OVERVIEW
In addition to UX, I have 10+ years of experience conducting educational research that explores K-12 learning experiences at the intersection of art, craft, design, and STEM. I’m a qualitative specialist with experience in diary studies, ethnography, focus group, interview, observation, and field methods. I also have experience with quantitative methods, including survey design and descriptive statistics. I have presented my research at local, state, national, and international levels.
My research has been published in peer-reviewed journals (15 single-author publications, 52 co-author publications), resulting in 1000+ citations (see Google Scholar profile).
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
Select Qualitative Studies
| Title & Publication | Year | Method & Process | Tools Used |
| Engineering intersections of STEAM: Maker-centered learning to support teachers’ engineering confidence and connections between design processes S Smith in STEAM Education: An Interdisciplinary Look at Art in the Curriculum, Edited by T Hunter-Doniger & N Walkup Chapter 13, pp. 136-151 | 2024 | Ethnography, Observation, Diary Study, Field Notes, Pre-/Post-test Survey, Deductive Coding, Inter-rater Reliability | Dedoose, Google Sheets |
| Understanding the Impact in University Makerspaces J Linsey, C Forest, R Nagel, W Newstetter, K Talley & S Smith IJAMM, pp. 188-191 | 2023 | Ethnography, Descriptive Statistics | Qualtrics, Excel |
| Exploring Ambiguity Tolerance during the Adoption of Maker-Centered Learning Tools and Strategies S Smith, S Rodriguez TechTrends, pp. 1-15 | 2021 | Ethnography, Observation, Diary Study, Field Notes, Pre-/Post-test Survey, Deductive Coding, Inter-rater Reliability | Dedoose, Google Sheets |
| Analyzing the development of science and mathematics teachers’ maker-centered philosophy and instructional practices S Rodriguez, S Smith, J Harron Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 21 (1), pp. 97-125 | 2021 | Ethnography, Diary Study, Deductive Coding, Inter-rater Reliability | Dedoose, Google Sheets |
| Children’s Negotiations of Visualization Skills During a Design-Based Learning Experience Using Nondigital and Digital Techniques S Smith Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning 12 (2) | 2018 | Observation, Think Aloud Protocol, Field Notes, Deductive Coding, Member Check | Dedoose |
| Preservice teachers’ beliefs about using maker activities in formal K-12 educational settings: A multi-institutional study WM Jones, S Smith, J Cohen Journal of Research on Technology in Education 49 (3-4), pp. 134-148 | 2017 | Focus Groups, Field Notes, Inductive Coding | Dedoose |
| Fail again, fail better: Embracing failure as a paradigm for creative learning in the arts S Smith, D Henriksen Art Education 69 (2), pp. 6-11 | 2016 | Observation, Diary Study, Field Notes, Member Check | Nvivo |
| (Re) counting meaningful learning experiences: Using student-created reflective videos to make invisible learning visible during PjBL experiences S Smith Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 10(1) | 2016 | Ethnography, Observation, Focus Group, Field Notes, Inductive Coding, Peer Debriefers | Audio recording, Transcription, Nvivo |
| Through the teacher’s eyes: Unpacking the TPACK of digital fabrication integration in middle school language arts S Smith Journal of Research on Technology in Education 46 (2), pp. 207-227 | 2013 | Ethnography, Observation, Focus Group, Field Notes, Member Check | Audio recording, Transcription, Nvivo |
Select Quantitative Studies
| Title | Year | Method & Process | Tools Used |
| Report on engineering design self-efficacy and demographics of makerspace participants across three universities EC Hilton, KG Talley, S Smith, RL Nagel, JS Linsey Journal of Mechanical Design 142 (10) | 2020 | Survey, Closed-ended, Likert Scale, Pearson Correlation, ANOVA | Qualtrics, Excel, SPSS |
| University makerspaces: more than just toys EC Hilton, S Smith, RL Nagel, JS Linsey, KG Talley International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference | 2018 | Survey, Closed-ended, Likert Scale, Pearson Correlation, ANOVA | Qualtrics, Excel, SPSS |
| ‘‘Lend a Hand’’Project Helps Students: Improved Spatial Visualization Skills Through Engaging in Hands-On 3-D Printed Prosthetics Project During a 9th Grade Engineering Course S Smith, K Talley Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER) 8 (1) | 2018 | Ethnography, Observation, Course Grades, Pre-/Post-test Survey, Closed-ended, Likert Scale, paired t-test, Mann Whitney U-test | Excel, SPSS |
| Art ed maker pd experience: Impacts of an immersive professional development for “making” STEM connections in K-12 art classrooms S Smith, J Van Overshelde, & T Evans-Palmer In L. Lui, & D. Gibson (Eds.), Research highlights in technology and teacher education, pp.173-182 | 2018 | Observation, Focus Group, Pre-/Post-test Survey, Closed-ended, Likert Scale, t-test | Nvivo, Excel, SPSS |
Select Best Practices & Theory Publications
| Title | Year |
| Makification: Towards a framework for leveraging the maker movement in formal education J Cohen, WM Jones, S Smith, B Calandra Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 26 (3), pp. 217-229 | 2017 |
| Programming multimedia stories in Scratch to integrate computational thinking and writing with elementary students S Smith, LE Burrow Journal of Mathematics Education 9 (2), pp. 119-131 | 2016 |
| Robo/graphy: Using practical arts-based robots to transform classrooms into makerspaces PN Robbins, S Smith Art Education 69 (3), pp. 44-51 | 2016 |
My resume and CV are available upon request or you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Shaunna Smith's Portfolio 