Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
Lehigh University
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
Lehigh University
AECT / ETR&D
Associate Vice Chancellor and Director, William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, University System of Maryland
Associate Professor, Teaching, Learning, and Technology Program, Lehigh University
Program Director, Teaching, Learning, and Technology Program, Lehigh University
Project Manager (later Vice President for Operations at Thoughtful Technologies & Intelligent Applications Development), Intelligent Applications Development (MMTS Project)
Alumni Director, Lebanon Valley College
M.J. Bishop is Vice President for Integrative Learning Design at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), a role she began on April 25, 2022 after nearly a decade as the inaugural director (and associate vice chancellor) of the University System of Maryland’s William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. Her work focuses on the design and evaluation of effective learning environments—spanning instructional message design, multimedia (especially sound) for learning, social connectedness in online courses, online communities of practice, and educational data/learning analytics. Previously, she was associate professor and program director of Lehigh University’s Teaching, Learning, and Technology program. She holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Design and Development from Lehigh University (2000), an M.A. in English from Millersville University (1987), and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Lebanon Valley College (1984). citeturn5search3turn1search5turn23search0turn1search6turn23search3
A guiding framework for analyzing, planning, and presenting instructional messages across media that aligns design decisions with contemporary learning theory and context to enhance cognition, motivation, and performance.
A validated instrument to measure students’ perceived social connectedness in online courses, supporting evaluation of social presence and community.
A framework identifying systematic roles for narration, effects, and music in instructional software (e.g., attention, signaling, schema activation) to deepen processing beyond literal information conveyance.
ACM International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK) • Conference
Develops a conceptual framework synthesizing Academic/Institutional Analytics, Learning Analytics/Educational Data Mining, Learner Analytics/Personalization, and Systemic Instructional Improvement—offering common language and reference points as these movements converge into an educational data sciences field. citeturn24search1
Distance Education • Journal
Introduces the SPLCI, an instrument to gauge learners’ perceived social connectedness in online courses. Initial validation showed strong reliability and validity evidence, supporting continued development and use in assessing the social dimension of online learning environments. citeturn9search0
Educational Technology Research and Development • Journal
Using a Delphi study with Wikipedia experts, this paper identifies social, organizational, and technical factors that enabled the community’s growth and presents a model for designing and supporting online communities of practice. Implications are offered for educators seeking to cultivate sustainable online CoPs. citeturn9search3
Quarterly Review of Distance Education • Journal
Reports a qualitative case study of three online jigsaw activities in a literature course. Results were mixed across key cooperative‑learning elements (interdependence, accountability, social skills, promotive interaction), yielding design implications for structuring online group work. citeturn11search0
Distance Education • Journal
Synthesizes social information processing and group structure theories to propose a framework for systematically developing group social structure and connectedness in online courses, addressing how limited nonverbal cues can be compensated through thoughtful design. citeturn9search2
Educational Technology Research and Development • Journal
Analyzes award‑winning instructional software to examine how narration, sound effects, and music are used. Findings show designers often restrict sound to literal information delivery; the paper offers a design framework suggesting richer uses of nonverbal audio to deepen processing and engagement. citeturn10search0
Psychology in the Schools • Journal
Educational Technology Research and Development • Journal
Articulates information‑processing and communication theory underpinnings for using sound strategically in instructional software—e.g., to gain/hold attention, reduce distraction, cue structure, and support encoding/retrieval—and outlines a research agenda and design framework for systematic audio use. citeturn10search1
Moving Horizontally: The New Dimensions of At‑Scale Learning in the Time of COVID‑19 (Georgia Tech) • Chapter
Describes how the University System of Maryland leveraged partnerships, professional development, and system‑level supports to build and sustain an academic‑innovation culture during COVID‑19, highlighting practices that scaled remote/online learning with attention to quality and equity. citeturn25search0
Springer • Book
Edited volume offering state‑of‑the‑art syntheses across the educational technology field, including design, development, analytics, online learning, equity, and emerging media; it updates AECT’s flagship reference with new chapters that bridge research and practice for contemporary, technology‑rich learning environments. citeturn1search2
Higher Education Systems Redesigned: Shifting from Perpetuation to Innovation (SUNY Press) • Chapter
Reflects on USM’s large‑scale course‑redesign efforts and governance mechanisms that enabled adoption of evidence‑based teaching practices across institutions, offering guidance to system leaders on moving from pilots to sustained, systemic innovation. citeturn1search2
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), Institute of Education Sciences (NCEE) • Report
Evidence‑based guide for higher‑education instructors and leaders with five recommendations: promote interaction with communication/collaboration tools; use varied, personalized digital resources; foster self‑regulated learning; provide timely, targeted feedback; and use simulations for complex problem‑solving. citeturn22search0
Springer • Book
Fourth edition of AECT’s foundational research compendium on educational communications and technology, co‑edited by Bishop with Spector, Merrill, and Elen, consolidating advances in theory, research, and design across subfields. citeturn8view0
Design in Educational Technology: Design Thinking, Design Process, and the Design Studio • Chapter
Proposes a new guiding framework for instructional message design—situating message analysis, planning, and presentation within contemporary views of learning—so designers can translate general instructional specifications into media‑rich messages that better support cognition, motivation, and context. citeturn1search7
The Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology (4th ed.) • Chapter
Reviews the evolution of instructional message design from transmission‑oriented communication models to contemporary perspectives, arguing for a broader, linking‑science role for message design that bridges theory and practice, and outlining research‑based guidance for designing messages that enhance learning. citeturn6search0