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College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University

Dr. Shahron G. Williams van Rooij
PhD, George Mason University
Associate Professor Emerita of Education

Contact Information

Send email to Dr. Williams van Rooij

Phone: (703) 993-9704
Fax: (703) 993-2722
Email: swilliae (@gmu.edu)

George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Thompson Hall 1803
4400 University Dr.
MS 5D6
Fairfax, VA 22030

Profile

Dr. Williams van Rooij is associate professor in the Learning Design and Technology program, Learning Technologies Division of the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Dr. Williams van Rooij received her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology with a minor in Software Information Systems from George Mason University in 2007. She also has a doctorate in Quantitative Methods from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, a Masters in Political Science from the American University of Beirut, and a Bachelors degree in Romance Languages from City College New York. She holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential from the Project Management Institute, Inc. Prior to joining George Mason University, Dr. Williams van Rooij worked for 11 years at a software development company where she facilitated the engineering of new e-learning technology solutions. Her corporate experience included management positions in software marketing and market research in the financial and advertising industries. As a Certified Distance Education Professional (C.D.E.P.) credentialed by Texas A&M University, Dr. Williams van Rooij is a frequent speaker on the development of Web-based education and has published in journals such as Educational Technology Research & Development, the British Journal of Educational Technology, Human Resource Management, and the Review of Education  Research. Her book The Business Side of Learning Design and Technologies, a Routledge-Taylor & Francis publication, was released in September 2018.

Research Interests
  • Workplace learning and development
  • Project management
  • e-Learning for adult audiences
  • Instructional approaches in management education
Recent Publications

Articles

  • Hinton, R., & Williams van Rooij, S. (2021). CxO advisory councils: New approaches in executive education. Journal of Education for Business, 96(5), 284-290.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2020). Critical reflection for civic-mindedness: The executive blog as “regeneration alcove”. Adult Learning, 31(2), 78-87.
  • Battista, A., & Williams van Rooij, S. (2018). The business impact of learning: A healthcare case study. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 20(1), 94-105.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2018). Niche programs in executive education: Opportunities for innovation and integration. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 18(2), 10-23.
  • Williams van Rooij, S., & Zirkle, K. (2016). Balancing pedagogy, student readiness, and accessibility: A case study in collaborative online course development. The Internet and Higher Education, 28, 1-7.
  • van Rooij, S.W., & Merkebu, J. (2015). Measuring the business impact of employee learning: A view from the professional services sector. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 26(3), 275-297.
  • Van der Klink, M., Van der Heijden, B., Boon, J., & Williams van Rooij, S. (2014). Exploring the contribution of formal and informal learning to academic staff member employability: A Dutch perspective. Career Development International, 19(3), 337-356.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2013). Usability testing with online research panels: A case study from the field of instructional design. International Journal of e-Learning, 12(4), 403-423.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2013). The career path to instructional design project management: An expert perspective from the U.S. professional services sector. International Journal of Training and Development, 17(1), 33-53.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2012) Research-based personas: Teaching empathy in professional education. Journal of Effective Teaching, 12(3), 77-86
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2012). Training older workers: Lessons learned, unlearned, and relearned from the field of instructional design. Human Resource Management, 51(2), 281-298.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2012). Open source learning management systems: A predictive model for higher education. Journal of Computer-assisted Learning, 28(12), 114-125.

Books

  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2018). The business side of learning design and technologies. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Benson, A.D., Moore, J.L., & Williams van Rooij, S. (Eds.) (2013). Cases on educational technology planning, design, and implementation: A project management perspective. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Book Chapters

  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2021). Critical reflection, leadership, and the public good: A chief learning officer perspective. In M, Malloch, L. Cairns, K. Evans, & B.N. O’Connor (Eds), The SAGE handbook of learning and work. (pp. 239-261). SAGE Publications, Ltd..
  • Williams van Rooij, S., Moore, J.L., & Benson, A.D. (2013). Project management of educational technology projects. In A.D. Benson, J.L. Moore, & S. Williams van Rooij (Eds.), Cases on educational technology planning, design, and implementation: A project management perspective (pp. 1-11). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2013). Jack Waterkamp: Managing scope change in an instructional design project. In P.A. Ertmer, J.A. Quinn, & K.D. Glazewski (Eds.), The ID casebook: Case studies in instructional design, 4th edition, (pp. 259-271). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2011). Higher Education and FOSS for e-learning: The role of organizational sub-cultures in enterprise-wide adoption. In B. Ozkan Czerkawski (Ed.), Free and open source software for e-learning: Issues, successes, and challenges (pp. 55-74). Hershey: IGI Global.
  • Norton, P., Williams van Rooij, S., Kinas-Jerome, M., Clark, K., Behrmann, M., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2009). Linking theory and practice through design: An instructional technology program. In M. Orey, V.J. McClendon, & R.M. Branch (Eds.), Educational media and technology yearbook, Volume 34 (pp. 47-60). New York: Springer.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2009). Project Management for Project-based Learning: A Case Study of Course Projects with Small Virtual Instructional Design Teams. In T. Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices (pp. 247-263). Hershey: IGI Global, Information Science Reference.Williams van Rooij, S. (2013). Usability testing with online research panels: A case study from the field of instructional design. International Journal of e-Learning, 12(4), 403-423.
Other Information

Selected Conference Presentations

  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2019, October). Reflective practice and organizational culture: The perspective of Learning and Development professionals. Paper presented at the 2019 AECT International Convention, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2018, October). e-Learning project management: Adding value to your marketability. Invited workshop conducted at e-Learn 2018, AACE, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2018, April). Critical reflection for civic-mindedness in executive education: Opportunities for public education. Paper presented at the AERA Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2017, August). Niche programs in executive education: Opportunities to cultivate innovation. Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
  • Williams van Rooij, S. & Battista, A. (2016, April). Learning impact measurement: A grounded theory case study from the U.S. healthcare sector. Paper presented at the AERA Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Williams van Rooij, S. & Battista, A. (2016, February). Measuring the business impact of employee learning: A grounded theory case study from the U.S. healthcare sector. Paper presented at the AHRD International Research Conference in the Americas, Jacksonville, FL
  • Williams van Rooij, S. & Merkebu, J.* (2013, November). Measuring the business impact of employee learning: A view from the professional services sector. Paper presented at the AECT International Convention, Anaheim, CA
  • Williams van Rooij, S. & Zirkle, K. (2013, October). Balancing pedagogy, interactivity and accessibility: A faculty-IT support partnership. Paper presented at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA
  • Williams van Rooij, S. (2013, May). Integrating empathy into professional education: Lessons learned from the design professions. Poster session conducted at the AERA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
Campus Affiliations