1. Educational
Engineers
THE S CI ENCE OF
CREATING LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
Dr. Liz Simpson. Director, WyoDLC

2. Main Points
GIVEN
THE :  Tools we have available.
 Needs for dynamic learning spaces.
 Disconnect between theory, science,
and practice.
Educational Engineers to design
WE NEED effective, dynamic, sustainable, acce
ssible learning environments.

3. Definitions
+
ENGINEER TEACHER
One who uses tools and materials to One who uses educational
connect theory and create a dynamic research to facilitate
space for a specific purpose. learning, assessment, personal
= growth.
EDUCATIONAL ENGINEER
One who uses tools & materials to
connect learning theory and
educational research to create a
dynamic space where learning
can happen and be assessed.

4. Educational Engineer
“ ”
W.W. CHARTERS
1945 Fear that the educator might be accused
of borrowing the prestige of the engineer
“ ”
RICHARD ANDREWS
1961 Need for standardization, essential
structure, programmed teaching
“ ”
H.A. BERN
1967 Increase learning efficiency. GE + Time =
The General Learning Corporation.
John Lutz
1980 Better use of theory research and
experience in the design of alternative
solutions to educational problems.

5. Educational Engineer
“ ”
ARTHUR RICHARDSON
2002 Create an environment
where students have open
access to search for, locate
and quickly access
elements of learning that
address their immediate
needs through personalized
unique interactions.

6. Teachers Today
K12
Activity
&/or
Training
Hi Ed

7. Teachers @ The Core
Determine Design learning
Educational spaces to meet
Goals the goal
EDUCATIONAL
ENGINEER
Use data
Use the
the to assess
right tools outcomes

8. Traditional Teachers
Traditional Classrooms
Need for
standardization, essential
structure, programmed
teaching.

9. Educational Engineers
Engineered Outcomes
Create an environment Applying
where students have
Synthesis
open access to search
for, locate and quickly
Creating
Understanding
access elements of
learning that address Comprehension
their immediate needs
through personalized
unique interactions.
Analyzing Creating
Remembering Evaluation

10. Educational Engineers
"Could I build a toy where kids could kind of trip
across all these interesting principles of life how it
exists and how it might be in the future, like the
Copernican principle, the Fermi paradox, the
Anthropic principle, or the meaning of life?"

11. Limited Tools

12. Limited Environment

13. Unlimited Tools

14. Unlimited
Environments

15. Frustration Abounds!
My students
How do I get never listen!
them to share
ideas?
Cell phones There is so
in much content
There is a app class…yeah to cover
for that? Right! today!

16. Building Classrooms…
A house which
could only be
explained by
magic….

17. Educational Engineer
 Designs learning environments based on
the current tools and materials available.
 Systematically builds dynamic learning
spaces.
 Connects theory, science, and practice.
 Understands that the world yields fertile
ground for building learning environments.

18. Engineered Classroom
The environment is thoughtfully
build so that learning can occur
and successes can be measured.
Purposeful. Systematic. Dynamic.

19. Educational Engineer
 Preparation takes longer
 Teaching (BA) + Instructional Design (MA)
 It requires
 Precision planning and design
 Understanding your new role
 Rethink learning spaces, materials and tools
 Rethink the learner
 Rethink learner assessment

20. Educational
Engineers
THE S CI ENCE OF
CREATING LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
Dr. Liz Simpson. Director, WyoDLC