David Williamson Shaffer

David Williamson Shaffer is a prominent scholar in educational technology and game development. Shaffer received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT. He is currently Professor of Learning Science in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and also holds the title Obel Foundation Professor of Learning Analytics at Aalborg University in Denmark. Shaffer is best known for developing Epistemic Frame Theory, Epistemic Games, and Epistemic Network Analysis. His work focuses on learning environments that simulate real-world professional practice and the frameworks that support these learning games.

• Swiecki, Z., Ruis, A. R., Farrell, C., & Williamson Shaffer, D. (2020). Assessing individual contributions to collaborative problem solving: A network analysis approach. Computers in Human Behavior, 104 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.chb.2019.01.009

• Williamson Shaffer, D. (2018). Epistemic network analysis: Understanding learning by using big data for thick description.. In Fischer, F., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Goldman, S. R., & Reimann, P. (Eds.), International Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 520-531). New York, NY: Routledge https://www.routledge.com/International-Handbook-of-the-Learning-Sciences/Fischer-Hmelo-Silver-Goldman-Reimann/p/book/9781138670563?srsltid=AfmBOoohoqzcGP_GKD7cyGF35mc42beMOu1NB_kUxF9Zk7V-D1EPggDf

• Williamson Shaffer, D. (2012). Models of situated action: Computer games and the problem of transfer. In C. Steinkuehler, K. Squire, S. Barab (Ed.), Games learning, and society: Learning and meaning in the digital age (pp. 403-433). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286013456_Models_of_situated_action_Computer_games_and_the_problem_of_transfer

Video:

• Key Note address to the Society for Learning Analytics Research

Websites:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Google Scholar