Teaching Excellence and Innovation

Alongside the Teaching Excellence and Innovation team, I work with faculty, graduate students and staff across the university to support a thriving culture of reflective, scholarly and equity-minded teaching and learning at Laurier.

In collaboration with faculty and colleagues, I develop and facilitate responsive, research-informed pedagogical resources, workshops and opportunities for learning and sharing, particularly in areas of student engagement, equity-minded teaching and experiential learning. I support instructors at all levels of their careers and in diverse teaching contexts through individual consultations, facilitated group discussions, teaching observations, dossier development, and communities of practice.

In my connections with faculty, I appreciate the opportunity to listen and reflect on teaching approaches, challenges and experiences to build on good practices and inform new directions that lead to realizing personal and professional goals in higher education. My working relationships are grounded in empathy, relevance, and humility to foster trusting relationships that support possibilities, problem-solving and transformations in teaching and learning.

I earned a BA from Huron University College (Political Science and Anthropology), an MA from McMaster University (Canadian Politics), and pursued doctoral studies (ABD) at McMaster University in Comparative Public Policy (Social, Employment and Labour Policy). My research work has focused on policy impacts on relationships of work and family – bringing ethnographic studies of lived experiences to public policy analysis and collective advocacy for social change.

I have taught for over 15 years in Canadian politics, public policy, labour studies and qualitative methods and currently teach in Sociology program in the Faculty of Arts at Laurier. I incorporate active and experiential learning into my courses and continuously engage in equity-minded, student-centered teaching as both a practitioner and a learner. Before joining our team as an Educational Developer in 2020, I worked as the Manager of Community and Workplace Partnerships, part of Experiential Learning and Career Development at Laurier.

Areas of special interests include:

• Inclusive Pedagogical Approaches
• Experiential Learning and Reflection as Assessment
• Course Design, Instructional Strategies and Alternative Assessments
• Teaching Awards and Dossier Support

As an educational developer, I collaborate with individual faculty (both full-time and contract teaching faculty), academic departments, graduate instructors and larger campus units on a variety of teaching and learning activities. Supports range from one-on-one consultations, collaborations with departments to create tailored workshops, information sessions, as well as structured discussions. I am trained in facilitating the Instructional Skills Workshop and have facilitated two Communities of Practice focusing on decolonization in the classroom. Whether you are looking for personal supports or departmental level assistance, we can work together to determine the most appropriate pathway. I approach my work through relationality, utilizing a decolonial lens to support pedagogical development.

I enjoy working collaboratively with other members of the Teaching Excellence and Innovation team as well as across the Laurier community and with external partners to support teaching and learning at Laurier.

I received my Master of Education with a focus on the social and cultural context of education from Brock University in 2017. For almost 10 years, I worked at the Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education, where I created and taught courses focusing on Canadian history through the perspective of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. I currently co-instruct in the Leadership program on the Brantford campus using decolonial and co-created learning opportunities, not only for students, but for instructors as well.

I have been involved in several research projects investigating the state of Indigenous education in Canada. During my research, I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of engaging with Indigenous cultures, for both my own people’s sense of self within mainstream education as well as for the benefit of non-Indigenous people. I have been an outspoken advocate of including Indigenous content throughout all levels of education. Since 2017, I have been working with faculty, staff, students and community members in the Kitchener and Waterloo area to create learning and growing opportunities for all.

As part of the Teaching Excellence and Innovation team, I work with faculty, graduate students, and staff to promote teaching excellence across our university through research-informed and evidence-based teaching and learning practices.

I support instructors across our campuses and at all career stages through individual consultations, communities of practice, workshops, instructional resource development and teaching awards support. My work embraces a wide range of teaching challenges and opportunities from course and assessment design to gathering evidence of teaching effectiveness. I am particularly driven by a commitment to equity-minded and student-engaged teaching practices in order to promote an enriched learning experience for our diverse student body.

I approach each of my responsibilities and areas of interest with curiosity and a commitment to listening and relationship-building as key aspects for creating a culture of community and care.

I earned a BA (honours) in history & political science from the University of British Columbia, and a MA and PhD in history from McGill University. My research interests include 19th and 20th century Indian migration & diaspora, British imperial responsibilities (or the lack thereof), and decolonization. My dissertation is titled “Imperial Responsibilities: Britain’s destitute Indians and questions of (un)belonging, 1834-1914” and this research has been published in in the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History: “‘England Failed to do her Duty towards Them’: The India Office and pauper Indians in the metropole, 1857-1914” (2018).

