Organizational Structure

EdTechnica seeks to be a democratic, efficient, egalitarian, and ethical organization that allows educational technology professionals to harmoniously work together for the common good. It also seeks to be an open and transparent organization that welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

At its heart, the governing body of EdTechnica is the Review Board, which constitutes all authors of articles and any professionals who donate their time to making the encyclopedia function. In addition to the general Review Board, a smaller Governing Board also works to streamline encyclopedia activities and to provide leadership on essential tasks. Associate editors and student interns may also be invited to support the efforts of either board.

Figure 1

Illustration of the Review Board and Governing Board

Review and editorial board

Review Board

The Review Board represents researchers and practitioners who have agreed to provide reviews of articles related to their expertise. Review Board members will be acknowledged in the encyclopedia for their service, but information regarding which articles they specifically reviewed will not be shared.

Review Board members are invited to attend all official meetings and to vote on leadership decisions and any other voting items proposed by the Governing Board. Generally, Review Board meetings are held twice each year, and all members are invited to attend and to vote on items.

Authors of accepted articles will automatically be invited to join the Review Board after initial acceptance of their first article. This will help to diversify and expand the Review Board over time. Members of the Governing Board may also invite new Review Board members.

The Review Board is intended to be a highly democratic organization, and there is no limit to its possible size.

There is no time limit to Review Board membership provided that the member remains active in the field and with the encyclopedia. If a Review Board member does not participate in the board for a year or longer (i.e., does not complete any reviews and does not attend any meetings), then they may be removed from the Review Board by the Governing Board with a letter of thanks. Former Review Board members may be invited to rejoin the Review Board by the Governing Board.

Through the Inclusive Contribution and Equity Strategy, the Governing Board also seeks to ensure that the Review Board is both representative of the field and diverse.

Review Board Selection and Acknowledgment

Any researcher or practitioner with expertise related to educational technology may request to join the Review Board by emailing the Governing Board and attaching a curriculum vitae. Generally, to serve on the Review Board, an individual should be actively engaged in the field either as a scholar, practitioner, or graduate student and have sufficient professional or research expertise. Some indicators of suitability to serve on the Review Board may include the following:

Reviews are blinded, meaning that authors will not know who reviewed their individual articles, but reviewers will be acknowledged for their participation with the overall volume by inclusion on the Review Board page and with a certificate of appreciation.

Governing Board

The Governing Board represents researchers and practitioners who have agreed to provide editing, leadership, and strategic support to the encyclopedia. Each member is elected to serve a 3-year term, and the size of the Governing Board is limited to six (6) people (though this may be adjusted by a Review Board vote). In its first year of operation, the two Governing Board members with the most votes will be elected to a term of 3 years, the next two will be elected to a term of 2 years, and the final two will be elected to a term of 1 year. This allows for staggering of elections and continuity of leadership. There are currently no limits on the number of terms an Governing Board member may serve, but each term must be decided by election.

Maha Bali bio pic
Maha Bali
American University in Cairo
Maha Bali is Associate Professor of Practice at the Center for Learning and Teaching, American University in Cairo. She has
Aras Bozkurt bio pic
Aras Bozkurt
Anadolu University, Turkey
Aras Bozkurt is a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Distance Education, Open Education Faculty at Anadolu
Camille Dickson-Deane bio pic
Camille Dickson-Deane
University of Technology Sydney
Dr. Camille Dickson-Deane is a Senior Lecturer Higher Education Learning Design at the University of Technology, Sydney Australia.
Royce Kimmons bio pic
Royce Kimmons
Brigham Young University
Royce Kimmons is an Associate Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University where he studies
Jill E. Stefaniak bio pic
Jill E. Stefaniak
University of Georgia
Jill Stefaniak is an Associate Professor in the Learning, Design, and Technology program in the Department of Career and
Melissa Warr bio pic
Melissa Warr
New Mexico State University
Dr. Melissa Warr is an Assistant Professor of Learning Design and Technology at University of Louisiana Monroe. Her research

Table 1

Current Governing Board Members

NameAffiliationDates of Service
Maha BaliAmerican University in Cairo2022-TBD
Aras BozkurtAnadolu University2022-TBD
Camille Dickson-DeaneUniversity of Technology Sydney2022-TBD
Royce KimmonsBrigham Young University2022-2025
Jill E. StefaniakUniversity of Georgia2022-TBD
Melissa WarrUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe2022-TBD

Governing Board Selection

Governing Board members are nominated and elected by the Review Board. Voting on open Governing Board membership positions is conducted in a proportional ranked-choice voting manner. Any Review Board member may nominate themselves or another Review Board member to serve on the Governing Board. Nominations should be made prior to the biannual meeting when voting will occur so that the Editor-in-Chief may privately see if nominees accept nominations prior to voting.

