Bio

Dr. Karin Forssell is the director of the Learning Design and Technology (LDT) master's program and senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Dr. Forssell also directs the GSE Makery, a Stanford maker space where students and faculty learn to make, and make to learn. In her courses, students learn to use research from the learning sciences and learning-centered design processes to create effective digital tools. Her current interests include maker space education, teacher technology adoption, and parenting in a digital world.

Dr. Forssell draws insights from her many years of concurrent work as a teacher on special assignment for technology in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Dr. Forssell earned her bachelor's degree in linguistics, master's degree in education, and doctorate in learning sciences and technology design at Stanford University.

Academic Appointments

Administrative Appointments

  • Director of the Learning Design & Technology Program, Graduate School of Education (2009 - Present)
  • Director of the GSE Makery, Graduate School of Education (2018 - Present)
  • Director of the AI Tinkery, Stanford Accelerator for Learning (2024 - Present)

Professional Education

  • PhD, Stanford University, Education (Learning Sciences and Technology Design) (2011)
  • MA, Stanford University, Education (STEP) (1992)
  • BA, Stanford University, Linguistics (1991)

Contact

  • Academic
    forssell@stanford.edu
    University - Academic staff Department: Initiative Program Staff Position: Director of Makery and LDT

Research Interests

  • Brain and Learning Sciences
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Technology and Education

2024-25 Courses

Stanford Advisees

All Publications

  • Theories of Change in Learning Experience (LX) Design Learner and User Experience Research: An Introduction for the Field of Learning Design & Technology Bowen, K., Forssell, K., Rosier, S. edtechbooks.org. 2020
  • How Effective Is Your Edtech Tool? Five Questions to Ask [Blog Post]. Forssell, K. DigitalPromise.org. 2019 ; Marketplace
  • When knowing is believing: A multi-trait analysis of self-reported TPCK JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING Krauskopf, K., Forssell, K. 2018; 34 (5): 482–91

    View details for DOI 10.1111/jcal.12253

    View details for Web of Science ID 000443945000002

  • Making Meaningful Advances: TPACK for Designers of Learning Tools Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for Educators Forssell, K. Routledge. 2016; 2: 247–257
  • Enhancement of Immersive Technology Use in Pediatric Health Care With Accessible, Context-Specific Training: Descriptive Feasibility Study JMIR XR and Spatial Computing Li, B., Fereday, B., Wang, E., Rodriguez, S., Forssell, K., Bollaert, A., Menendez, M., Caruso, T. J. 2024; 1

    View details for DOI 10.2196/56447

  • CHM Learning Lab: A Special Place for Learning About Learning Forssell, K. The Computer History Museum. Mountain View, CA. 2019 ; CORE Magazine (2019): 26–29
  • Principals and Teachers Empowering Teaching with Technology Technologies to Lead Schools: Key Concepts to Enhance Student Success Forssell, K., Brazer, D. Rowman & Littlefield. 2019: 1–21
  • When do online shoppers appreciate security enhancement efforts? Effects of financial risk and security level on evaluations of customer authentication INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER STUDIES Lee, J. R., Rao, S., Nass, C., Forssell, K., John, J. M. 2012; 70 (5): 364-376

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2011.12.002

    View details for Web of Science ID 000303303900004

  • Technological pedagogical content knowledge: Relationships to learning ecologies and social learning networks Forssell, K. S. purl.stanford.edu/br704kf7669. 2011