About Professor Thomas Reeves

For more than a quarter century, Professor Thomas C. Reeves has been a strong advocate for alternative approaches to educational technology research, including educational design research. Among the papers he has written to call attention to this need are:

- Reeves, T. C. (2006). Design research from the technology perspective. In J. V. Akker, K. Gravemeijer, S. McKenney, & N. Nieveen (Eds.), Educational design research (pp. 86-109). London: Routledge.
- Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2005). Design research: A socially responsible approach to instructional technology research in higher education. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 16(2), 97-116. 
- Reeves, T. C. (2005). Design-based research in educational technology: Progress made, challenges remain. Educational Technology, 45(1), 48-52. 
- Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2004). A development research agenda for online collaborative learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(4), 53-65.
- Reeves, T. C. (2000). Socially responsible educational technology research. Educational Technology, 40(6), 19-28.

- Reeves, T. C.  (1997).  Rigorous and socially responsible interactive learning research. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 8(2), 151-152. 
- Reeves, T. C. (1993). Pseudoscience in computer-based instruction: The case of learner control research. Journal of Computer-Based Instruction, 20(2), 39-46.
- Reeves, T. C. (1992). Computer modeling: A research tool for computer-based instruction. Interactive Learning International, 8, 3-13.
- Reeves, T. C. (1992). Evaluating interactive multimedia. Educational Technology, 32, 47-53.
- Reeves, T. C. (1991). Ten commandments for the evaluation of interactive multimedia in higher education. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 2(2), 84-113.
- Reeves, T. C. (1990). Redirecting evaluation of interactive video: The case for complexity. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 16, 115-131.
- Reeves, T. C. (1989). New directions for the evaluation of interactive videodisc. Interact Journal, 2, 6-14.
- Reeves, T. C. (1986). Research and evaluation models for the study of interactive video. Journal of Computer-Based Instruction, 13, 102-106.

Currently, Dr. Susan McKenney, Dr. Reeves, and Dr. Jan Herrington are co-authoring a “how-to” guide for graduate students and others new to design-based research.

Professor Reeves has also promoted effective and creative approaches to designing interactive learning environments. In 1995, he was selected as one of the “Top 100” people in multimedia by Multimedia Producer magazine. His work in this area was also recognized by being selected as the very first Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education. Since 1993, he has enjoyed a strong collaboration with Professor Jan Herrington from Murdoch University and Professor Ron Oliver from Edith Cowan University—a collaboration focused on “authentic tasks” for e-learning. Their work in summarized in a new book: Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., & Oliver, R. (2010). A guide to authentic e-learning. London and New York: Routledge.  More information can be found at: http://www.authentictasks.uow.edu.au/.

In addition, Professor Reeves has contributed to the improvement of evaluation methods for interactive learning environments. He has enjoyed many years of collaboration with Professor John G. Hedberg with whom he went to graduate school at Syracuse University in the 1970s. Their evaluation model is described in: Reeves, T. C., & Hedberg, J. G. (2003). Interactive learning systems evaluation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. More information can be found at: http://evaluateitnow.com/. Professors Reeves and Hedberg are currently collaborating with Dr. Ikseon (Ike) Choi to write a new evaluation book focused on e-learning.

Professor Reeves would be the first to tell you that his foremost professional rewards come from teaching and working with students. He has guided 30 students to completion of their doctorates, and he is currently serving as the chair or co-chair of 8 other committees. In addition to the many excellent doctoral students at The University of Georgia, he has mentored doctoral students in other countries including Australia, The Netherlands, and South Africa. Professor Reeves has enjoyed working with many excellent colleagues both at UGA and at other institutions. He feels especially fortunate to have been involved in the formation of the Department of Instructional Technology at UGA (now known at the Learning, Design, and Technology program of the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology) and as a co-founder of the Learning and Performance Support Laboratory at UGA.

Professor Reeves is grateful to many mentors, but he would especially like to thank Sister Rita Alberta, Professor Francis “Skip” Atkinson, Professor Don Ely, and Professor Kent Gustafson.

With respect to his personal life, Tom lives in Athens, Georgia with his wife, Dr. Patricia M. (Trisha) Reeves, who teaches in UGA’s School of Social Work. Their handsome son, Jamie, has a Masters degree in Public Health from UGA and works at a clinic in Athens. Trisha and Tom have two dogs, Flyer, a miniature Australian Shepherd, and Spencer, a Westie. They are avid readers (both are members of local book clubs) and enthusiastic travelers, ready to pick and go at a moment’s notice. They agree that their favorite trip was two weeks in Tasmania in 1993. They greatly value visiting friends and family all over the world and having people visit them as well.

Tom’s website is: http://it.coe.uga.edu/~treeves/