As DoIT’s Coordinator of Learning Analytics, Dr. Penniston leverages institutional, academic, and learning analytics to inform course redesigns and improve student engagement and success. He collaborates closely with DoIT’s Analytics and Business Intelligence team, the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRADS), and of course, faculty, including recipients of learning analytics “mini-grants,” which are part of UMBC’s Learning Analytics Community of Practice.
Tom has been involved in education for over two decades, teaching students ranging in age and skill-level from early elementary to doctoral, in both domestic and international settings (including as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova). He has worked in online and blended learning in different capacities for 15 of those years as an instructor, builder, and administrator.
In addition to writing analytics-related DoIT News stories, Tom has co-authored book chapters and peer-reviewed publications, and presents at conferences, including EDUCAUSE and American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Tom earned his PhD through UMBC’s Language, Literacy, and Culture program, and has extensive experience with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs.