When 布莱恩•史密斯 says his design-based research encompasses settings beyond the classroom, he means 真的 beyond the classroom: computer-based learning environments projected on the side of a skyscraper, 例如.

去年, when he was a professor of information sciences and senior associate dean for academic affairs at Drexel University, Smith and colleagues trained Philadelphia middle school teachers and students in coding and game design. 最终, the students—many of them young women of color—designed video games and projected them onto the exterior of downtown Philly’s 29-story Cira Centre office tower.

The skyscraper experiment was just one of many computer-based learning environments Smith has worked on or overseen in his top teaching and administrative roles at Drexel, 麻省理工学院, the National Science Foundation, the Rhode Island School of Design, 和其他地方. He’s designed interactive experiences that teach children nutrition concepts; educated university students in parallel programming skills; and helped people with diabetes monitor and manage their conditions, 举几个例子.

As the 林奇学校’s new associate dean for research, “I’m excited to build an infrastructure to help scholars write grants and make connections across disciplines,史密斯说。, who is also the new Honorable David S. 纳尔逊的椅子, succeeding retired 林奇学校 Professor Anderson J. Franklin, the Honorable David S. Nelson 专业 Chair Emeritus. (The chair’s namesake, the late Judge David Sutherland Nelson ’57, J.D.’60, H.’79, was the first African American to serve on the Federal District Court of Massachusetts.)

Next year, Smith will begin teaching in and co-directing the 林奇学校’s new M.A. program in Learning Engineering, which prepares educators to design and use learning environments. Smith explains: “It’s taking what we know from the science of learning—the good, 基础电子游戏正规平台, a lot of which is coming out of the 林奇学校—and, 作为一个设计师, using that to build new platforms, 新课程, 博物馆的展品, 课外项目, and 企业技能培训.”

The new program is one of the things that drew Smith to the Heights, along with 电子游戏软件’s emphasis on formative education. “BC’s always been about social justice,史密斯说。, who recently spoke with the first cohort of learning engineering graduates. He was pleased to find that they were landing jobs. 更重要的是, 他说, “It’s obvious they’re doing this because they want to make a difference, no matter how big or small—helping people, 期.”