He is interested in the adaptation of theories of multimodality to describe and analyse media texts, and in how such theories relate to the Cultural Studies research tradition.

He has previously taught English, Drama and Media Studies in comprehensive schools for over twenty years. He has been a Head of English and an Assistant Principal at his last school, Parkside Community College in Cambridge, where his main role was to direct the school's media arts specialism: it was the first specialist Media Arts College in the country.

Current and recent funded research projects he is working on include:

•  Principal Investigator, Children's Playground Games and Songs in the New Media Age, AHRC Beyond Text programme, 2009-11
• Co-investigator, Media Literacy: towards a model of learning progression, ESRC, 2009-12
• Co-investigator, Learning from Online Worlds: Teaching in Second Life, Eduserv Foundation, 2007-8
• Co-Director, Making Games, PACCIT-LINK project, ESRC/DTI, 2003-2006
• Director (UK section), Mediappro, seven-country Internet Safety project, European Commission, 2005-2007

Recent publications include:

Burn, A (2009) Making New Media: creative production and digital literacies, New Yok: Peter Lang
Burn, A and Durran, J (2007) Media Literacy in Schools: practice, production and progression, London: Paul Chapman
Burn, A & Durrant, C (eds) (2008) Media Teaching: Language, Audience, Production, Norwood, SA: AATE, NATE & Wakefield Press 
Buckingham, D, Carr, D, Burn, A, Schott, G (2006) Video-games: Text, Narrative, Play, Cambridge: Polity

Burn, A & Parker, D (2003) Analysing Media Texts, London: Continuum