Sam Leif, Michael McCreery, P.G. Schrader (all Teaching and Learning), Kathleen Krach (Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Human Services), and Brett Abarbanel (International Gaming Institute) published an open-access research article, "Differentiating Video Game Expertise Using the Model of Domain Learning," in Frontiers in Education. The study addresses a core challenge in assessment: people are not reliable reporters of their own expertise.

Drawing on digital proxemics theory and the Model of Domain Learning, the team developed a structured behavioral observation instrument to assess expertise through directly observable performance rather than self-report. The resulting tool demonstrated strong psychometric properties and significant predictive validity across expertise levels. The findings have implications for competency-based education, workforce training, and any learning environment where behavioral evidence offers a more defensible foundation for expertise differentiation than self-report alone.