About
Sarah A. Barker, PhD
Learning Researcher | Learning Designer | Media Producer
I spent over 15 years leading media education and designing performance-based learning for adults preparing to work in radio, television, and digital media.
That experience led me to pursue a PhD in Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University, where I studied how attention, cognition, and immersive media influence human experience and learning. My research includes peer-reviewed work on virtual reality–based mindfulness interventions and the psychological reconstruction of mindfulness.
Today, my work crosses learning, research, and media production. I design learning experiences, investigate how people interact with media and emerging technologies, and translate complex ideas into experiences people can use. My approach draws on over 15 years of program and curriculum leadership, professional media production, and recent doctoral research in media psychology.
Core Expertise
Learning & performance: adult learning, curriculum, instructional design, facilitation, experiential learning
Research: media psychology, attention, cognition, immersive technology, systematic review and meta-analysis
Production & programs: film, television, audio, documentary, broadcast operations, and media-program leadership
Workforce development: career-connected media education, applied production training, and learner pathways
Emerging technology: AI, VR, immersive learning, and technology-mediated experience
Learning technology: Articulate 360, Adobe Captivate, Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and Screencast-o-matic
Credentials: PhD, Media Psychology · MFA, Film & Television Production · ISTE Certified Educator · CITI Human Subjects Research