Dr. Brenda Bannan is a Professor in the Division of Learning Technologies and the Learning Technology Design Research Doctoral Program in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia.
Dr. Bannan’s current work centers on leveraging emerging technologies, learning science, user experience design, design research and human-machine partnerships to inform both the human system and the smart technology system. This reciprocal cycle positions computational systems as intelligent observers with insights from AI-infused and processed sensor-based data typically from Internet of Things (IoT) devices that generate behavioral analytics to inform the human system which then can adapt to take action to promote learning across both systems. Working on these efforts across multiple workforce learning contexts, Dr. Bannan co-led the Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnerships (CAHMP) from 2019-2023 at Mason that supports transdisciplinary research related to complex human-machine partnerships with automated, artificial intelligence with autonomy striving toward integration of this technology with human systems in the most appropriate, ethical and trusting ways. Her research with an interdisciplinary team has most recently been applied to workforce learning contexts including first responder team-based live simulation training complemented with artificial intelligence instructional support systems as well as supports her current work conceptualizing virtual reality and extended reality construction safety training environments for workers with attention deficit disorders. Dr. Bannan is Co-Lead of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Global Community Technology Challenge Public Safety Technology Sector and the author of numerous academic journal articles and book chapters in learning sciences and instructional design field. She is a National Science Foundation CAREER program awardee and has been invited as a keynote speaker for multiple international and national organization events including The U.S. Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program (NITRD), the American Associate for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National League of Cities (NLC), among others.