When I first started my career, I wasn’t in education. I was working in business and information systems, building databases and training teams on how to use them.
What I quickly realized was that technology only helps if people actually learn from it. That realization led me down a new path, one focused on understanding how people think, solve problems and use technology to learn.
Today, as an associate professor of instructional design and technology and director of the Instructional Design and Technology Studio in the College of Education, I study how technology can be designed to enhance learning rather than distract from it.
There’s a common assumption that more technology means better learning, but we know that’s not always true. My research focuses on what actually makes instructional tools effective — how learning principles, design strategies and user experience can come together to create technologies that deepen understanding and make problem solving meaningful.
Learning Through Failure — and Redefining Success
In my lab, we explore how people learn from complex, real-world challenges. That’s where approaches like problem-based learning and case-based reasoning come in —methods that immerse learners in authentic scenarios and require them to think critically, analyze and adapt.
One of my favorite areas of research is the role of failure in learning. We often think of failure as something to avoid, but our studies show that experiencing and reflecting on failure can actually strengthen understanding. It teaches students to diagnose mistakes, revise strategies and build resilience — skills that translate far beyond the classroom.
Our work in the lab has been recognized nationally, but more importantly, it’s helping teachers and designers create technologies that encourage exploration and persistence.
Our lab also uses tools like eye-tracking and cognitive task analysis to study how learners interact with educational software before it’s ever launched. By observing how learners actually think and behave, we can identify where technology supports learning and where it unintentionally gets in the way.
It’s all about designing smarter, more intuitive experiences that meet learners where they are.
Exploring the Future of Learning and AI
Artificial intelligence has become a big part of that conversation. With the launch of the University of Memphis’s AI for All minor, the goal is to teach students to think critically about where and how AI fits into learning.
It shouldn’t just be “technology for technology’s sake.” Instead, we ask: What problems could AI meaningfully solve? How can it provide targeted feedback or help teachers focus on the human side of teaching — things like mentorship, creativity, empathy — that create deeper learning experiences.
Another thread in the work of the lab involves open-access and freely available learning technologies. These are resources that anyone can use, whether they’re in a classroom, a library or learning on their own. Education should be adaptable and accessible, and I want the tools we create to reach as many learners as possible, regardless of location or background.
That’s what drives me: designing educational technologies that empower learners to think deeply, fail safely and discover what they’re capable of.
Research in a Minute is part of a series from the University of Memphis showcasing the innovative research being
done by our faculty.
