Joan A. Swanson

Joan A. Swanson serves as Associate Professor and Director of the School of Education at Franklin Pierce University within the College of Liberal Arts, Business, Social Science, and Education. Her leadership drives teacher preparation initiatives through university-school partnerships and accreditation efforts.

Her educational foundation includes:

• B.S. in Social Studies Education and Psychology from Indiana Wesleyan University (1988)
• M.S. in Educational Counseling from McDaniel College (1996)
• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Methodology from University at Albany (2013)

Dr. Swanson's research examines Educational Psychology and Teacher Preparation with specialized focus on emerging adulthood, educational technology integration, and special education. She investigates how collegiate students interact with digital/print materials and how extended reality enhances preservice training, bridging theoretical frameworks with classroom applications to address neurodiverse learners' needs.

Her publication trajectory reveals evolving expertise from foundational emerging adulthood studies toward cutting-edge applications of augmented/virtual reality in teacher education, consistently emphasizing evidence-based pedagogical innovation across K-20 contexts.

She has earned recognition through:

• Best Paper Award at International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age (2017)
• Best Paper Award at International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age (2014)

As academic advisor for graduate/undergraduate students, she has secured competitive funding including an NSF Noyce Science Education Grant ($100,000), Mixed Reality in Teacher Preparation research support, and university-level Open Education Resource and Castle Grants. Her service spans curriculum development, faculty governance, and statewide educational policy initiatives.

She actively shapes institutional direction through the Franklin Pierce School of Education Advisory Council, Community Literacy Collaboration Committee, and partnerships with Jaffrey Rindge Cooperative School District, while maintaining professional engagement with AERA, APA, and SSEA.