Rebekah Nix

Rebekah Nix centers her teaching and research on enhancing learning environments, focusing on information technology and professional development. Combining a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, she has developed, documented, delivered, and evaluated innovative case studies and longitudinal research programs that leverage information and communication technologies to foster long-term training programs with sustained learning environments. Through varied collaborations, she aims to serve the full spectrum of educational leaders and lifelong learners – primarily with online options, experiential training activities, holistic assessments, and development of practical evaluation tools.

Armed with a BS in Geosciences, MAT degree in Science Education, and experience in international petroleum exploration and high-tech industry sectors (including RF-ID, remote sensing, simulations and video), she completed her PhD in Science Education on Virtual Field Trips: Using Information Technology to Create an Integrated Science Learning Environment (2002) at Curtin University of Technology.

Now pursuing innovative ideas to merge educational theory and scientific practice through strategic applications of technology, she created MT SCIENCE (Mobile Technology for teaching and learning SCIENCE in the real world), a collection of electronic probeware. In 2004 (with a second cohort in 2005), she designed and delivered a hybrid Teacher Quality program for middle school science teachers called Taking them to the top! Cultivating an ISLE with applications of IT and environmental education. As PI for the Master of Arts in Teaching – Science Education Online program launched in 2006, she co-authored and taught 10 new online graduate courses; the online Evaluating Research in Science Education course received the UT-System Library Director’s Award for library integration. Recipient of the 2010 UT System Innovations in Online Teaching Award and 2007 USDLA Best Practices Gold Award for Distance Learning Teaching Online, she has taught her completely online Educational Technology courses since 2000.