C. Edward Watson

Associate Director

Eddie Watson has over thirteen years of experience in faculty development at Virginia Tech and has taught at the secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. After earning double undergraduate degrees in English and Statistics and an M.A. in English, Dr. Watson completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Instructional Design and Technology at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Dr. Watson's post-secondary teaching experiences include courses in writing and composition, interdisciplinary approaches to fostering social change, educational research, and teaching and learning. He currently teaches Visual Media for the Department of Communication. His research interests include ePortfolios and reflective practice, self-efficacy and social learning theory, the diffusion of innovations in higher education, millennial learners and multitasking, faculty development, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). His book, Self-efficacy and Diffusion Theory: Implications for Faculty Development (2008), highlights his interest in interdisciplinary research questions and higher education in general. Most recently, Dr. Watson had two book chapters published focusing on ePortfolios in learning, assessment, and professional development settings (2010) and an additional chapter was published in July 2011 exploring the constructivist pedagogical possibilities of ubiquitous learning.

Prior to joining CIDER, Dr. Watson served significant leadership roles in a number of institutional projects at Virginia Tech. He shepherded the ePortfolio project from a pilot with four small teams of faculty to its current status as a key institutional initiative; provided leadership for the institutional transition from Blackboard to Scholar; and increased the depth and breadth of faculty development programming associated with technology three-fold. Dr. Watson also provided instructional design leadership for the Digital History Reader NEH project; served on the proposal development committee for the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention; and brought iTunes U to Virginia Tech.

Dr. Watson is also engaged in professional service beyond our campus. He is the founding Co-Executive Editor of the International Journal of ePortfolio, the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, serves on the review board for the British Journal of Educational Technology, and is on the Board of Directors for the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning. He has co-chaired teaching awards and conferences and is currently serving on the university's Task Force for Instructional Technology. He is also on the advisory board for Cengage Learning.

In addition to these professional pursuits, Eddie is a musician and enjoys photography and songwriting. He also runs and coaches youth soccer; however, his favorite pastimes involve everything to do with his wife and two sons.

111 Hillcrest Hall (0453), Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-6823  |  cider@vt.edu