Hi! I’m Dr. Vanessa Dennen, a professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies (ISLT) in the Department of Educational Psychology & Learning Systems at Florida State University. I presently serve as the Program Coordinator for ISLT and Academic Director of the EdD Program in Learning Design & Performance Technology.

I’m also editor-in-chief of The Internet and Higher Education, a journal that publishes empirical research about pedagogical issues related to Internet use in higher education settings.

My research focuses on how people use emerging technologies to interact and engage in a variety of knowledge activities. That means that I study issues related to online identity, networks, communities, learning, and professional development. You can learn more about my recent articles here.

I co-lead the Students, Social Media & Schools research group at FSU, which studies social media use among adolescents and young adults, both in the school context (middle school, high school, university) and as a virtual third space that supports informal learning, creation, and identity work.

I primarily teach graduate students, with a teaching repertoire that includes courses on instructional design for emerging technologies (e.g., social media, mobile learning, OER), learning theory, and research design and methods. I also supervise the graduate student instructors who teach the EME2040 Introduction to Educational Technology Course.

I regularly provide professional development talks and workshops for K-12 schools, universities, and professional organizations on topics like online presence, developing community in online settings, using social media for active learning, open educational resources, implementing open pedagogy, and designing online discussion activities. Feel free to contact me about your professional development needs.