Design Scholar, Practitioner & Academic Leader
I study design practice from the inside, focusing on how designers think, judge, fail, and act ethically, so I can improve design theory, education, and practice.
My research describes design practice as it actually happens—the praxis of design. Indeed, rational (and scientized) models of design tell designers what they should do; my work asks what practitioners actually do, why, and with what consequences. I use qualitative and quantitative methods and draw on design theory from HCI, architecture, and engineering to describe instructional/learning design as a design discipline rather than a procedural one.
The purpose is practical. A rigorous account of practice lets design educators prepare practitioners better, lets scholars propose design means that practitioners will actually use, and gives practitioners the language to act as ethical agents of change inside their organizations.
Research Strands
Editorial Leadership
Managing Executive Editor
International Journal of Designs for Learning (IJDL) | 2018–present
Interim Chair
AECT Center of Excellence for Publishing | 2026–present; Board Member since 2024
Reviewer
ETR&D, JCHE, TechTrends, JAID, PIQ, OTESSA Journal, and Designing (Design Research Society)
Guest-Edited Special Issues/Sections
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2027: Failed Innovations and Technology Initiatives in Higher Education, Journal of Computing in Higher Education (JCHE)
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2026: Rethinking the Role of Social Media in Learning,
Frontiers in Education -
2025: Generative AI in Learning Design, International Journal of Designs for Learning (IJDL)
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2025: Ethics in Design, OTESSA Journal
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2023: Design Failure in Learning Design Practice, International Journal of Designs for Learning (IJDL)
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2022: Rethinking Multimedia Design for Learning, Journal of Applied Instructional Design (JAID)