Susan McDonald

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About

Susan McDonald is an education researcher whose work sits at the intersection of early childhood learning and creative technology integration. Best known for her pioneering investigations into how robotics and digital tools can serve as powerful conduits for learning in Early Years classrooms, McDonald has made a distinctive contribution to the field of technology-enhanced education. Her most influential work, "Watching, Creating and Achieving: Creative Technologies as a Conduit for Learning in the Early Years" (2011), has garnered 85 citations and remains a touchstone study for educators and researchers exploring how young children develop technological competencies within literacy- and numeracy-rich environments. Through a carefully structured three-phase pedagogical process, McDonald demonstrated that creative technologies — far from being distractions — can be purposefully harnessed to build foundational academic and digital skills simultaneously. Her follow-up publication in 2012 extended this work to broader audiences, reinforcing her core argument that robotics in early education fosters both creative expression and measurable learning outcomes. McDonald's research continues to inform curriculum design and policy discussions surrounding technology integration in the formative years of schooling.