Feb 2018-Present: Research Associate, Research Unit, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
I conduct an independent research program, taking advantage of the unique opportunties the Royal College offers for connecting with policymakers and educators. More details are available on my Research page.
Jan 2016-Feb 2018: Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Health Education Scholarship (CHES), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
In this role, I designed, conducted, and disseminated research in the field of health professions education, supervised by Dr. Kevin Eva. I also taught in the Clinical Educator Fellowship Program at CHES.
Aug 2015-May 2016: Sessional Instructor, Educational Policy Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta.
In this role I helped develop and delivered courses within a post-graduate certificate program on teaching and learning in higher education. This formal certificate is offered to graduate students and faculty members across the U of A; it aims to prepare participants with knowledge and skills for teaching in higher education. My role included designing and delivering courses on learning theory and teaching philosophies (EDPS 560), and instructional design theory and models (EDPS 561). For more information, see my Teaching.
May 2015-Aug 2015: Teaching Assistant, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta.
Teaching Assistant to Dr. Jonathan White
With Dr. White, I initiated instructional design of a new vodcast series that functioned as a “prequel” to the popular Surgery 101 series, which is targeted at medical students. My role involved interviewing various health professionals and patients to develop a youtube-based, fun, and informal “course” for late high school and early university students. The series focuses on enhancing viewer knowledge about the healthcare system and careers in healthcare, examined through the lens of a patient’s journey through surgery.
Sept 2013-August 2015: Research Assistant, Educational Policy Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta.
Research Assistant for Dr. Alison Taylor
In this role, I worked on a SSHRC funded research study examining the experiences of educators, students, and community agencies participating in community service learning. Community service learning partners students with community agencies (usually non-profits) in order to complete tasks that are of benefit both to the agency and for the student’s learning.
Sept 2011-May 2013: Research Assistant, Health Sciences Education and Research Commons, University of Alberta.
Research Assistant for the “Intergration of Interprofessional Competencies” Project
This research assistantship involved managing curriculum design and research project coordination (including data collection, analysis, and managing research team collaboration) for a large pilot interprofessional education initiative – the IP Pathway Launch. The IP Pathway Launch brought together health science students from a wide variety of professional programs to learn with, from and about each other. The research component of the project examined students’ experiences of and beliefs about interprofessional education and teamwork, and their perceived learning.
Sept 2007-Oct 2011: Interprofessional Education Manager, Health Sciences Education and Research Commons, University of Alberta
This large (1000 student) interprofessional course focuses on developing health science students’ team skills in a small group, problem-based learning format. I was responsible for curriculum development and delivery coordination, including supporting and providing feedback to primary instructors. Each year, I designed and delivered three three-hour workshops to prepare health science educators with basic knowledge and skills required to facilitate the group process of interprofessional student teams.
Sept 2006-May 2007: Teaching Assistant, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University
I worked as a TA in an English literature survey course (fall 2006) and in a Cultural Studies course focused on deconstructing visual culture (winter 2007). I taught two sections of about 20 students for each of these courses. This role involved independently constructing and marking assignments, advising students and facilitating seminar groups. I gained significant experience in facilitating student dialogue and deconstruction of cultural objects, as well as in grading and providing feedback on assignments.