Wilhelmina Savenye

Wilhelmina C. Savenye is a Professor Emeritus in the area of learning design and technologies and educational technology in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. She was also formerly the Executive Director for Education for a National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center, the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics.

Professor Savenye's research and teaching interests include instructional design, evaluation, online and digital learning, engineering education, the use of technology for learning, mentoring emerging graduate student and faculty scholars, and informal learning. She employs both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in her work. Professor Savenye previously taught at The University of Texas at Austin and San Diego State University.

She has published more than more than 70 articles and book chapters; generated over 140 conference presentations and workshops in the U.S., Europe, and Asia; received numerous grant awards, and produced many digital learning programs. She serves as editor of the Journal of Applied Instructional Design. She has served on the editorial boards of journals including Educational Technology: Research and Development, Quarterly Review of Distance Education, and reviews for additional journals. She serves on the editorial board for the Encyclopedia of Educational Technology and has held elected leadership positions.

Professor Savenye's instructional design and evaluation work has been conducted in such diverse settings as engineering research centers, school districts, museums, botanical gardens, zoos, universities, corporations, and Army tank maintenance training. She serves as education director of the CBBG and directs all aspects of the center's educational and outreach programming during the academic year and summer for students from K-12, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and working engineers. She works with a research team, the school district and community college partners to develop and collect evaluation data (with evaluation partners in CREST) on materials to support instructors teaching: K-12 STEM, engineering, and biogeotechnics; undergraduate and graduate civil engineering courses. The team collaborates with diversity team members to ensure that our programming is inclusive and with a technical curriculum committee to ensure content accuracy. Professor Sevenye and her graduate students are investigating effectiveness and methods for helping teachers incorporate design thinking, particularly in STEM; beginning studies on most effective aspects of engineering education best practices; the effects of various modes of play-based practice and avatars in computer-based language learning; and aspects of how people learn in a social media-based community of practice.