Hi, I'm Dr. Mark James
Associate professor of applied linguistics | Curriculum designer and materials developer | Education consultant
Welcome!
I hope this website is helpful for people who are interested in my work on learning transfer and would like to find out more (for example, how this can be applied in their own education and training contexts) or might want to work with me.
Some background information
I’m an education specialist, in particular second language education (for example English as a second language), and this involves a few things …
Training teachers and researchers
As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I teach education-related courses (for example, second language teaching methodology, curriculum design and materials development, language assessment) and research methods courses. I also supervise graduate students' research projects.
Doing research
I do research on learning transfer, mainly in second language education contexts. Learning transfer is an issue that is very important in any education and training context.
Creating language learning materials
I have a company, weblengs, that creates innovative online materials for learning English. My company has ready-to-use materials for individual learners and classes. My company also creates customized materials for schools, organizations, and companies.
Consulting
I am available as an education consultant to advise individuals, organizations, and companies about developing courses and programs, in particular about how to maximize learning transfer.
What is learning transfer and why is it important?
Learning transfer is the application of learning in new situations. For example, if I learn how to do calculations in a mathematics class, I might transfer this learning to a situation outside the class, for example when I am shopping or working at my job. Learning transfer is a main purpose of any education or training program: Individuals should be able to take whatever they learn in the program and apply it outside the program, in the “real world”. Unfortunately, in many cases, this doesn’t happen: Research shows that transfer is influenced by a variety of factors, and learning often doesn’t transfer when and where we hope it will. But, there are practical steps we can take in education and training programs to help.
How can I help?
As a visitor to this website, I would really like to hear from you! If you have any questions about teaching for transfer, or if you might want to work with me to improve learning transfer in your organization’s or company’s education and training programs, please feel free to reach out to me.