Biography
I am an associate professor in the Instructional Psychology & Technology department. I graduated with my PhD from the University of Georgia in 2009 and am a member or past member of AECT, AERA, AEA, and SITE. I currently serve on the executive board for AECT and the IMS Global Digital Credentials Committee.
I am also a founding co-chair of the BYU Creativity, Innovation and Design Faculty Group.
You can follow me on Twitter @richardewest or see my papers and presentations at http://richardewest.com.
Research Interests
My research focuses on 21st Century approaches to teaching and learning, and how we can utilize emerging technologies and pedagogies to best prepare students for successful integration into their 21st Century societies and economies. As part of this research focus, I have done extensive research in the following strands:1. Interdisciplinary/collaborative innovation and studio-based pedagogies
2. Open Education (including open credentials)
See my open textbooks at EdTechBooks
3. Online Learning
4. Improved Research Metrics and Research Practices
5. Technology Integration Strategies
Through my research, I have developed/co-developed:
- The Communities of Innovation framework for understanding the characteristics of innovative communities of workers or learners.
- A framework (With Peter Rich) for evaluating the quality of academic scholarship based on the principles of Rigor, Impact, and Prestige.
- A framework for using open badges in preservice education, and a tool (badgeschool.org) for issuing badges.
- A framework (with Royce Kimmons and Charles Graham) for teaching and understanding effective technology integration strategies—the PICRAT model.
- A framework for understanding how personal and course communities improve student engagement (The Academic Communities of Engagement Framework).
- Some of the theoretical framework behind Decision-based Learning and the organization of learner expertise
- A framework for understanding the four types of learning communities, along with practices for improving the sense of community within a learning community.
My articles can be downloaded or viewed at Mendeley; Academia.edu; and Google Scholar
Teaching Interests
I teach undergraduate courses in instructional technology, design thinking, design psychology, and evaluation, as well as graduate courses in instructional design and technology, creativity and innovation theories, research and academic writing, and program/product evaluation.Education
- PhD, Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology , Cognate: Research and Evaluation Methodologies, University of Georgia (2009)
- Instructional Psychology and Technology, , Brigham Young University (2005)
- English, Literature , Technical Writing, Utah State University (2002)
- Communications, Journalism , Ricks College (1999)
Licenses and Certifications
- University of Georgia, Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research (2005 - Present)
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Publication Award, Association for Educational Communications Technology—Learner Engagement Division (2022 - 2022)
- Outstanding Theoretical Article Award, Association of Educational Communications Technology—Research and Theory Division (2022 - 2022)
- Outstanding Book Award, Design and Development Division, AECT (2019 - 2019)
- Outstanding Book Award, AECT Research and Theory Division (2018 - 2018)
- Outstanding Journal Article, AECT Design and Development Article (2018 - 2018)
- 2nd Place, Outstanding Journal Article for Distance Education Research, Division of Distance Learning, Association for Educational Communications Technology (2015 - 2015)
- Outstanding Journal Article, Division of Research and Theory, Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2015 - 2015)
- 2nd Place, Outstanding Journal Article on Distance Education Practice, AECT Division of Distance Learning and IAP Publishing (2013 - 2013)
- 2nd Place, Outstanding Practice Article in Distance Learning, DDL Division of the Association for Educational Communications Technology (2012 - 2012)
- 2nd Place, Outstanding Research Article in Distance Learning, DDL Division of the Association for Educational Communications Technology (2012 - 2012)
- Nancy Marriott Outstanding Scholar Award, Brigham Young University McKay School of Education (2012 - 2012)
- AECT Outstanding Journal Article, Association for Educational Communications Technology (2010 - 2010)
- Presidential Service Award, Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2008 - 2008)
- Strohbehn Intern, Educational Communications and Technology (2008 - 2008)
- Young Scholar Award, Educational Communications and Technology (2008 - 2008)
- Outstanding Service Award, Association for Educational Communications and Technology - Distance Learning Division (2007 - 2007)
- Young Researcher Award, Instructional Technology Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (2006 - 2006)
Memberships
- American Educational Research Association
- Association for Educational Communications Technology (2003 - Present)
- IMS Global (2016 - 2020)
Professional Citizenship
- Editorial Review Board Member, Revistas de Educacion a Distancia (2021 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning (2013 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Internet and Higher Education (2011 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, International Review of Open and Distance Learning (2010 - Present)
- Committee/Council Chair, Professors of Instructional Design Technology (2010 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Instructional Science (2009 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, American Journal of Distance Education (2008 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of Educational Computing Research (2008 - Present)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Educational Researcher (2006 - Present)
- Committee/Council Member, Association for Educational Communications Technology (2020 - 2023)
- Other, Educational Technology (2010 - 2017)
- Editorial Review Board Member, Educational Technology Research and Development (2013 - 2016)
- Editorial Review Board Member, Educational Technology (2013 - 2016)
- Committee/Council Member, AECT Presidential Nominating Committee (2012 - 2013)
- Board Member, Association for Educational Communications Technology (2008 - 2009)
- Officer, Distance Learning Division of AECT (2005 - 2007)
- Board Member, Systemic Change division of AECT (2005 - 2006)