Jason McDonald
Brigham Young University

I’m Jason McDonald from Brigham Young University, and I’m running for Board Member at Large in the AECT Research and Theory Division. I am currently a Professor of Instructional Psychology & Technology department at Brigham Young University. I also have about twenty-five years of experience in industry and academia.

I have been heavily involved in AECT since 2016. I’ve served as a judge for the Design and Development competition for the past seven years. I’ve also recently completed a three-year term of service as the president-elect, president, and past president of the AECT Design & Development Division.

I am seeking this position in the Research and Theory Division to participate more closely with those scholars who are invested in, and actively investigating, the future directions of our field. Early in my career I worked in a wide variety of roles connected to our field: face-to-face training; faculty development; corporate eLearning; and more. My experience helped me see how crucial good research was to good practice. Since rejoining academic life in 2016, I have tried to champion the role of research and theory in my teaching and personal research. I have published theoretical work in Educational Technology Research and Development (the 2020 special issue on theory, volume 68, issue 2). I also won second place in the 2021 AECT Theories to Influence the Future of Learning Design and Technology competition.

If elected I will represent the membership and this division by advocating for the importance of your work throughout the broader organization. The scholarship you produce deserves the widest possible audience, and support from all levels of our organization. Thank you for considering me for this position!