The TLC lab happily announces that, on July 21st 2026, Heather Pearson defended her PhD dissertation, “From theory to practice: Designing and testing a 3D printing workshop to foster adolescents’ self-directed learning skills”
Heather first joined the TLC lab when she was a student in Dr. Dubé’s Educational Technology course during her M.Ed. From the start, it was clear she was someone who wanted to do more than simply study educational technology—she wanted to improve how it is used in classrooms. What stood out about Heather was her ability to bridge research and practice. She consistently asked not only what the evidence says, but how that evidence can be translated into meaningful experiences for learners and educators.
One of Heather’s earliest projects examined the use of 3D printing in education. What began as a course paper ultimately became a publication in one of the leading educational technology journals and has been downloaded thousands of times by educators and researchers around the world. More importantly, the work resonated with practitioners because it provided concrete, practical guidance for teachers seeking to use emerging technologies in meaningful ways.
Heather continued this commitment to evidence-based innovation through her research on how educators and parents select educational apps. Her work challenged the assumption that popular technologies are always effective learning tools and instead focused on helping people identify technologies that are genuinely beneficial for learning. This research led to presentations at major international conferences, multiple publications in the top journals (Computers & Education), and recognition beyond academia, including citations in Psychology Today as guidance for parents and educators.
What we admire most about Heather is that she has never been satisfied with simply producing research. She is committed to ensuring that research reaches the people who can use it. Throughout her PhD, she has focused on an important challenge facing schools today: how to help students become more self-directed learners in technology-rich environments. Supported by a competitive Innovate-ED grant she led, Heather designed and tested interventions that use 3D printing not simply as a technical skill, but as a tool for developing planning, monitoring, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills in adolescents. To support this work, she conducted a systematic review of maker-based learning, trained with experts at MIT, partnered directly with teachers at a Montreal high school, and developed, implemented, and evaluated a classroom intervention. She has also shared this work through conference presentations, publications, and professional development workshops for educators, ensuring that the lessons learned from her research can be applied in real classrooms.
Alongside her dissertation, Heather has continued to contribute broadly to the field through research on digital literacy, educational app selection, and technology-enhanced learning. She has also mentored other students and collaborated generously with colleagues, helping to build capacity within our research community.
Heather embodies the spirit of educational innovation because she combines rigorous scholarship with a genuine commitment to improving teaching and learning. Her work reminds us that innovation is not about adopting the newest technology—it is about thoughtfully using evidence to create better educational opportunities for learners.
As her TLC team, it has been a pleasure to watch her grow from an exceptional master's student into an accomplished researcher and emerging leader in educational technology. We have no doubt that her work will continue to shape how educators think about technology, learning, and innovation for years to come.
Please join us in congratulating, Dr. Heather Pearson!!