Sunnie Watson
Assistant Dean for Engagement and Global Initiatives; Professor of Learning Design and Technology
Office of Engagement and Global Initiatives
Learning Design and Technology,
Education Administration, Curriculum and Instruction
Email:
watson82@purdue.edu
Phone:
(765) 494-6056
Address:
Steven C. Beering Hall of
Liberal Arts and Education
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2098
BRNG 3126
About
Dr. Sunnie Lee Watson is Professor of Learning Design and Technology at Purdue University and Assistant Dean for Engagement and Global Initiatives. She teaches and conducts research in the fields of attitudinal learning and the learner-centered paradigm of education. Her work focuses on attitudinal learning and mindset change in both formal and informal educational settings, the development of learner-centered online instruction through innovative educational technologies, and the application of critical systems thinking to drive meaningful educational change.
Education
- Ph.D. — Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Indiana University (2008)
- Ph.D. — Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University (2008)
- M.Ed. — Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University (2005)
- B.A. — Educational Technology, Ewha Woman’s University (2001)
Career Experience
- 2023 – Present
Professor and Assistant Dean for Engagement and Global Initiatives
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2018 – 2023
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2016 – 2018
Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2015
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2012 – 2015
Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2008 – 2012
Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Studies
Teachers College, Ball State University - 2004 – 2008
Associate Instructor
Department of Instructional Systems Technology
School of Education, Indiana University - 2004 – 2005
Corporate Instructional Designer
Marsh, McDonald’s, Walgreens, BearingPoint, Accenture Projects, WisdomTools, Inc. - 2003 – 2004
Instructional Design and Technology Consultant
Instructional Consulting and Technology Services, School of HPER, Indiana University - 2001 – 2003
Secondary English Teacher
Yungduk High School, South Korea - 2000 – 2001
Instructional Designer & Consultant
Solve-It Media Inc., South Korea
Professional Affiliations/Memberships
- AERA
- AECT
- CIES
Research & Publications
Selected Publications
- Hsieh, C. J., & Watson, S. (2025). Fostering well-being and belonging among international graduate students: A positive psychology approach. Journal of International Students, 15(5), 1-18.
- Zhang, Y., & Watson, S. L. (2025). Impacts of Gamified Project-Based Learning on Students’ Achievement Motivation in Rural China. TechTrends, 69(3), 471-484.
- Yu, J. H., Dong, L., Hsieh, C. J., Tan, Y., Duan, S., & Watson, S. L. (2024). Instructional designers’ professional futures: insights from best possible self and epistemic network analysis. Educational technology research and development, 1-35.
- Kang, S., Huang, W., Watson, S. L., Hsieh, C. J., Watson, W. R., & Yu, W. (2024). A Comparative Study of AI Integration Barriers in K–12 Education in South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.
- Sallam, M. H., Li, Y., Watson, S. L., Liu, R., Luo, R., & Xu, M. (2023). The effectiveness of LMOOCs on participants’ attitudinal learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 1-24.
- Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., Koehler, A. A., & Oh, K. H. (2023). Student profiles and attitudes towards case-based learning in an online graduate instructional design course. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 35(3), 550-572.
- Watson, S. L., Watson, W. R., Huang, W., Janakiraman, S., & Dufault, K. H. (2023). Student attitudes toward digital badges for instructional design competency-based education. Social Education Research, 307-326.
- Mueller, C. M., Richardson, J., Watson, S. L., & Watson, W. (2022). Instructional designers’ perceptions & experiences of collaborative conflict with faculty. TechTrends, 66(4), 578-589.
- Watson, W. R., Watson, S. L., Koehler, A. A., & Oh, K. H. (2022). Student profiles and attitudes towards case-based learning in an online graduate instructional design course. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 1-23.
- Duan, S., Watson, S. L., & Newby, T. (2022). Novice instructional designers’ attitudes towards the best possible self activity and the correlation with personality and subjective well-being. TechTrends, 1-14.
- Janakiraman, S., Watson, S. L., Watson, W. R., & Newby, T. (2021). Effectiveness of digital games in producing environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors: A mixed methods study. Computers & Education, 160, 104043.
- Watson, S. L., Yu, J. H., Alamri, H., & Watson, W. R. (2020). Preservice teachers’ technology integration attitude change in a course implementing digital badges. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 28(1), 89-116.
- Lee, D., Watson, S. L., & Watson, W. R. (2019). Systematic literature review on self-regulated learning in massive open online courses. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 35 (1).
- Watson, S.L., *Watson, W.R. & *Tay, L. (2018). The development and validation of the Attitudinal Learning Inventory (ALI): A measure of attitudinal learning and instruction. Educational Technology Research & Development. 66(6), 1601-1617. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-018-9625-7.
- Watson, S.L. (2017). An exploratory case study of the instructional design of an animal behavior and welfare MOOC for attitudinal learning. Open Learning. 262-278.
- Watson, S.L., Watson, W.R., Yu, J.H., Almari, H., & Mueller, C. (2017). Learner profiles of attitudinal learning in a MOOC: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study. Computers & Education 114. 274-285.
- Mueller, C., Lim, J. & Watson, S.L. (2017) First principles of attitudinal change: A review of principles, methods and strategies. Techtrends. 61(6), 560-569.
- Watson, S. L., Loizzo, J., Watson, W. R., Mueller, C., #Lim, J., & Ertmer, P. (2016). Instructional design, facilitation, and perceived learning gains: An exploratory case study of a human trafficking MOOC for attitudinal change. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(6), 1273-1300.
- Watson, S. L., Watson, W. R., Richardson, J. & Loizzo, J. (2016). Instructor’s use of social presence, teaching presence and attitudinal dissonance: A case study of an attitudinal change MOOC. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. 17(3), 54-74.
- Watson, S. L. & Park. G. (2015) Towards progressive and dynamic multicultural education: Teachers’ awareness of multicultural education in South Korean schools. International Journal of Education, 7(1), 57-74.
- Watson, S. L., & Reigeluth, C.M. (2013). Living the vision: A disadvantaged and marginalized alternative school’s perspective on school culture and educational change. International Journal of Education, 5(2), 53-74.
- Watson, S. L., *Watson, W. R. (2011). Critical, emancipatory and pluralistic research for education: A review of critical systems theory. Journal of Thought, 46(4), 63-77.
- Watson, S. L. (2011). Somebody’s gotta fight for them: A disadvantaged and marginalized alternative school’s learner-centered culture of learning. Urban Education, 46(6), 1496-1525.
- Watson, S. L. & Watson. W. R. (2011). The role of technology and computer based instruction in a Disadvantaged Alternative School’s Culture of Learning. Computers in the Schools, 28(1), 39-55.
Courses Typically Taught
- EDCI 51300 — Foundations of Learning Design and Technology: An Introduction to the Field
- EDCI 53100 — Learning Theories and Instructional Design
- EDCI 56400 — Integration and Management of Computers in Education
- EDCI 66000 — Learning Design and Technology Seminar
- EDCI 62700 — Current Topics in Learning Design and Technology