User:Ddirlam

David Kirk Dirlam (born January 13, 1942) is an American psychologist and educational researcher. Since 1967, his research has focused on identifying and using a unit of analysis for knowledge development. The resulting “mode of practice” was defined and analyzed in his 2017 book published by Routledge Teachers, learners, modes of practice: Theory and methodology for identifying knowledge development.

Research and application of the unit resulted in dozens of discoveries, innovations, and interpretive precedents. Chief among these are developmental rubrics, developmental interviews, and the multidimensional succession model of development. He was awarded a James McKeen Cattell Fund Fellowship in 1997-1998 for furthering this work as a researcher in residence at the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition of the University of California San Diego. Numerous educational institutions have applied this work to create developmental assessments of learning, including Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Virginia Wesleyan University. Many of his articles are available at www.changingwisdoms.net.

CAREER

Dirlam received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from McMaster University his B.A. from Northwestern University, and is a graduate of Burris Laboratory School of Ball State University.

His administrative work included being Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Virginia Wesleyan University, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Senior Assessment Coordinator at Savannah College of Art and Design, and  Director of the Educational Research and Demonstration Center at SUNY Plattsburgh.

His teaching career including being Professor and Chair of Psychology at King University where his southern Appalachian students achieved Chapter of the Year of the Association for Psychological Science, in which he is a Charter Member. He was also an Assistant Professor of Psychology at St. Norbert College. Between the teaching and administrative work, he owned small businesses including computer retailing and programming for distributors, manufacturers, and non-profit agencies as well as Savannah's Folk Traditions Store.