My ongoing research interests are fairly diverse, and tend to fall within the broader realms of computing, new media development, educational technology, and archaeology. While these may seem overtly diverse, I would suggest that they possess startling similarities - particularly when you view the study of technology as the study of culture.

Technology

I am interested in coming to understand how computers influence learning. This includes explorations of software development, user-interface design, human-computer interaction, and educational theory. More recently, my interests and professional activities in multimedia and web development have become paramount to my academic work; and I have spent the past several years studying visual communication theory and producing multimedia and web-based learning materials.

Theoretically, my considerations of educational technology continue to focus on cognitive constructivism in an effort to determine the impact of this epistemology on the development of educational technology materials as well as the pedagogical approaches it engenders. My dissertation research examined a specific educational multimedia application and attempted to determine its impact upon the cognitive construction of knowledge by students. My current projects attempt to build upon this research base.

I am also interested in considering the value of technology as a potential bridge between experiential education and traditional classroom learning. But more recently I have become increasingly interested in virtual worlds and game theory. Deciding upon new directions for my technology research will need to wait until my upcoming sabbatical when I complete the remainder of my current outstanding projects; but I imagine I'll likely head in one of these two directions.

Archaeology

Although my primary fields of expertise involve computing and technology, I possess a multidisciplinary background with extensive academic experience in history and archaeology. Of notable interest is my research concerning the archaeology of Greece and my study of archaeology in the southwest US. Recently, I've become intensely interested in some of the research questions regarding the ancestral puebloans of the southwest U.S. These topics include the current argumentation regarding the defensive nature of puebloan structures, and the questions regarding the massive migration from most of the Colorado Plateau during the later half of the 1200's.

Beyond my own research interests in archaeology however, resides my own deep commitment to making the field accessibly to non-professionals. This motivation drives much of my technology production and development work.

Current Work

One of the challenges of having diverse interests is keeping them focused. So, I try to address these by developing technical products for learning goals using archaeological content. Given my archaeological work and research, it is not surprising that this field remains my content area of choice for multimedia and web development projects. Thus, I am currently working on a book that combines my expertise in digital photography with my knowledge of archaeology.