Larry Simmons, Ph.D.
Core Faculty,
Department of Professional Educational Studies
I’m Larry Simmons. In 1975, at the age of 20, I joined the Detroit Police Department and worked at several precincts throughout the city. After many years on the police department, I became convinced I should help some individuals stop the cycle of crime that seemed to be controlling their lives. From 1992 until 1995, I worked as a volunteer at the main county jail teaching a Values Clarification course to inmates awaiting trial for various crimes. It was during this time that I discovered the joy of teaching adult learners. This experience convinced me to return to college and finish my education for a life after the police force. I attended Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI completing a bachelor's degree in Strategic Human Resource Leadership. After that I enrolled in the Learning Design and Technology (LDT) M.Ed. program at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, MI. After completing the M.Ed. program I was accepted into WSU's LDT Ph.D. program. LDT involves applying systems thinking to approach the teaching, learning and instruction process by using techniques and technologies to promote the acquisition and transfer of knowledge. Learning Design Technologists are similar to mechanical engineers. However, instead of designing mechanical systems to produce an end-product, LDT practitioners design, develop and/or facilitate human learning systems to produce this end-product, mastery learning. My philosophy of online education is to maintain student-centered online learning environments where our adult learners who, among themselves, have many years of personal and professional experiences can function as co-facilitators of each other’s learning. I have 14+ years of experience serving as an online educator for a variety of online academic institutions in their undergraduate and graduate programs. In this position I’m looking forward to the chance of working with the dedicated educators of our academic institution as we serve the knowledge needs of the students of ACE!
Education
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Doctorate in Instructional Technology
Wayne State University -
Master's in Instructional Technology
Wayne State University -
Bachelor's in Human Resources Administration
Concordia University
Research Interests
Adult education, online education, andragogy, peeragogy, peer-to-peer learning, TPACK framework