Program Director, Distance Education, Center for Technology in Education enter for Technology in Education, School of Education
Dr. Abras joined CTE in May of 2011, she is the Program Director of Distance Education. Her expertise is in online learning communities, communities of practice, guidelines for success in e-learning communities, and educational technology. She has conducted research and published on heuristics of success for online communities of interest, online learning communities, and distance learning best practices. She also is the author and co-author of book chapters on online communities, distance learning, and user-centered designs.
Dr. Abras has worked in online learning for over a decade; she has developed many online and blended courses for a variety of programs. At JHU school of Education, she is currently leading the development of the courses for the Master of Education in the Health Professions (MEHP) and the Master of Science in Management for Public Safety professionals in blended and online formats. She is teaching Instructional Strategy in the MEHP program and presenting on the topic of “Use of Information Technology to Support Education” as part of the Longitudinal Program in Curriculum Development at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
She has a B.A. in Linguistics and Modern Languages from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, an MA in French Literature from the University of Maryland College Park and a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture, with a focus on Educational Technology and Technology Application in Instructional Settings from University of Maryland Baltimore County.