Sean Smith

Sean J. Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. He is also the Past-President of the technology division for the Council for Exceptional Children, Innovations in Special Education Technology (ISET), and member of the Board for the National Down syndrome Congress. Dr. Smith’s research interests focus on innovations and technology solutions to support struggling learners and those with disabilities, particularly interventions aligned with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework. At present, Dr. Smith is the Principal Investigator on a federally funded project exploring the impact of virtual reality on struggling learners in the area of social emotional development. Sean has authored over 100 books and articles, given hundreds of scholarly presentations both nationally and internationally, and serves on various boards for journals, organizations, and parent groups focused on enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities. Dr. Smith, with a variety of collaborators, has received and managed over $25 million of external research and development funds. Most importantly, Sean is the father of four children, one having Down syndrome. It is through this work as a father that Sean has sought to apply his knowledge of effective practices with parents, family members, and similar stakeholders as we look to enhance the lives of our children, ALL of our children!

Education

History and Secondary Education, Providence College, 1988, Providence, RI
Special Education Technology, George Mason University, 1994
Special Education, University of Virginia, 1997

Research interests

innovative solutions, tools, universal design for learning

Teaching

My teaching interests reflect the responsibilities of my faculty position at the University of Kansas, which involve preparing special and general education teachers to meet the educational needs of students with high incidence disabilities in instructional settings. Toward this end, my primary teaching interests include (a) promotion of effective instructional practices for all students, (b) translating educational research into classroom practice, (c) advancing professional-professional and professional-parent collaboration, (d) development of problem solving skills and critical reflection through problem-based teaching, (e) development of instructional solutions aligned with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to further advance teachers, parents, related service personnel, and others working with students with disabilities, and (f) the integration of technology innovations into K-12 instruction and teacher education.

The manner in which I pursue these interests is based on my philosophy of teaching, which draws upon three related principles of learning: (a) the adult learning principle that adults learn most effectively when they are engaged in meaningful problem solving with other adults; (b) the special education maxim that effective instruction is based on the needs, interests, and learning variability of the individual; and (c) that effective professional practice requires a commitment to and the self-development skills necessary for career-long learning. As such, my goals with regard to effective instruction and translating research into practice are, first, to provide students with the strongest possible foundation in effective instructional practice, and then for the long term, to prepare them to be critical consumers of educational research, including application of research findings to enhance classroom practice. With regard to my interest in collaboration and case-based/problem-based learning, my goal is to teach and demonstrate effective collaboration skills and problem solving strategies using authentic problem-based scenarios that require educational decision-making through critical reflection and collaborative interaction. Finally, my goals with regard to the integration of technology innovations are to teach students to appreciate and use technology tools that offer multiple needs including the integration of the UDL Framework.
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Teaching interests

innovative solutions,
case-based instruction,
problem-based learning
best practices
technology

Selected Publications

Basham, J. B., Smith, S. J., & Satter, A. M. (2016). Universal Design for Learning: Scanning for alignment in K-12 blended and fully online learning. [Journal Articles]. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31, 147–155.

Johnston, S., Greer, D. L., & Smith, S. J. (2014). Peer learning in K12 virtual schools. [Journal Articles]. Journal of Distance Education, 28(1), 1–31.

Greer, D. L., Rowland, A., & Smith, S. J. (2014). Critical considerations for teaching students with disabilities in online environments. [Journal Articles]. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46, 77–91.

Grants & Other Funded Activity

Develop Responsive, Innovative, and Visionary Educator. Office of Special Education Program’s Leadership Competition, US Department of Education.. $800000.00. Submitted 11/1/2014 (5/1/2015 - 12/31/2020). Federal. Status: Funded
Project Validate Educational Research in Fundamental Innovation: Universal Design for Learnin. Investment in Innovation Fund, US Department of Education. Submitted 6/21/2014. Federal. Status: Not Funded