Featured Speakers

Keynote Speakers:

MONDAY, NOV. 2 - 11:00 A.M.–11:45 A.M. (ET)



Susan McKenney, Ph.D.
University of Twente The Netherlands


Infrastructuring Culturally-Situated Design Research in Education

Design research is a genre of inquiry in which the iterative development of solutions to authentic challenges in context provides the setting for scientific investigation. Educational design researchers collaborate with practitioners to analyze the problems being tackled, and to develop and refine solutions, which are informed by (formative) evaluation along the way. This work is multifaceted, requiring the investigators to serve as consultants and designers, as well as researchers.   Click to read more..


TUESDAY, NOV. 3 - 12:00 P.M. –12:45 P.M. (ET)



Cindy Hmelo-Silver, Ph.D.
Indiana University


Ambitious Learning Practices Across Contexts

Ambitious learning practices represent a range of approaches that are inherently collaborative and student-centered (Glazewski & Hmelo-Silver, 2019). These tend to be situated in complex problems and tasks which require scaffolding for learners to be successful. Examples of these include problem-based learning, project-based learning, and inquiry learning. Particularly important in ambitious learning practices is considering the disciplinary context that grounds exploration and investigation and the guidance that is provided.   Click to read more..


WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4 - 12:00 P.M. –12:45 P.M. (ET)



Kay Wijekumar, Ph.D.
Texas A&M Unversity


The Power of Technology in Supporting Children’s Literacy Development among Diverse Populations

As the cultures across the globe become more diverse and blended, there is a growing need to meet the academic needs of children from different social, cultural and linguistic background. During this presentation we will discuss the advances in technologies that have made a powerful impact in literacy across the world. The systematic extensions to these tools to adapt and support diverse populations will be presented. Our futures depend on our commitment to culturally-situated learning design and research.   Click to read more..


Select Presidential Sessions


THURSDAY, NOV. 5 - 12:00 P.M. –12:45 P.M. (ET)



Michael K. Thomas, Ph.D.
University of illinois, Chicago


Cybersecurity Games and Community-Based STEM Efforts in Urban Contexts

Game-based approaches model the habits of mind and habitual actions of experts and provide culturally relevant platforms for motivating children not only to learn about these critical 21st century areas but also to enhance motivation for going into these fields later in life. This presentation  explores some of the lessons learned in this design-based research effort focusing particularly on the unique problems presented in urban contexts.    Click to read more..


FRIDAY, NOV. 6 - 12:00 P.M. –12:45 P.M. (ET)



Patricia A. Young, Ph.D.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County


Culture-Specific Design: The Current Wave of EdTech Innovations

The current wave of educational technology innovations reveals products, services and environments that are culture-specific or specialized to the needs of human beings. Culture-specific designs means tailored to the needs of a target audience. These designs manifest in local and international contexts by those who are the haves, have mores and those considered disenfranchised. This presentation explores the localization of educational technology innovations.    Click to read more..

Educational and Publishing Partners