Dan Clark

Dean, School of Education and Extended Learning

Dan Clark currently serves as Dean of the School of Education and Extended Learning at Tiffin University. As the school’s founding dean, Dan leads a dynamic team of faculty and staff as they refine and expand high-quality programs that span traditional, online, partnership-based, continuing education, and alternative credential offerings.

Dan holds a PhD in Adult Education from North Dakota State University, a master's degree in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation from Syracuse University. Hold the adamic rank of Associate Professor and retains an active teaching schedule. His current research interests include: certainty, uncertainty, and creativity in instructional design, post-modern leadership models, fostering critical thinking, self-direction, and ambiguity tolerance in the “COVID generation,” redefining literacy, and the educational and societal effects of social media technologies.

Dan resides in Tiffin with his wife Kim and their son Sam.

North Dakota State University School of Human Development & Education, Fargo, ND
Adult Education
Doctor of Philosophy, 2015

Syracuse University School of Education, Syracuse, NY
Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation
Master of Science, 2004

Selected Publications and Presentations

Cultivating the Adult Learner Ecosystem at Tiffin University (with Iannantuano and Paas) to be presented at Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) 2024 Annual Conference, New Orleans.
You Want Me to do WHAT? Leadership Lessons Learned (and Unlearned) [Presentation] – Leadership Seneca County, Tiffin, OH, 2020.
Connecting the Dots: Instructional Design Practices Through a Creativity Lens. Monmouth, OR, 2017.
An Introduction to Tailored Design and the Intentional Design Framework [Presentation] – 2017 Mountain Moodle Moot, Helena, MT, 2016.
The Intentional Design Framework: Rethinking (online) Course Design (with Ashlee Foster) – Presented at OLC Innovate 2017, New Orleans.
What Do We Need From Our Instructional Designers? – Desired KSAs [Panel Discussion] – Oregon iDesign Symposium, Monmouth, OR, 2016.
Collaborations Toward Quality: Facilitating Student-faculty Partnerships for Online Course Design (with Kristin Mauro and David Bentz) – Presented at OLC Innovate 2016, New Orleans.
The Dog Ate My Cell Phone: Teaching and Learning in the Google Age [Presentation] – Western Oregon University Community Lecture Series, Monmouth, OR, 2015.
Operationalizing Creativity: Desired Characteristics for Instructional Designers, 2015 [Dissertation]
An Audience of None – Why the Discussion Board has Failed Us, and What We Can Do About It (with R. Lester Walsh) – Presented at eLearn 2014, New Orleans.
How We Do Pants… Tailoring your Course with the Intentional Design Framework [Presentation] – Central Wyoming College 2015 Summer Teaching Institute, Riverton, WY.
Transactional Realism: The Attic of the Mind [Presentation] – Utah Valley Senior Executive Leadership Forum (UVSELF) Diversity and Inclusion Seminar, Orem, UT, 2012.
Is Online Education Right for Your Student? [Panel Discussion] Utah Valley University K-16 Counselor Conference, Panel Discussion, Orem, UT, 2012.
Teaching in the Blogosphere: Web 2.0, Lucy Liu, and You [Presentation] Utah Valley University Innovation Center Hybrid Boot Camp Workshop, Orem, UT, 2012.
Creative Uncertainty: A Research Update [Presentation] – Scholarship of Teaching and Engagement (SOTE) 2011 Conference, Presentation, Orem, UT.
New Directions in Adult Education [Presentation] – Utah Valley University Career and Continuing Education Seminar, Orem, UT, 2011.
Ambiguity Intolerance and the Adult Online Learner – Presented at Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 2010 Conference, San Diego, CA.
The Case for Instructor Presence: Faculty Driven Standards of Excellence (with D. Y. Hoskisson) [Presentation] – Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 2010 Conference, San Diego, CA.
The Web_2.0 Librarian: A Brave New World [Kipp-Gamber Technology Keynote] – Valley City State University Library and Information Technologies 2009 Summer Institute, Fort Ransom, ND.
New Approaches to Designing Online Instruction [Presentation] – North Dakota State University Colloquium Series, Fargo, ND, 2010.
Establishing e-Excellence at VCSU [Presentation] Rotary Club, Valley City, ND, 2009.