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Education

1986 Florida State University, B.S.
2007 Indiana University, M.S.
2017 Morehead State University, Ed.D.

View CV (PDF)

Courses Taught

Advanced Seminar in Instructional Design
Introduction to Instructional Design
Inquiry and Measurement
Seminar in Instructional Design
Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Introduction to Distance Learning
Introduction to Instructional Games and Simulations
Introduction to Program Evaluation
Management of Change
Media for Instruction
Principles of Learner Motivation

Career Specialties

Suzanne Ensmann specializes in meaningful and effective instructional design (ID) and learning experiences delivered in both hybrid and online learning. Her academic interest focuses on incorporating students’ hyper-communication and ubiquitous computing skills (like gaming with immersive technologies) to impact learning through social and engaging experiences. Ensmann also believes students should experience the value of servant leadership and global education with real-world project-based learning (PBL).

Professional and Community Activities

Ensmann is interested in how digital game-based learning (DGBL) often evokes empathy from learners to the point that these learners become advocates for improvement. For this reason, she developed a prototype of a game-for-change to teach about the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty to begin the process of systemic change to afford all children basic human rights, currently being developed into a first-person Unity game. Ensmann has organized travel abroad to rebuild homes, care for orphans and led »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ students to collaborate and produce games to improve learning for children in Haiti. Within the U.S., Ensmann has run marathons to raise money for cancer research. To support her interest and experience in the correlation of increased physical activities with educational gains and performance, she incorporated wearable technologies into her curricula to personalize data collection for students while having them get fit to present.

Ensmann, S., Whiteside, A. (2022). “It helped to know I wasn’t alone”: Student satisfaction in an online community with a gamified, social media-like instructional approach. Online Learning Journal, 26(1), 22-45.

Ensmann, S., Whiteside, A., Gomez-Vasquez, L., Sturgill R. (2021). Connections before curriculum: The role of social presence during COVID-19 emergency remote learning for students. Online Learning Journal 25(3), 36-56.

Ensmann, S. Y. (2021). Digital games to improve learning in Haiti. AECT TechTrends Journal, 65(4) . Shareable link:

Ensmann, S. (2020). The Effects of Wearables on Performance in Education: Serving the Whole Student with Directed Attention on Health and Wellness. In Hokanson, B., Clinton, G., Tawfik, A. A., Grincewicz, A., & Schmidt, M. (pp. ). Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations (ECTII). AECT. Springer, Cham.

Ensmann, S. Y. (2017). Empowering Students with Games-for-Change (Doctoral dissertation, Morehead State University).

Honors and Awards

Awards and Honors

2023 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ. Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
2022 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ. Sabbatical Leave 2023-2024
2017 Morehead State University School of Education. Scholarly Research Award
2016 Morehead State University School of Education. Scholarly Research Award
2014-2016 Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Appointment to iCivics Teachers’ Council

Research Grants

2023-2024 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence Award. A Game Designed to Affect Pro-Social Change. ($9,001 awarded)

2022 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Grant (awarded by Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Committee), with lead writer Aimee Whiteside

2021 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ, Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Grant. Pandemics, Paradigms, and Disruptive Technologies: Exploring Student Learning with a Dynamic Discussion Community Building Platform Designed with Social Presence, Engagement, Interaction, and Gamification ($14,000 awarded), with Aimee Whiteside. Abstract link.

2021 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Grant. Researching Community Building and Social Presence in Gamified Online Discussions ($4,000 awarded by Undergraduate Research and Inquiry Committee), with Aimee Whiteside

2019 »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ RISE Grant. Digital/Audio Interactives to Improve Learning in a Developing Country ($12,000 awarded), with Tony Erben and Tammy Schimmel

Teaching and Learning Awards

2019 Fall »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Department of Education Special Project Award. Measuring the Affective Domain with a Facial Expression Reader ($250 awarded)

2019 Spring »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Department of Education Special Project Award. Developing Graduate Students into Published Scholars ($2,000 awarded)

2018 Fall »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Department of Education Special Project Award. Inspiring Inquiry and Measurement with Wearable Devices ($1,452 awarded)