Research Spotlight: Brady Nash

Q & A with Brady Nash, Ph. D., Assistant Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning

What research are you currently working on?

My research focuses on the incorporation of digital literacies into K-12 English language arts classrooms and within teacher education settings. I’m currently working on a qualitative study examining the incorporation of a new critical media literacy curriculum into high school English classrooms, a study exploring preservice teachers’ views of AI in K-12 schooling, and pedagogical materials that support teachers incorporating commercial video games into K-12 humanities classrooms.

What is the broader impact of your research?

As literacy has increasingly moved from the page to the screen, the ways in which students read, write, and come to understand the world are changing. The disciplines of English and literacy studies offer a host of critical tools that can be leveraged to support students in becoming discerning, thoughtful, healthy people who can navigate tricky and often manipulative digital environments. We know from research, however, that critical thinking and critical literacy skills do not emerge on their own simply from participation in digital environments. My work examines how teachers and students apply critical perspectives to the digital contexts in which young people read, write, socialize, and learn about the world.

What other research topics are you interested in?

My work on digital literacies in classroom settings overlaps with research in several areas, including research on the following topics: generative artificial intelligence, multimodal literacies, culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy, education in urban contexts, literary and discourse analysis, and the role of teachers in schools in society.