Daniel Ness

Daniel Ness is a developmental psychologist and educator. His research focuses on the areas of curriculum reconceptualization, spatial cognition, STEAM education, and teacher identity construction. Using affordance theory in psychology, he developed the concept of visuo-constructive play objects (VCPOs), which include blocks, bricks (e.g., LEGOs), planks, and other constructive play materials to underscore the diversity of constructive play toys. In curriculum studies, he investigates the extent to which regulatory and semi-regulatory educational agents have engaged in curriculum epistemicide through the substitution of standards and rubrics in place of individualized curricula and intellectual singularity.

Dr. Ness calls attention to the symbiotic interaction between personal agency and object. He extends the psychological theory of affordance to demonstrate that, contrary to public opinion, using VCPOs with higher levels of affordance, like themed plastic brick sets, may lead to deficits in higher-order thinking while using those with lower levels of affordance can contribute to greater creative ideation. His book, Block Parties: Identifying Emergent STEAM Thinking Through Play (Routledge), published in 2022, examines the efficacy of a wide array of VCPOs, and his edited book, Alternatives to Privatizing Public Education and Curriculum (Routledge), was awarded the 2018 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award.Human Development; Cognition; Development of Mathematical Thinking; Mathematics Teaching and Learning, Spatial Cognition; Curriculum StudiesDevelopment of Spatial Thinking, Emergent Engineering Concepts, and Architectural Principles in the Everyday Context; Spatial Cognition; Affordances of Constructive Play Objects; Curriculum Theory

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