In 2004, Scanlon became co-director of the Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET) at the Open University. She directed the Computer Assisted Learning Research Group for many years and has worked on a range of educational technology research and development projects, many of them focussing on science learning. Her current[when?] interests include education, computing,[1] mobile learning for formal and informal learning of science, and developing pedagogies for technology enhanced learning.
In January 2013, she was appointed to the newly established Regius Professorship in Open Education at the Open University.[7]