Chris Hakala | Springfield College

Chris Hakala

Chris Hakala

Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship / Professor of Psychology
Head shot of Chris Hakala
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H., 1995
  • Master of Arts in Experimental/Cognitive Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H., 1992
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Castleton State College, Castleton, Vt., 1990

Chris Hakala has over 20 years’ experience as a professor and Center Director in higher education institutions. Over the years, his research has focused on reading comprehension, teaching and learning, effective faculty development and assessment. In addition, Chris has been invited to present at many conferences around the country as well as dozens of colleges and universities on topics ranging from reading narrative text to how to effectively manage large classes, or how to engage students in ways that maximize student learning. At Springfield, Chris runs the Center for Excellence on Teaching, Learning and Scholarship and teaches courses in the psychology department.

 

Read Chris Hakala's Q&A on Springfield Stories Blog

Research Interests

The science of learning has, over the last 20 years, begun to yield results that allow us to better understand how students learn in the classroom. My research is interested in translating that basic research into best practices in the classroom. The goal is to create teaching and learning environments that maximize the skills of the instructor within the context of the content as well as the unique culture of Springfield College.

Selected Works

Presentations

  • The classroom as Practice: Keynote at the Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching, Bethesda, MD. May, 2017
  • Using technology to enhance student learning: Workshop at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA. November, 2017
  • Science of Learning: Presentation to Faculty, Cayuga Community College, Auburn, NY. August, 2017

Selected Works