William R. Watson
Professor, Director of Purdue Center for Serious Games and Learning in Virtual Environments
Learning Design and TechnologyCurriculum and Instruction
With a background in computer information and technology, Dr. Bill Watson’s experiences teaching undergraduates fresh out of high school led him to transition to the field of education, where his initial focus on educational video games as a form of engaging instruction expanded into how technology can be used to leverage the realization of a new paradigm of education – one focused on personalized learning. He collaborated on the design of Purdue’s digital badges platform, Passport, which has was featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York Times, Campus Technology, and U.S. News and World Report. The Director of the Purdue Center for Serious Games and Learning in Virtual Environments, he was nominated and selected as one of the Center for Digital Education’s Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers for 2015 and gave a TedXPurdueU talk in 2014 describing the new paradigm.
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Z9dt5qlgO24
- Ph.D. — Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University (2007)
- M.S. — Information Science, Indiana University (2000)
- B.A. — English, Indiana University (1998)
- 2022 – Present
Professor
Curriculum & Instruction in Learning Design and Technology
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2014 – 2022
Associate Professor
Curriculum & Instruction in Learning Design and Technology
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2007 – 2014
Assistant Professor
Curriculum & Instruction in Educational Technology
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2002 – 2007
Lecturer
Computer and Information Technology, Indiana University
Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN
- 2000 – 2002
Visiting Lecturer
Computer and Information Technology
Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN
- Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship – Junior & Senior Faculty, Purdue University (2011-2012 & 2020-2021)
- Charles M. Reigeluth, Emerging Researcher Award, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology’s (AECT) Division for Systemic Change (2011)
- Center for Digital Education’s Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, & Trailblazers (2015)
- Dean’s Fellow, Purdue University College of Education (2015)
- University Professional and Continuing Education (UPCEA) Central Region Excellence in Instructional Design Award, 2018
- University Professional and Continuing Education (UPCEA) Association Outstanding Program: Credit Award, 2019.
- President, Division for Systemic Change, Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), 2012-2013
- Co-chair, Systems Thinking SIG, American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2015-2017
Chair, Systems Thinking SIG, American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2018-2019
- Editorial board member, Technology, Knowledge, and Learning
Selected Publications
- Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., Koehler, A. A., & Oh, K. H. (2022). Student profiles and attitudes towards case-based learning in an online graduate instructional design course. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-022-09339-w
- Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., Fehrman, S. E., Yu, J. H., & Janakiraman, S. (2020). Examining international students’ attitudinal learning in a higher education course on cultural and language learning. Journal of International Students, 10(3), 664-687.
- Watson, S.L., Watson, W.R. & Tay, L. (2018). The development and validation of the Attitudinal Learning Inventory (ALI): A measure of attitudinal learning and instruction. Educational Technology Research & Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-018-9625-7.
- Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., & Janakiraman, S. (2017). Instructional quality of massive open online courses: a review of attitudinal change MOOCs. International Journal of Learning Technology, 12(3), 219-240.
- Watson, W.R., & Watson, S.L. (2016). Personalized instruction. In C.M. Reigeluth & B. Beatty (Eds.), Instructional-Design Theories and Models (Vol. 4). New York: Taylor & Francis.
- Watson, W. R., Kim, W., & Watson, S. L. (2016). Learning outcomes of a MOOC designed for attitudinal change: A case study of an Animal Behavior and Welfare MOOC. Computers & Education, 96, 83-93. DOI:1016/j.compedu.2016.01.013
- Watson, W.R., Watson, S.L., & Reigeluth, C.M. (2015). Education 3.0: Breaking the mold with technology. Interactive Learning Environments, 23(3), 332-343. DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2013.764322
- Watson, W.R. & Watson, S.L. (2014). Redesigning higher education: Embracing a new paradigm. Educational Technology, 54(3), 47-52.
- Watson, W. R., & Watson, S. L. (2013). Exploding the ivory tower: Systemic change for higher education. TechTrends, 57(5), 42-46.
- Watson, W.R. & Fang, J. (2012). PBL as a framework for implementing video games in the classroom. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2(1), 77-89.
- Watson, W.R., Watson, S.L., & Reigeluth, C.M. (2012). A systemic integration of technology for new paradigm education. Educational Technology, 52(5), 25-29.
- Watson, W. R. Mong, C. J., & Harris, C. A. (2011). A case study of the in-class use of a video game for teaching high school history. Computers & Education, 56(2), 466-474.
- Watson, S.L., Watson, W.R., & Reigeluth, C.M. (2008). Systems design for change in education and training. In J.M. Spector, M.D. Merrill, J.J.G. van Merrienboer & M.P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (3rd ed., pp. 692-701). London: Routledge.
- Watson, W.R., & Watson, S.L. (2007). An Argument for clarity: What are Learning Management Systems, what are they not, and what should they become. TechTrends, 51(2), 28-34.
- EDCI 55600 — Computer and Video Game Design for Education
- EDCI 58800 — Motivation and Instructional Design
- EDCI 66000 — Learning Design and Technology Seminar
- EDCI 56400 — Integration and Management of Computers in Education
