David Williamson Shaffer

David Williamson Shaffer is the Sears Bascom Professor of Learning Analytics and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Educational Psychology. He is also a Data Philosopher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. His work focuses on merging statistical and qualitative methods to model complex human collaboration.

Shaffer holds an AB in History and East Asian Studies from Harvard University (1987), and MS/PhD in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT (1996/1998). Before academia, he was a teacher, curriculum developer, and game designer.

His research emphasizes Quantitative Ethnography—a methodology combining big data analysis with cultural interpretation. Key contributions include Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) and over 250 publications, including influential books like How Computer Games Help Children Learn (2006) and Quantitative Ethnography (2017).

Awardees of the EU Marie Curie Fellowship (2008) and Spencer Foundation Fellowship (2003), Shaffer's work has been presented globally at conferences like Learning Analytics & Knowledge and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning.

His interdisciplinary approach bridges education, data science, and humanities, addressing challenges in authentic STEM experiences, collaborative learning analytics, and culturally responsive pedagogy.