Derek Thurber

Derek's current research interest focuses on improving teaching and learning and curriculum coherence within higher education with a particular focus on supporting and empowering faculty who have been historically marginalized within the existing power structures of higher education institutions because of their race, gender, or role. He is interested in unpacking the various conceptualizations of curricula from the perspectives of different actors within the institution to reduce barriers to identifying what counts as “valid” knowledge within the curriculum, thereby increasing the agency of marginalized individuals to contribute to the legitimization of knowledge and decreasing the power of hidden curricula to replicate existing norms and values that perpetuate inequitable power hierarchies. As such, his research focuses on interdisciplinary concepts within learning theory, curriculum, and leadership within higher education institutions. In the past, he has researched game-based and simulation-based learning, gamification, learning and motivation, and blended learning theory using the Community of Inquiry Framework.