Transdisciplinary perspectives on validity: bridging the gap between design and implementation for technology-enhanced learning systems

Technologies that help to enhance our educational environments can be found everywhere. Some examples are the electronic whiteboards and tablets that enhance classroom interaction, online peer feedback platforms that enhance student collaboration, and, as was the case in the GEIGER project forming the foundation for this dissertation, a mobile application that enhances the educational experience of small businesses trying to learn about cybersecurity. A question we can ask about technology-enhanced learning environments is: Do they achieve what they were intended to achieve? We tackled this question using a transdisciplinary approach where small businesses, industry partners and universities collaborated to design, validate and implement a cybersecurity risk assessment application. This dissertation represents a pivotal first step towards holistic validation of technology-enhanced learning solutions. Validation that aids accelerated, but also responsible and trustworthy, impact. If our validation strategies are misguided, our innovations will follow this misguided path. We cannot accept such a future.<br>