Christine Greenhow
Associate Professor of Educational Technology and Educational Psychology
Education expert, focusing on the impact of social media and new technologies in teaching and learning, digital scholarship
Get in touchBiography
An expert in educational technology, Christine Greenhow studies learning and teaching in social media contexts with the goal of improving theory, practice and policy in K-12 and higher education. Winner of a 2018 Teacher-Scholar award from Michigan State University, Greenhow researches people's use of social media and learning and innovative teaching with social media in schools, classrooms, and out-of-school online settings. Her work has examined learning in Facebook and Twitter (e.g., reading, ... writing, social support/social capital, science learning, argumentation, civic engagement, identity, 21st century skills) and the design of social networking apps for education. Her work is also exploring how social media are changing research and scholarship practices. Her work aims to increase our understanding of the intellectual and social practices occurring in online, popular culture-inspired environments, analyze how those practices align, contradict or herald strategies, skills and dispositions valued in formal education, and use these insights to design more engaging spaces for learning. She was a visiting fellow at the Information and Society Project at Yale University, resulting in a book Social Media and Education: Toward a Digital Future (2016) about social media, global education and policy. Her work has been featured in local, national and international news media. She has been active in educational reform efforts and is the co-founder of an award-winning educational non-profit. Currently, Greenhow is the Secretary for the American Educational Research Association's Learning and Teaching Division and its former Communications Director.
Read MoreEducation
Harvard University: Ed.D., Education and Technology
Boston College: M.Ed.,
Dartmouth College: B.A., Government and English
Selected Press
Lansing School district offering virtual school option for K-12 students
WSYM | 2021-06-24
Christine Greenhow is an education and technology expert from Michigan State University. She says we can expect to see more districts adopt this learning model because it gets students in line with employment trends. “I mean we see this with workplaces. So, I think these trends that students are taking hold of in virtual learning might set them up for the workplace of tomorrow that's more remote," said Greenhow. Throughout the pandemic, many in the education realm have talked about a widening achievement gap.
Students and Robots, in Harmony
Inside Higher Ed | 2018-01-10
'Three years ago, Christine Greenhow, associate professor of educational psychology and educational technology at Michigan State University, attended a faculty meeting that would set her on an unexpected path. Presenters from the institution’s design studio showcased two different models of robots: a Kubi, which “looks sort of like an iPad on a neck that sits on a desk,” according to Greenhow, and a Double, which can roll around hallways...'
Five Surprising and Innovative Uses of Learning in 2017
ELearning Inside | 2017-12-16
“I teach graduate courses where the primary pedagogy is discussion-based,” Professor Christine Greenhow said. “When you’re in a discussion with some people in the room and others streaming in, you have these faces on the screen and you’re trying to talk to someone, look at their face, look at the camera, and look at other people in the room. You can’t have the same interpersonal experience.” The robots have begun to solve this problem.
Robot Learning Improves Student Engagement
MSU Today | 2017-12-01
The first-ever study of Michigan State University’s pioneering robot-learning course shows that online students who use the innovative robots feel more engaged and connected to the instructor and students in the classroom.
