Colin Fredericks

Dr. Colin Fredericks has established himself as a leading figure in educational technology and online learning innovation at HarvardX, where he serves as Senior Project Lead. After completing his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where his thesis examined student behavior patterns in online homework systems, he transitioned through teaching roles at Hyde School and Northfield Mt. Hermon before joining MIT as a postdoctoral fellow. At HarvardX, he has led the development of numerous successful MOOCs, including Super-Earths and Life, Energy Within Environmental Constraints, and The Health Effects of Climate Change. As Manager of Instructional Technology at Harvard's Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, he has made significant contributions to online education, notably developing the partial credit feature for the Open edX platform and conducting research on adaptive assessment in MOOCs. His research has demonstrated that online courses can be as effective as traditional classroom courses, regardless of students' initial preparation levels. Beyond his academic work, Fredericks designs pen-and-paper roleplaying games through Valent Games and maintains an active role in science advocacy, bringing his diverse background in community radio, tabletop RPG design, and martial arts to his educational technology work.