Gina Riley

Gina Riley, Ph.D., is an educational psychologist, Program Director, and Clinical Professor of Adolescent Special Education at CUNY – Hunter College. She has conducted significant research on homeschooling and unschooling, an educational method and philosophy that advocates student intrinsic motivation as a primary means for learning. In addition to her research on self-directed learning environments, Dr. Riley has expertise in Supported Decision Making, an alternative to guardianship for students with disabilities. She is a faculty advisor for Supported Decision Making New York, promoting autonomy and self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Riley also has extensive experience in online, hybrid, and HyFlex education, having been actively involved in the field since 1998. Her contributions to educational psychology and alternative education models have been influential in shaping contemporary discussions on personalized and flexible learning approaches. Dr. Riley is the author of numerous academic articles and three books, including Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom (Palgrave, 2020), The Homeschooling Starter Guide (Simon & Schuster, 2021), and The Joys of Self Determined Learning: A Collection of Essays (Ricci Publishing, 2022). She is the current President-Elect of the New York State Association of Teacher Educators.

• Ph.D. in Psychology, Walden University, Minnesota, 2012.
  • Dissertation: Differences in Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness between Home Educated and Traditionally Educated Young Adults
• M.S. in Psychology, Walden University, Minnesota, 2003. Concentration: Educational Psychology.
  • Thesis: An Ethnographic Study of Intrinsic Motivation in Homeschoolers
• B.S. in Psychology, Mercy College, New York, 1999. Summa Cum Laude

Dr. Riley has taught every course within the Adolescent Special Education Program, including:

• SPED 700.50: Social, Historical, and Philosophical Foundations
• SPED 701: Assessment of Students with Learning Disabilities
• SPED 771: Methods of Teaching Reading for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities
• SPED 772/774: Supervised Clinical Teaching of Students with Learning Disabilities
• SPED 773: Methods of Teaching Math for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Dr. Riley’s research agenda is deeply rooted in the exploration of learner-centered approaches to education. Her work is driven by a commitment to understanding and fostering intrinsic motivation in educational and real-world contexts, grounded in Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000). She is particularly interested in how these theories can be applied across various educational settings, including homeschooling, unschooling, online and hybrid learning in higher education, and within the context of Supported Decision Making for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Books

• Riley, G. (2020). Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Riley, G. (2021). The Homeschooling Starter Guide. Simon & Schuster
• Ricci, C. & Riley, G. (2022). The Joys of Self-Determined Learning: A Collection of Essays. Toronto: Ricci Publishing.

Book Chapters

• Riley, G. (2020). The Academic and Social Outcomes of Those Who Have Homeschooled. In Global Perspectives on Home Education in the 21st Century. Hersey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.
• Riley, G. & Riley, B. (2021). A Unique Education: Unschooling to Adulthood. This is Homeschooling: Stories of Unconventional Learning Practices on the Road and In Nature. New York: Routledge.
• Riley, G. & Rivera-Wilson, J. (2023). HyFlex K-12: A Hybrid and Flexible Learning Option Given the Appropriate Circumstances and Conditions. In Brian Beatty’s HyFlex and Flexible Course Design. https://edtechbooks.org/hyflex.

