Stories and Studies to Spark Effective Learning Practices in a Changing Digital Society

Technology has developed at a tremendous rate since the turn of the century, but educational practice has not kept pace. Traditional teaching practices still predominate in many educational settings, and educators are often intimidated by new technology. However, as tragic as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, it has caused many people to rethink education and opportunities provided by new technologies for effective teaching and learning. How can educational communities of practice be reimagined to support a growth mindset for learning?  This volume explores innovative visions for 21^st century learning. The content explores the experiences of teachers with new technology, presents research studies that highlight effective strategies and technologies, and shares lessons learned from a unique researcher-practitioner mentoring model. Educational approaches that worked well, challenges that were difficult to overcome, and potential benefits of effective technology integration will encourage readers to reimagine education and implement practices that can strengthen the future of online education.

Dr. Deborah Cockerham, lecturer in the University of North Texas Department of Learning Technologies, previously founded and directed the Research and Learning Center at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. She has been a Visiting Research Scholar at Texas Christian University’s Center for Science Communication, where she worked to build communication and connections between research scientists, educators, and the public, and supported multiple museum-university research collaborations. As a learning disabilities specialist for 20 years, she taught children and adolescents with a wide range of learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and/or autism spectrum disorder. . Dr. Cockerham co-edited the book Mind, Brain, and Technology and has published in multiple journals.

Dr. Regina Kaplan-Rakowski is a Lecturer and the Director of MS Program in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas (UNT). She received her doctorate in InstructionalTechnology and Design from Southern Illinois University (SIU), Carbondale.  Dr. Kaplan-Rakowski’s key research interests lie at the intersection of three areas: immersive learning technologies (e.g., virtual reality, augmented, mixed reality), computer-assisted language learning, and emotional responses to learning technologies. She is currently serving on the Editorial Board of Educational Technology & Society and Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.  Her most recent contributions were guest co-editing a Special Issue of Journal of Technology and Teacher Education entitled “Preservice and Inservice Professional Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic” as well as guest co-editing a book entitled “Teaching, Technology, and Teacher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stories from the Field".

Dr. Rob Foshay is Principal of The Foshay Group, a consulting firm specializing in high-value strategies for e-learning product architectures, training, and certification.  He is a Certified Performance Technologist, and he is a Fellow of the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction.  He is an Associate Graduate Faculty member in the learning technology Ph.D. programs at University of North Texas – Denton, and a similar appointment at Walden University. Dr. Foshay’s background includes over 30 years’ experience leading corporate technology-based training and education enterprises, conducting research and developing product strategy initiatives. He also has taught at the high school and university levels.  His doctorate is in instructional design from Indiana University.

Dr. J. Michael Spector, Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas, was previously Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia, Associate Director of the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University, Chair of Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation at Syracuse University, and Director of the Educational Information Science and Technology Research Program at the University of Bergen. He earned a Ph.D. from The University of Texas. He is a visiting research professor at Beijing Normal University, at East China Normal University, and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur. His research focuses on assessing learning in complex domains, inquiry and critical thinking skills, and program evaluation. He was Executive Director and Treasurer of the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction and a Past President of the Association for Educational and Communications Technology. He is Editor Emeritus and Featured Papers Editor of Educational Technology Research & Development. He edited two editions of the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology and the SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. He is currently lead editor of Learning, Design and Technology: An International Compendium of theory, Research, Practice and Policy and section editor for educational technology in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Education. He has more than 150 academic publications to his credit.