Principal Consultant, Kozmalone Consulting
Associate Professor and Associate Research Scientist, University of Michigan
Robert B. Kozma is an educational technology researcher and international consultant known for seminal contributions to media theory, multiple representations in science learning, and ICT policy for education and development. After two decades on the faculty and as a research scientist at the University of Michigan, he joined SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning, where he served as Director and Principal Scientist and now holds emeritus status. He later founded Kozmalone Consulting and has advised ministries of education and organizations such as UNESCO, OECD, the World Bank, Intel, Microsoft, and Cisco. His scholarship includes highly cited works such as “Learning with Media” (1991), “Will Media Influence Learning? Reframing the Debate” (1994), and cross‑national studies of technology integration and policy. He is the author of the book “Make the World a Better Place: Design with Passion, Purpose, and Values.”
Educational Technology Research and Development • Journal
Responds to Clark’s claim that media do not influence learning by reframing the question to the conditions under which media will influence learning. Argues that media capabilities and the instructional methods that employ them interact with cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is constructed. The paper examines two media‑based projects (computer and video) and discusses implications for media theory, research, and practice.
Review of Educational Research • Journal
Describes learning with media as a complementary process in which representations are constructed and procedures are performed by the learner and/or the medium. Reviews research on learning with books, television, computers, and multimedia, highlighting cognitively relevant characteristics of technologies, symbol systems, and processing capabilities. Examines how media and instructional designs interact with learner and task characteristics to influence mental representations and cognitive processes, with particular attention to effects on mental models. Discusses implications for research and practice.