Why I Choose to Work at Academic Innovation

I chose to come to Academic Innovation because, too often, technology comes before pedagogy. At the Center for Academic Innovation, we design tools to support the way our faculty teach as well as how research-grounded pedagogies can support learning for all students. Being a part of that environment is exciting.

Current Roles/Previous Experience

Evan has worked at the intersection of technology and education for over twenty years. She started her career in database design and network administration but eventually moved into teaching people how to use technical systems. In 2000, she found her niche in education, working as an instructional designer on some of the first completely online courses at the Ohio State University.

Since then, she has worked as a faculty member at the national level, helping states plan for meaningful educational technology policies, as well as a professional development educator. Since starting at the University of Michigan in 2017, she has worked on a variety of projects, including GradeCraft as well as with Online and Hybrid Programs. In her current role, she supports credit-bearing programs moving into sustainable facilitation and iteration practices.

Ask Me to Learn About

Adult learning and faculty development, motivation theories (or anything remotely attached to educational psychology), instructional design, anything related to cooking and baking – particularly obscure recipes/foods, knitting, vegetable gardening

Publications

Andrzejewski, C., Wolf, S., Straub, E., & Parson, L. (2019). Facilitating student empowerment and agency through the “scaffolded autonomy” approach to curriculum design. In G. Strohschen & K. Lewis (Eds.), Competency-Based and Social-Situational Approaches for Facilitating Learning in Higher Education. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-8488-9

Straub, E. T. (2009). Understanding technology adoption: Theory and future directions for informal learning. Review of Educational Research, 79(2). https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308325896