Editor-in-Chief Selection

The Editor-in-Chief is elected by the Governing Board via a simple majority vote and serves until the end of their Governing Board term. In the case of a tie, the selection of the Editor-in-Chief must be decided by the Review Board. Nominations are accepted from current Governing Board members. If re-elected to the Governing Board, the former Editor-in-Chief may be considered for additional terms as Editor-in-Chief.

Governing Board Governance

All Governing Board members are considered to be editors of the encyclopedia, even though specific editorial and administrative duties may vary by position. In addition, all encyclopedia activities and decisions should be approached in a collaborative manner and in a spirit of cooperation. So, although each editor leads specific efforts associated with the encyclopedia, they can and should constantly collaborate with other editors.

The Governing Board will have a scheduled meeting each month, but meetings may be canceled at the discretion of the board if there are no agenda items or due to other circumstances. These are not public meetings, but Review Board members may be invited by a Governing Board member to attend Governing Board meetings as observers.

The Governing Board has the authority to make all decisions related to the encyclopedia and its personnel provided that decisions are unanimous. Given the small size of the Governing Board, this ensures that each member has an equal and powerful voice and prevents the development of factions or groups within the board. Any vote requires the presence of a majority of Governing Board members to be valid, and any vote conducted in the absence of an Governing Board member may be brought to a revote by that member.

Whether or not a decision requires a board vote is determined by the board itself, and if any Governing Board member requests a vote on any matter, then the matter must be decided by a vote.

If the Governing Board cannot achieve unanimity in a decision, then the decision must be made by the Review Board, who must decide by a majority vote how to proceed, either during a biannual meeting or via email (with a two-week opportunity to vote). It is expected that these instances will be rare, but in such cases, the Editor-in-Chief will provide the Review Board with an explanation of the voting item and a list of the Governing Board members’ votes on the matter including a short rationale from each member explaining their vote.

The Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Governing Board member is responsible for making agendas, taking notes of all meetings, and distributing them to members in a timely manner.

Governing Board Duties

Duty 1: Ethics, Equity, and Inclusion

Each Governing Board member ensures that the governing practices of the encyclopedia are ethical, equitable, and inclusive and also that the resulting encyclopedia itself reflects these values. The Governing Board constantly updates and engages in an Inclusive Contribution and Equity Strategy to ensure that these values and effective practices are interwoven into all aspects of the encyclopedia.

Duty 2: Editorial Review

Designated Governing Board members conduct initial reviews of submitted articles to ensure that they fit the encyclopedia’s aims and scope and that they follow necessary guidelines and conventions.

Duty 3: Author Support

Designated Governing Board members provide necessary support to authors of articles both in the pre-publication phase and the post-publication phase. This may include technical support, stylistic guidance, data interpretation, and other forms of assistance.

Duty 4: Peer Review Management

Designated Governing Board members organize, invite, and remind reviewers and make final determinations on article publishability, notifying authors of decisions. The Governing Board also solicits and manages requests for new articles, solicits article contributions, and releases calls for proposals.

Duty 5: Quality Assurance and Accessibility

Designated Governing Board members manage Micro-Revisions to existing articles and the inclusion of Additional Resources. The Governing Board also initiates and administers usability and accessibility testing on articles and corrects technical problems as needed.

Duty 6: Translations

Designated Governing Board members or an assigned committee manages the publication of proposed Translations.

Duty 7: Continuous Improvement

Designated Governing Board members manage the consideration of Major Updates to existing articles and also engage in ongoing Continuous Improvement efforts to correct and improve the content, veracity, practicality, and timeliness of articles.

Duty 8: Communications

The Governing Board should manage email lists and announcements to the Review Board and authors and should also engage in an active Social Outreach and Marketing Strategy. The Governing Board should also manage official social media, email, and other accounts.

Supporting Editors

Supporting Editors are invited by the Governing Board to fulfill specific duties related to the encyclopedia.

Bohdana Allman bio pic
Bohdana Allman
Dr. Bohdana Allman has taught various undergraduate and graduate-level courses ranging from methodology and pedagogy courses
Fanny Eliza Bondah bio pic
Fanny Eliza Bondah
Brigham Young University
Fanny Bondah is a Masters student at Brigham Young University studying Instructional Psychology & Technology.
Monalisa Dash bio pic
Monalisa Dash
Brajrajnagar College

Rebeca Peacock bio pic
Rebeca Peacock
Boise State University
Rebeca Peacock is an Instructional Designer and Assistant Professor, Librarian at Boise State University. She has an MEd

Table 2

Current Associate Editors

NameAffiliationRole
Bohdana AllmanBrigham Young UniversityAssociate Editor
Fanny Eliza BondahBrigham Young UniversityAssistant (Student) Editor
Monalisa DashBrajrajnagar CollegeAssociate Editor
Rebecca PeacockBoise State UniversityAssociate Editor

Review Board Members

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