Jim Diamond

Jim Diamond, PhD, researches and develops digital technologies—including games and digital badge systems—to support student learning and teacher practice in K–12 classrooms. A former teacher, Diamond believes that digital tools, coupled with sound pedagogies, can help learners have more personally meaningful educational experiences.

As the instructional designer for EDC’s Zoom In, Diamond contributed to developing interactive, Common Core-aligned U.S. history lessons that support critical-thinking and literacy skills. Currently, as the co-principal investigator on Playing with the Data, he is studying how middle grade science teachers use data from game play to make decisions about instruction.

An experienced evaluator, Diamond is leading a series of short-cycle evaluations of new technologies in the New York City Department of Education’s iZone Short Cycle Evaluation Challenge as well as a formative and summative evaluation of the National Science Foundation-funded iDesign project.

Diamond has a PhD in instructional design and technology from New York University.

“History class should be about more than just memorizing dates and names. Teachers must also encourage students to explain and think about what happened, why it happened, and how historical events continue to impact the present day.”