College of Education and Human Development

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

People

Bruna Damiana Heinsfeld

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

  • Assistant Professor of Learning Technologies

My research is centered on the critical examination of the intersections between technology, society, and education.

    DEGREES

    Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching (UTSA) 

    M.Sc., Education (PUC-Rio, Brazil) 

    Graduate Certificate, Planning, Implementation and Management of Distance Learning (UFF, Brazil) 

    B.A., English Language and Literature (UERJ, Brazil)

      AREAS OF INTEREST

      • Critical perspectives on educational/learning technologies 

      • Concepts and discourses on technology 

      • Pedagogical, epistemological, and technological beliefs in education 

      • (In)equity and educational technology 

      • Technological capital and digital equity 

      • Public policies on educational technology

        BIOGRAPHY

        My research is centered on the critical examination of the intersections between technology, society, and education. It delves into how technological discourses are constructed and the power dynamics involved, particularly through the lenses of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and critical pedagogy. I am passionate about exploring how educational technologies are perceived, marketed, and adopted, and their implications for social justice and equity in educational settings. My work aims to raise awareness of the ideological, cultural, and economic factors that influence the integration of technology in education, advocating for a transformative approach that fosters critical consciousness.

        What students can expect from me?

        As an advisor, I foster a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages critical thinking and reflection, grounded in the principles of social justice and critical pedagogy. I am committed to providing accessible, timely, and constructive feedback while respecting diverse perspectives. My approach emphasizes student autonomy, interdisciplinary exploration, and the development of critical consciousness. I aim to prepare students for both academic success and meaningful participation in society, inspiring confidence, curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong learning and social change.

        Selected Awards

        2023 UTSA Transdisciplinary Team Grand Challenge - 1st place award 

        2022 Who is Who at UTSA award

        Associations/Memberships

        Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) 

        IOSTE - International Organization for Science and Technology Education 

        American Education Research Association (AERA) 

        American Educational Studies Association (AESA) 

        Brazilian Association of Distance Education (ABED)

        News Stories

        UTSA researchers expose tech giants’ communication strategies in education (UTSA, 2023) https://www.utsa.edu/today/2023/06/story/researchers-expose-tech-giants.html 

        Beyond academic performance: sociocultural and sociopolitical consciousness for a just-just education (UTSA, Dr. Haddad Transformative Talks: Critical Conversations for Teachers podcast, 2022) https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yotSbHslC5xc2w02utye4 

        Gestão e as Inovações Tecnológicas para a Educação - Tecnologia nas políticas públicas de educação (UNIVESP, 2022) https://youtu.be/c4ZTOcwAVX8

          PUBLICATIONS

          Refereed Articles 

          Heinsfeld, B. D., & Marone, V. (2023). Reporting or marketing? The discourse of educational landscape reports on technological trends. Discover Education, 2(50). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-023-00075-6

          Marone, V., & Heinsfeld, B. D. (2023). Everyone pursuing their dreams: Google’s and Microsoft’s discourse on educational technology. Computers & Education Open, 4, 100138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2023.100138

          Heinsfeld, B. D. (2022). Pedagogia crítica, capital tecnológico e exclusão participativa: uma discussão interdisciplinar sobre equidade digital na educação [Critical pedagogy, technological capital, and participatory exclusion: an interdisciplinary discussion on digital equity in education]. Revista Educação, Tecnologias Digitais e Formação Docente, 2(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.55028/edutec.v2i1.15396

          Riedner, D. D. T., & Heinsfeld, B. D. (2020). Quando professores se tornam estudantes: uma trajetória formativa para a criação de recursos educacionais abertos [When teachers become students: a formative path towards designing open educational resources]. Revista UFG, 20(26), 2-34. https://doi.org/10.5216/revufg.v20.63333

          Aires, J. C., Raabe, A. L. A., & Heinsfeld, B. D. (2020). Políticas Públicas para as Tecnologias na Educação e a Educação em Computação [Educational technology policy and computer education]. Revista Tecnologias na Educação, 12(33). https://tecedu.pro.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art12-Ano-12-vol33-Dez…



          Refereed authored books

          Pischetola, M., Albuquerque, P., Heinsfeld, B. D., Santos, E. R. B., Corrêa, J. G., Silva, M. P. R. N., & Oliveira, N. N. S. (2019). Tecnologias, pensamento sistêmico e os fundamentos da inovação pedagógica [Technologies, systems thinking and the fundamentals of innovation]. Curitiba: CRV. ISBN:978-85-444-3795-7. https://doi.org/10.24824/978854443795.7

          Campos, G. H. B.; Heinsfeld, B. D., & Silva, M. P. R. N. (2018). Práticas pedagógicas, inovação e tecnologias: breves indagações [Pedagogical practices, innovation and technologies: Brief inquires]. Curitiba: CRV. ISBN:978-85-444-2706-4. https://doi.org/10.24824/978854442706.4


          Refereed book chapters 

          Campos, G. H. B., & Heinsfeld, B. D. (2021). Políticas Públicas e Educação a Distância no Brasil: de onde viemos e para onde caminhamos [Public Policies and Distance Education in Brazil: where we came from and where we are going to]. In Santos, E. O., Pimentel, M., & Sampaio, F. F. (Eds.). Informática na Educação: autoria, mídia, letramento, inclusão digital [Informatics in Education: authorship, media, literacy, digital inclusion]. Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação. https://ieducacao.ceie-br.org/politicaspublicasead/

          Heinsfeld, B. D., & Pinto, L. B. P. (2020). “A vida não pode parar”: desafios da população periférica no desenvolvimento de comunidades remotas de ensino-aprendizagem [‘Life cannot stop’: challenges of the peripheral population in the development of remote teaching-learning communities]. In Isfran, F., Sentinelli, T., Prado, P., Azevedo, T., & Faria S. [Eds.]. Fraturas expostas pela pandemia: escritos e experiências em educação [Compound fractures due to the pandemic: writings and experiences in education]. Brasil Multicultural.

          Heinsfeld, B. D., & Pischetola, M. (2020). Concepções e papéis da tecnologia no campo educacional: o embate discursivo das Políticas Públicas em Educação [Technology conceptions and roles in the educational field: the discursive clash of public policies on education]. In R. Dias, V. Laus-Gomes, & C. Cunha (Eds.), Políticas de Educação e Mídia [Education and Media Policies] (pp.109-131), Brasília: Cátedra UNESCO de Juventude, Educação e Sociedade; Universidade Católica de Brasília.

          Bruna Damiana Heinsfeld faculty profile photo

          • Department of Curriculum & Instruction
            210A Learning and Environmental Sciences (LES),
            1954 Buford Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55108
            St. Paul Campus

          • bruna@umn.edu

          • Please email bruna@umn.edu to schedule an appointment.