Biography

Dr. Richard E. West (@richardewest on twitter) is an associate professor in the Instructional Psychology and Technology department at Brigham Young University. He teaches courses in instructional technology, academic research and writing, creativity and innovation, design psychology, and product/program evaluation. He has published on how to create learning environments that prepare students for the 21st century, including designing learning environments that foster group creativity through design thinking, utilizing microcredentials and open badges to promote competency learning, the development and support of online learning communities, and emerging technologies to support effective learning.

Dr. West has served in a variety of leadership positions within the profession. As a 17-year continuous member of AECT, he has served as the communications officer for distance learning division, board member for the systemic change division, and member of the AECT Executive Board of Directors. He also served on the IMS Global Digital Credentials executive board, which maintains international technical standards for open badges and other open technologies. He has served on the editorial boards of Educational Technology Research and Development, Research of Research on Technology in Education, Educational Technology Magazine, Open Education Studies, Journal of Online Learning Research, and the Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. He is the editor/co-editor of the Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology and Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis textbooks. His personal website is http://richardewest.com.