Ryan M Straight

Interests

Research

Posthuman inquiry, applied postphenomenology, extended reality, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, Web3, metaverse, educational technology, instructional technology, human-computer interaction, cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital identity.

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Books

• Straight, R. (2025). Cyber Dimensions: Immersive Case Studies Across Digital Domains. Kendall Hunt.

Journals/Publications

• Straight, R., Lowery, J., Poehlman, D., & Yowika, W. (2025). Reshaping Cybersecurity Ethics Education: Evaluating a Posthumanist Pedagogy Using Human/AI Co-Generated Case Studies. Cybersecurity Pedagogy and Practice Journal.
• Straight, R. (2024). Beyond Human-Centric Models in Cybersecurity Education: A Pilot Posthuman Analysis of the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity. Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice, 2024(1).
• Straight, R. (2024). Doing Postphenomenology in Cybersecurity Education: A Methodological Invitation. Cybersecurity Pedagogy and Practice Journal, 3(1), 64--72.

Proceedings Publications

• Straight, R. (2026). Instructional Design with AI as Co-Learner: Posthumanism in Action. In UPCEA Digital Teaching & Learning Conference.
• Wagner, P., Straight, R., Alharthi, D., & Honomichl, R. (2026). Integrating AI into Cyber Operations Education: Design and Validation of a CyberAI Undergraduate Program. In INTED2026: Proceedings of the 18th International Technology, Education and Development Conference.
• Straight, R. (2025).

  AI as Co-Learner: Posthuman Approaches to Graduate Education

  . In MSU Denver GRADTALK.
• Straight, R. (2025). True Teamwork: Building Human-AI Partnerships for Tomorrow's Cyber Challenges. In NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference.
• Straight, R., & Escamilla, A. (2025). Semantic Technologies for Cybersecurity Education Competencies: JSON-LD Implementation of Distributed Learning Analytics. In 2025 Proceedings of the ISCAP Conference, v11 n6443.
• Straight, R., & Herron, J. (2025). Distributed Agency in AI-Enhanced Cybersecurity Education: A Posthuman Instructional Design Framework. In Proceedings of the 29th Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, 29.
• Straight, R. (2024). InnovateGPT: Let's Build an AI!. In OLC Innovate.
• Straight, R. (2024). Reconceptualizing Cybersecurity Tools as Educational Actors in the Posthuman Era. In EDULEARN24 Proceedings.
• Straight, R. M. (2024, October). Decentering the Human: A Posthuman Approach to Cybersecurity Education. In 2024 Cyber Awareness and Research Symposium (CARS), 1-6.
• Straight, R., & Gunder, A. (2024). Pondering a Posthuman Pedagogy: Redefining 'Learner' in the AI Era. In Evidence In Motion 2024 Faculty Symposium.
• Straight, R., Lowery, J., Poehlman, D., & Yowika, W. (2024, November). Preparing Posthumanist Perspectives on AI-Human Collaboration in Developing Cyber Ethics Curricula. In 2024 Proceedings of the ISCAP Conference, v10.
• Honomichl, R. J., Alharthi, D. N., & Straight, R. M. (2023). Bridging Complexity and Distance: Designing an Online MS Program in Cyber and Information Operations. In the International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI).
• Straight, R. (2023). The Inescapable Technological Mediation of Online Learning. In Transforming the Teaching & Learning Environment.
• Straight, R. (2023). The State of Online Learning in Web3: How Educators Understand and Implement Ed3, Blockchain, and Metaversal Technologies. In OLC Innovate.
• Straight, R. M. (2023). Doing Postphenomenology in Cybersecurity Education: A Methodological Invitation. In 2023 Proceedings of the ISCAP Conference, v9.
• Straight, R. M., & Yowika, W. (2023). From Parasocial to Posthuman: Virtual Pedagogical Agents, Parasocial Phenomena, and the Future of Immersive Learning. In Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning.
• Straight, R. (2022). Cybersecurity, Education, and Technological Mediation. In Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS).
• Straight, R. (2022). Karu: Introducing the Metaversal Library for the Future of Immersive Learning. In 2022 OLC Innovate.
• Straight, R. (2022). Simulations, Immersion, and Gamification. In Digital Literacy & AI Webinar Series.
• Saldana, D., Straight, R., & Wittman, R. (2021). Teams-Work Makes the Dream Work: Using Microsoft Teams to Build Community in Fully Online Programs. In 2021 OLC Innovate.
• Straight, R. (2021). Introduction to the XRpedia. In 23rd Virtual Worlds Forum.
• Straight, R. (2021). Technological Mediation: A Postphenomenology Primer for Instructors, Designers, and More. In 2021 OLC Accelerate.
• Straight, R. (2020). Community Continuity in the Time of Corona. In 2020 OLC Ideate.
• Rettler-Pagel, T. .., & Straight, R. (2019). Owning Your Success: Battling the Impostor Phenomenon in Higher Education. In 2019 OLC Accelerate.
• Straight, R. (2019). The Games Peoples Play. In OLC Collaborate, Maui 2019.
• Straight, R. (2019). The New Professor: How I Podcasted My Way Into Students' Lives (And How You Can, Too). In 2019 OLC Innovate.
• Gunder, A., Knott, J., & Straight, R. (2018). #SquadGoalsNetwork - Remixing the Personal Learning Network. In 2018 OLC Accelerate.
• Shah-Nelson, C. .., Gunder, A., Stewart, J., Romanoski, M., Knott, J., Scragg, B., & Straight, R. (2018). With a Little Help From My Friends: The Power of the PLN. In 2018 OLC Accelerate.
• Straight, R., Gunder, A., Stewart, J., Ramirez, C., Thompson, K., & Pizzo, J. (2018). And We're Live! A Rough Guide on Academic Podcasting. In 2018 OLC Accelerate.
• Straight, R. (2017). Innovation in Educational Technology. In TENWEST Festival - Social Impact Summit.
• Straight, R. (2017). Slacking Off in Class: Cloud-Based Team Collaboration in Online Higher Education Programs. In 2017 Online Learning Consortium Innovate.
• Straight, R. (2016). Emergent mentorship and learning communities of practice among players of augmented reality video games. In Proceedings of E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education.
• Straight, R. (2016). Slack and the Online Classroom. In 2016 University of Arizona IT Summit.
• Smith, J., & Straight, R. (2011). The development and delivery of custom mobile apps for K-12 learning: Viable options for educators. In Proceedings of the Society of Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011.
• Smith, J., Straight, R., & Franklin, T. (2011). Student occupational expectations: A web 2.5 geolocative study. In Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education 2011.
• Straight, R. (2011). Commercial off-the-shelf video games as computer-assisted language learning environments. In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011.

