the classroom remains the most radical space of possibility
bell hooks
I am an educational developer, with a passion for social justice. Here is a link to a copy of my CV.
Working in the Office of Open Learning at the University of Windsor, I use principles of equity, inclusion, critical pedagogy, and openness to support the development of open educational resources (OERs); educate about open education, digital learning, and humanizing higher education; support the scholarship of teaching and learning; and collaborate with instructors on intentional course design.
My history in my words:
Initially impassioned by the desire to help marginalized people live better lives, I completed my B.A.[H] and M.A. in psychology, in addition to a post-graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science. Through my experiences in the Foundations of University Teaching Certificate and subsequent PhD internship with OOL, I began my journey into educational development, recognizing the power of the field to drive societal change through the empowerment of students, staff, and instructors in higher education.
My personal research interests include the measurement of and discourses around student success, and how these ideas intersect with individual characteristics such as emotional intelligence, and social variables such as disciplinary cultures, course design, instructor pedagogy, and institutional student supports.
As a former PhD candidate in Applied Social Psychology, I explored the relationships between emotional intelligence, motivation, learning strategies, and student-defined academic success. Through completing my comprehensive requirements, I recognized substantial gaps in the ways we discuss student success. My dissertation was proposed to examine these relationships across disciplines to help inform first-year transition and ongoing student support programs; however, I took a stop-out in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic necessitated a shift in direction for my dissertation study. I decided, instead, to focus my efforts on my full-time job in the Office of Open Learning, and support the rapid shift to online learning.
The years between then and now have shaped who I am as an educational developer today. Activating my longtime commitment to social justice, I push toward a more equitable and inclusive academic institution for everyone.