Russell T. Osguthorpe
Encyclopedia
Russell Trent Osguthorpe (born December 4, 1946) has been the general president of the Sunday School
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2009. He is the twentieth leader in the history of LDS Church Sunday School. Osguthorpe is also the author of books on education.
Osguthorpe has multiple degrees, including a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University
(BYU), and is a professor of Instructional Psychology
and Technology
at that institution. Osguthorpe also studied at the University of Utah
.
Osguthorpe has written Choose to Learn: Teaching for Success Every Day and Balancing the Tensions of Change. He has also written materials on deaf education. Osguthorpe was the lead author of Partner School: Centers for Educational Renewal. This book is often cited as one of the leading works on the subject. He has also written a hymn with his wife Lola. Among Osguthorpe's more recent articles was one written with his son Richard D. Osguthorpe entitled "Instructional design as a living practice: Toward a conscience of craft." in Educational Technology, Vol. 47, No. 4, p. 13-23.
Osguthorpe is currently the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at BYU. He has also served as an associate dean
of the David O. McKay School of Education
at BYU. Besides this he has been a visiting faculty member at the University of Toronto
and the University of Paris
and a member of the faculty of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
in Rochester, New York
. Since 1998, Osguthorpe has held the Martha Jane Knowlton Coray University Professorship at BYU.
Among other previous positions in the LDS Church, Osguthorpe served as president
of the South Dakota
Rapid City
Mission
from 2003 to 2006, an area seventy and member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy from 2007 to 2009, and the president of the BYU 18th Stake from 1997 to 2002. He is also a former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
. In the 1960s, Osuthorpe was a Mormon missionary
in Tahiti
.
At the April 2009 General conference
of the LDS Church, Osguthorpe was accepted
by the membership as the general president of the church's Sunday School
, succeeding A. Roger Merrill
. Osguthorpe selected David M. McConkie
and Matthew O. Richardson
as his counselors.
Osguthorpe and his wife Lola are the parents of five children.
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2009. He is the twentieth leader in the history of LDS Church Sunday School. Osguthorpe is also the author of books on education.
Osguthorpe has multiple degrees, including a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU), and is a professor of Instructional Psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
and Technology
Instructional technology
In education, instructional technology is "the theory and practice ofdesign, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning," according to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Definitions and Terminology Committee...
at that institution. Osguthorpe also studied at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
.
Osguthorpe has written Choose to Learn: Teaching for Success Every Day and Balancing the Tensions of Change. He has also written materials on deaf education. Osguthorpe was the lead author of Partner School: Centers for Educational Renewal. This book is often cited as one of the leading works on the subject. He has also written a hymn with his wife Lola. Among Osguthorpe's more recent articles was one written with his son Richard D. Osguthorpe entitled "Instructional design as a living practice: Toward a conscience of craft." in Educational Technology, Vol. 47, No. 4, p. 13-23.
Osguthorpe is currently the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at BYU. He has also served as an associate dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the David O. McKay School of Education
David O. McKay School of Education
The David O. McKay School of Education operates one of the largest teacher preparation programs in the nation. The school specializes in improving learning and teaching in the school as well as in the home, church and community worldwide. The McKay School is located on the southwest end of Brigham...
at BYU. Besides this he has been a visiting faculty member at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and a member of the faculty of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. Since 1998, Osguthorpe has held the Martha Jane Knowlton Coray University Professorship at BYU.
Among other previous positions in the LDS Church, Osguthorpe served as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
from 2003 to 2006, an area seventy and member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy from 2007 to 2009, and the president of the BYU 18th Stake from 1997 to 2002. He is also a former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
. In the 1960s, Osuthorpe was a Mormon missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
.
At the April 2009 General conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
of the LDS Church, Osguthorpe was accepted
Common consent
Common consent is a democratic principle established by the Latter Day Saint movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., who taught in 1830 that "all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith." As it is most frequently used by the Church of Jesus Christ of...
by the membership as the general president of the church's Sunday School
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
, succeeding A. Roger Merrill
A. Roger Merrill
Ariel Roger Merrill was the general president of the Sunday School organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2004 to 2009...
. Osguthorpe selected David M. McConkie
David M. McConkie
David Merrill McConkie is an American lawyer and has been a member of the general presidency of the Sunday School of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2009....
and Matthew O. Richardson
Matthew O. Richardson
Matthew Ottesen Richardson is a professor of religion at Brigham Young University and from 2002 to 2006 he was an associate dean of religious education at that institution....
as his counselors.
Osguthorpe and his wife Lola are the parents of five children.
External links
- "General Auxiliaries: Brother Russell T. Osguthorpe", lds.org
- "Russell T. Osguthorpe", Corwin press author biographical information
- Amazon.com, listing of works by Osguthorpe
- "Russell T. Osguthorpe", scientificcommons.org listing of works by Osguthorpe
- Osguthorpe's vita