NAME

Lynne Harden, Ph.D.

ROLE

Principal Researcher

BIO

How does a geologist become an educational researcher? In Lynne’s case, it started with her hearing far too often from young people that their science classes in school were boring and uninspiring. Determined to bring awe and wonder back into science learning for people of all ages, Lynne earned her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences and then immediately began working in the science education space as a teacher, curriculum developer, and researcher. Lynne has experience working in the for-profit and nonprofit worlds for academic institutions, museums, and educational technology organizations based in California, Colorado, and remotely. In her most recent role prior to joining Leanlab, Lynne built and managed the user research team at Edpuzzle, an educational video platform.

WHY I GRAVITATE TOWARD THIS WORK…

Studying rocks and people is oddly similar in that they both have interesting stories to tell. But what draws me to conducting research with people, and specifically with people in the education space—teachers, students, administrators—is that they can be active participants in helping codesign educational tools, resources, and systems that work for them.

In my experience as an Inclusive Design Researcher with PhET Interactive Simulations, I worked with students with learning disabilities and visual impairments who often found themselves separated from their non-disabled classmates due to inaccessibly designed tools or resources. By equipping these kids with design thinking skills and inviting them into a codesign experience to help make PhET simulations more accessible for all students, I was able to glimpse the possibilities that codesign research holds in promoting and supporting educational equity.

FUN FACT

I have lived in 6 different states across diverse regions of the U.S. (NC, KS, GA, WI, CA, and CO) and moved nearly 20 different times in my life, which makes it challenging for me to answer the most basic question, “Where are you from?!”