Presentations

• Straight, R. M. (2024, October). Student Motivation in the Age of AI: A Discussion on Creating Assessments that Matter. Webinar. Virtual: Online Learning Consortium.
• Straight, R. M., & Gunder, A. (2024). Pondering a Posthuman Pedagogy: Redefining 'Learner' in the AI Era. OLC Innovate. Denver, CO: Online Learning Consortium.
  More info

  Selected as Featured Presentation
• Straight, R. M., & Gunder, A. (2024). Posthuman Learners: The Student-AI Hybrid. Transforming the Teaching & Learning Environment. Virtual: University of Pittsburgh.
• Straight, R. M. (2022). A Philosophy of Technology and Education in the Metaverse. Ed3 Unconference. Virtual: Ed3DAO.
• Straight, R. M. (2022). Web3 and Education: An Optimistic Primer on Online Learning’s Blockchain-based Future. OLC Accelerate. Virtual: Online Learning Consortium.
• Straight, R. M. (2022). Who Says You R Not a Coder? Building Data-Driven, Open Source, Static Course Content for Accessibility and Interactivity with R. OLC Accelerate. Orlando, FL: Online Learning Consortium.

Others

• Straight, R. (2025). From Weeks to Minutes: Creating Hyperrealistic Case Studies with AI. https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/teaching-strategies/teaching-with-technology/from-weeks-to-minutes-creating-hyperrealistic-case-studies-with-ai/
• Straight, R. M. (2025). Cyber Dimensions: Open Educational Resource Toolkit. https://github.com/ryanstraight/cyber-dimensions-oer