lortie-Forgues, H., Sio, U. N., & Inglis, M. (2021). How should educational effects be communicated to teachers?. Educational Researcher, 50(6), 345-354.
Lortie-Forgues, H., & Inglis, M. (2019). Rigorous large-scale educational RCTs are often uninformative: Should we be concerned?. Educational Researcher, 48(3), 158-166.
Talks
I have been invited to present my research at various institutions (e.g., Royal Statistical Society, Department for Education), universities (e.g., Oxford University, UCL), in different countries (e.g., US, Hong Kong).
Teaching
I take teaching very seriously and find it highly rewarding. Most of my teaching is related to statistics and/or research methods. I am currently leading the following modules:
- Statistics for Large Data (Mathematics)
- Statistics and Data Analysis (Natural Sciences)
- Evidence in Education (Psychology)
I also co-lead an ESRC advanced statistics module where I teach the use of simulation to calculate statistical power for a range of statistical tests.
Supervision
I take supervision work very seriously. I was fortunate early in my career to work with excellent mentors who invested considerable time in supporting my development. I aim to do the same for my supervisees. If you share similar interests and are considering pursuing a PhD, please contact me.
Consultation
I do weekly statistical consultations during term time and occasionally help organisations with the evaluation of their programs. I have been told that I am very patient and skilled at explaining complex statistical concepts to non-experts, and at helping them clarify what they want to do.
Admin
I am the research coordinator for my department and am co-leading our submission to REF2029.