Institute Faculty
Jen Vanek
Director of Digital Learning and Research; World Education
Jen Vanek is Director of Digital Learning and Research at World Education, Inc. and is a researcher and professional learning facilitator focused on digital equity, online learning, and adult education. She directs communities of practice that help adult education researchers, practitioners, and administrators develop equitable educational opportunities for adult learners. Jen has collaborated in research and technical assistance projects with a diverse range of scholars and policy leaders. She is a co-principal investigator on two US Department of Education/Institute for Education Sciences research initiatives exploring technology use in adult basic education and a long-time partner of the Literacy and Technology Research Group at Portland State University, exploring characteristics of effective 21C workplace learning.
Areas of Expertise
- Adult foundational education
- Digital literacy education
- Digital equity
- English literacy and language learning
- Online learning