Peer Reviewed Publications

• Gray, P. & Riley, G. (2013). The challenges and benefits of unschooling, according to 232 families who have chosen that route. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, Volume 7, Issue 14.
• Riley, G. (2015). Differences in competence, autonomy, and relatedness between home educated and traditionally educated young adults. International Social Science Review, 90 (2), 1-27.
• Gray, P. & Riley, G. (2015). Grown unschoolers’ evaluations of their unschooling experience: Report I on a survey of 75 unschooled adults. Other Education, Volume 4, Issue 2, 8-32.
• Riley, G. & Gray, P. (2015). Grown unschoolers’ experiences with higher education and employment: Report II on a survey of 75 unschooled adults. Other Education, Volume 4, Issue 2, 33-53.
• Riley, G. (2015). Entries on Altered States of Consciousness, Christian Counseling, Creativity, Dr. Phil McGraw, Luminosity, and Reality TV. Published in Moglia, P. (Ed). Psychology and Behavioral Health. New York: Grey House Publishing.
• Riley, G. (2015). Entries on Buying Local, Networking, Teen Parenting: Becoming a Mother, Sleep, and Finding the Right College and Paying for It. Published in Moglia, P. (Ed). Adolescent Wellness. New York: Grey House Publishing.
• Riley, G. (2016). Unschooling in Hong Kong: A case study. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning. 10, 1-15.
• Riley, G. (2016). The role of Self Determination Theory and Cognitive Evaluation Theory in home education. Cogent Education. 3, 1-7.
• Riley, B. & Riley, G. (2017). Innovation in graduate medical education: Using a competency based medical education curriculum. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. 23, 36-41.
• Riley, G. (2017). Worldschooling: Homeschooling away from home. International Journal of Education. 9, pp. 186-191.
• Riley, B & Riley, G. (2017). Using simulation to assist in treating the patient who is transgender. Journal of Medical Education and Training, 1, 19-20.
• Riley, G. (2018). A qualitative exploration of the experiences of individuals who have identified as LGBTQ and who have homeschooled or unschooled. Other Education, 7 (1). 3-18.
• Riley, G. (2018). Unschooling: A direct application of Deci and Ryan’s Self Determination Theory and Cognitive Evaluation Theory. European Journal of Alternative Education Studies, 3 (1), 54-61.
• Riley, G. (2018). Exploring unschoolers’ experiences in learning to read: How reading happens within the self-directed learning environment. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, 12 (24), 1-33.
• Riley, G. (2019). Supported Decision Making: Mentoring Manual. SDMNY.org
• Riley, G. (2021). Defining Hybrid Homeschools in America: Little Platoons by Eric Wearne (Book Review). Other Education, 10 (2), 71-73.
• Gray, P., Riley, G., Currie-Knight, K. (2021). Former students’ evaluations of experiences at a democratic school: Roles of the democratic processes, staff, and the community of students. Other Education, 10 (2), 4-25.
• Riley, G. (2023). Unschooling students with disabilities. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning. 17 (34), 1-23.
• Schnell-Peskin, L, Riley, G., Hodnett, K., Gryta, V., Kisamore, A. (2024). Meeting the needs of students in higher education multigenerational classrooms: What can educators do? International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 41, 73-85.
• Woods, M. & Riley, G (2024, in review). Unschooling in Hong Kong: A Ten Year Follow Up. Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning.
• Riley, G. (2024, in review). Exploring Ad Astra: A qualitative study of alumni experiences and outcomes. Learning Environments Research.

• Recipient (along with Kristin Booth Glen, Michael Stiller, Michelle Ballan, and John Brown) of a New York State Developmental Disability Planning Council Grant to develop and pilot Supported Decision Making models for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (1.4 million dollars over 5 years, 2015 – 2021, extension 2021 – 2022, renewed 2022 – 2025). Became a legal alternative to guardianship in New York State in July of 2022.
• PSC – CUNY Grant (Traditional A, $3,500). Grant Project Title: How Unschoolers Learn to Read (2015)
• Supported Decision Making Curriculum Committee Grant (2017) ($3,000)
• Faculty Innovations in Teaching with Technology (FITT) Grant (2017) Creating Interactive and Dynamic Online Options (with Professor Kristen Hodnett) ($3,500).
• Faculty Innovations in Teaching with Technology (FITT) Grant (2019) Video Supervisory Training for Students in an Online Teacher Education Program -including OER module. ($3,000)
• New York Community Trust Grant (with Hon. Kristin Booth Glen) (2019) Training Adolescent Special Education Students in Supported Decision Making Facilitation. ($5,000)
• PSC – CUNY Grant Cycle 52 (Traditional A, $3,500). (2021).Grant Project Title: Unschoolers with Disabilities
• New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (NYS DDPC). (2022 – 2028). Grant Title: Creating a Decision-Making Curriculum for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in K-12th grade. ($200,000 per year for 4 years – $800,000 total).