Philip J. VanFossen

James F. Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education
Director, James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship  
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Education

Ph.D.	The Ohio State University, 1994, Social Studies/Global Education, Economics, Teacher Education
M.Ed.	Miami University, Oxford, OH
B.S. Ed.	Miami University, Oxford, OH

Courses Taught

EDCI 361	Social Studies in the Elementary School
EDCI 590C	Integrating Technology into Citizenship Education
EDCI 591	Developing Integrated Internet-Based Curriculum
EDCI 604	Elementary Social Studies
EDCI 624	Teaching Social Studies Using the Internet
ECON 219E	Economics for Future Educators
ECON 519	Teaching International Economics (co-taught with Michael Watts, ECON)

Professional Experience

2005-present	James F. Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2000-present	Director, James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship, College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1997-2001	Assistant Professor, School of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1997-present	Associate Director, Purdue University Center for Economic Education
1994-1997	Assistant Professor, School of Education, SUNY-Genesco Field Representative, New York Concil on Economic Education
1994-1999	Faculty Associate, The Mershon Center, The Ohio State University

Research

Research interests include the potential of online role playing games (e.g., MMORPGs) for socials studies and economic edcuation, Internet use in social studies classrooms, the impact of technology on citizenship and citizenship education, the intersection between civics and economics, and the degree of social studies in K-5 curriculum.

Selected Publications

• VanFossen, P.J. and Herman-Ellison, L. (2006). Internet-based economic education: The case of EconEdLink. Social Education, 70(3), 151-155.

• VanFossen, P.J. (2006). The electronic republics': Evidence on the impact of the Internet on citizenship and civic engagement in the U.S. International Journal of Social Education, 21(1), 18-43.
  
  
• VanFossen, P.J. (2005). Economic concepts at the core of civic education. International Journal of Social Education, 20(2), 35-66.
  
  
• VanFossen, P.J. (2005). 'Reading and math take so much of the time. . .': An overview of social studies instruction in elementary classrooms in Indiana. Theory and Research in Social Education, 33(3), 376-403.
  
  
• VanFossen, P.J. (2004). Using webquests to scaffold higher-order thinking. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 16(4), 13-16.

• VanFossen, P.J. and Shiveley, J.M. (2003). Trends in Internet use by social studies educators: Data from the National Council for the Social Studies annual meeting, 1995-2002. Theory and Research in Social Education, 31(4), 502-522.

• VanFossen, P.J. (2003). Best practice economic education for young children? It's elementary. . .! Social Education, 67(2), 90-94.

• VanFossen, P.J. (2003). Using literature circles to teach about immigration. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 15(4), 24-29.