TEL: In both my roles as a Professor and Assistant Chair I am fortunate enough to be in a position where curiosity and creativity are rewarded. And to be fair, the world is changing rapidly, and if we are going to ask our students to be flexible and adapt to change, then we should be willing to do so as well. My primary research area is the application of simulations and games to teaching and training environments, and I do my best to integrate simulations and games liberally in my classes.
I have created a number of games, including a card game for teachers called Teaching Bad Apples, along with two expansion packs. It has turned out to be somewhat popular and is currently being used in a number of teacher professional development settings. I also made another game, "The Many Hats of an Instructional Designer," intended for people new to the field of instructional design or learning design.
Both are available at "The Game Crafter" website. Finally, I have an ongoing consulting relationship with the National Education Foundation, where I help to introduce STEM learning into underprivileged schools across the country. In the end, I try to use my position here to help empower young people with opportunities to engage in profound and "wicked problems", with the ultimate message that it is OK to sometimes fall short in our efforts, as long as we reflect, learn, and move forward together.
Educational Technology, March-April, Schneider, E. Turcotte, N and Betrus, A. TechTrends, July , Volume 60, Issue 4, pp Betrus, A. Vol 56, issue 5, pp I'm a curious risk-taker and lifelong learner with an itchy brain. My professional and academic lives are anchored in human performance, training and development in higher education as well as the community and workplace.
I apply brain and cognitive science to all aspects of my work, and incorporate digital media, including virtual reality, to meet the learning needs of 21st century learners and upskilling opportunities of today's workers. Equally, systems theory and design thinking frame my approach to wicked problems as the basis of my pedagogy and training at all levels. My work with undergraduate and graduate learners applies human-centric approaches to instructional design, leadership, organization development, policy and ethics, human capital development, research techniques, and human resource management.
