Mark Springston

Mark Springston received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He has 18 years experience teaching technical laboratory courses in secondary and higher education. During his doctoral studies, he instructed several undergraduate/graduate level laboratory-based technical courses, including Graphic Communications, Communication Systems, Construction Systems, Production Systems, and Manufacturing Systems. It is through teaching these courses that Mark further refined his problem-based approach to teaching. He views team-based learning as an important pedagogy for contextual learning in technology education. For his dissertation topic of teamwork and technological problem solving, he conducted an experiment with 294 (99 teams) first-year college engineering students. His research interests include technological problem solving, design in the context of student teams, and individual and collaborative communication learning tools.

Before pursuing doctoral studies, Mark was a technology teacher at Brooke Point High School in Stafford VA, where he was selected twice as teacher of the quarter and served as a Technology Student Association advisor. He was also a Technology Lead Teacher instructing teacher continuing education courses, such as Desktop Publishing, Spreadsheets, and Computer Basics.

Mark is currently in his 11th year at SUNY Oswego, where he instructs Communication Systems, Computing Technology and Information Systems, and Teaching Methods. For the Teaching Methods course, he started a program, Youth Technology Day, where teacher preparation students gain authentic experience planning and delivering technological activities to guest middle and high school students. Mark also serves as graduate faculty for his department, instructing Assessment-, Digital Media-, and Advanced Instructional Strategies- in Technology Education. For his department, Mark has co-chaired the Technology Fall Conference, served as conference program chair, and is the current creator of the conference web site/online program.

Mark has served on several committees on the Oswego campus, including chairing the Information Technology Council (ITC) for five years, SUNY Oswego Conference on Instructional Technology Planning Committee, GE21 Task Force, Scientific and Quantitative Literacy Review Committee, Student Computing Access Program (SCAP) Committee, and Technology Innovation Project (TIP) Committee. As ITC chair, he authored the instructions and conducted the feedback survey for the electronic DSI pilot, and co-authored the Student Photo Usage Policy. On the national/international level, he served on the Research and Scholarship Committee for the Council on Technology & Engineering Teacher Education, and chaired the International Technology And Engineering Educators Association Task Force: Articulation of Key Initiatives. As the Competitive Events Coordinator for the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association, he served as editor and recreated the format for the competitive events manual.

Mark has made approximately 40 professional presentations and workshops at different conferences. Mark’s technical area is multimedia, and he has created several multimedia instructional products, multimedia promotional materials, and web sites. He has been awarded over 100,000 dollars in SCAP and TIP grants. In addition, since coming to Oswego, he has been involved in five projects involving data collection and analysis. He is the author for the Data Analysis Learning Object on the T2I2 NSF Grant.

Mark serves as advisor for  the Oswego Technology Education Association (OTEA). Mark initiated the STEM 4 Kids K-3 and Young Inventors 4-6  programs, so members would gain valuable teaching experience working with community children. He has been the coordinator and contest guideline author of the Collegiate Communication Contest at the TEECA Eastern Regional Conference for the past 10 years. He was also the web creator for the conference for three years. Mark lives in Oswego with his wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Liliana.

Research

Mark's research interests include technological problem-solving, design in the context of student teams, and individual and collaborative communication learning tools. He has been awarded numerous grants including Student Computing Access, Technology Innovation Project, and Scholarly And Creative Activity.

Publications

• Springston, M. (2014). Data Analysis Learning Object. In Transforming Teaching through Implementing Inquiry [online learning modules]. Publication from NSF funded Award #1156629. http://www.stemteacherlearning.com/en/learning-objects
• Springston, M. (Creator and Editor). (2014 and 2015). Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association National Competitive Events Guide. Orlando/Milwaukee: Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association. www.competeteeca.org 
• Springston, M., & Bartholomew, S. (2014 and 2015). Communication Contest. Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association National Competitive Events Guide. Orlando/Milwaukee: Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association.

Conferences

• ITEEA Conference
• TEECA EAST Conference
• Google Camp Conference

Awards and honors

• STEM 4 Kids Program received the Outstanding Educational Program from the Student Association
• Leaders to Watch Award by the Board of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
• CTETE Leadership Development Initiative: Twenty-first Century Leader Associate

Education

• Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Technology Education, Virginia Tech, 2005
• MAED in Curriculum and Instruction, Technology Education, Virginia Tech, 1998
• BS in Family and Child Development, Human Services, Virginia Tech, 1990

Classes taught

Undergraduate

• TED 306 - Teaching Methods for Technology Education
• TED 316 - Field Experience 3 Tech Ed Practicum
• TEL 363 - Communication/Multimedia Systems

Graduate

TED 414 - Professional Topics & Problems