I have over ten years of teaching experience, having previously taught courses at McGill, Dawson College, and UBC (Okanagan Campus) before joining Laurier. I’ve also worked in public history at the Dalnavert Museum in Winnipeg where I supported the museum’s educational programming. Both my research and teaching interests have been inspired and motivated by my own journey as a first-generation Indo-Canadian student. As an educator, I am mindful of issues of equity and accessibility in higher education and am committed to finding diverse and inclusive ways to engage learners in higher education.

Areas of special interest include:

• Course and Assessment Design
• Dossiers and Teaching Awards
• Relationship-Rich and Inclusive Pedagogical Practices

As Lead Educational Developer at Laurier’s distinctive Brantford campus, I collaborate closely with faculty to foster engaging, student-centered learning. My role is to meet instructors where they are and create space for critical reflection and meaningful conversations, always guided by the belief that excellent teaching begins with doing what is best for students. I also aim to design and deliver intentional, purposeful programming for faculty at Brantford and other campuses, helping create learning experiences that are context-specific and meaningful.

I’m passionate about every dimension of teaching and learning: aligning courses for deeper learning, redesigning assessments, integrating AI thoughtfully, and advancing equity-minded pedagogy. I am especially committed to understanding today’s learners—their lives, experiences, and evolving needs. What resonated with millennial students may not be as effective with Gen Z or the upcoming Gen Alpha, and I enjoy exploring how we adapt our practices for these changing contexts. In addition, in recent years, I have consistently focused on digital pedagogy—both deepening my own understanding and delivering related programming in my role as an educational developer.

A trained and experienced Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) facilitator, I have led numerous ISW sessions and mentored new facilitators, seeing firsthand how the process can transform perspectives on teaching. My recent work at Conestoga College as a Teaching and Learning Consultant deepened my expertise in digital pedagogy, instructional technology, and HyFlex course design, while strengthening my ability to support faculty through workshops, micro-credentials, and individualized consultations.

Whether through one-on-one conversations, program-level consultations, or informal coffee chats, I value listening to the unique stories of each instructor and celebrating the diversity of teaching contexts. I bring care, curiosity, and collaboration to every interaction, helping colleagues craft learning experiences that inspire both students and themselves.

I earned a PhD in Education from Queen’s University with a research focus on curriculum and assessment, specifically washback—the influence of testing on teaching and learning. My doctoral work demonstrated how, when curriculum and assessment are misaligned, testing can inadvertently drive instruction in ways that hinder meaningful learning. This foundation has shaped my ongoing interest in evidence-based assessment design and effective classroom practice.

Over more than 15 years in higher education, my work has remained rooted in teaching. I have taught undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate courses at Queen’s University, the University of British Columbia, and Conestoga College, bringing a student-centered approach to each setting. For nearly six years, I served as a Teaching and Learning Consultant at Conestoga College, where I developed and led workshops, micro-credential programs, and institutional initiatives in digital pedagogy, instructional technology integration, and HyFlex delivery. These experiences continue to inform my support for faculty as they design and navigate their courses.

I am also a trained intercultural specialist with certificates in Intercultural Studies and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from UBC, where I continue to teach in related programs. I have facilitated numerous intercultural dialogues—both formal and informal—across campuses and have led Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) programming, workshops, and training sessions for institutions across Canada. My expertise in fostering inclusive learning environments, combined with my background in curriculum design and assessment, allows me to help educators create engaging, equitable, and context-sensitive learning experiences.

• Curriculum design and alignment
• Evidence-based assessment and evaluation
• Washback research (impact of testing on teaching and learning)
• Digital pedagogy, including AI in teaching
• Student-centered and active learning strategies
• Designing and leading intercultural dialogue and training

I am excited by opportunities to craft spaces that weave pedagogy throughout space design and technical functionality to create classrooms where students can thrive. I help support faculty in leveraging spaces in ways that help bring their ideas to life. I gather feedback and ideas from faculty and students about how classrooms and instructional spaces can better support learning today and looking toward the future.

I have the privilege of helping to celebrate faculty and student teaching award winners; produce the annual Teaching Excellence Conversation Series and awards recognitions; administer Teaching and Learning’s faculty travel and project grants; develop and curate web resources; and support faculty throughout their career lifespans.

My career at Laurier began in the Dean of Arts office in 2008 and, since then, I've been fortunate to work with faculty, students and administrators from across Laurier in a variety of roles. I joined Teaching and Learning in 2012 and am proud to continue supporting and celebrating the work of our faculty.

I am passionate about learning space design and helped support the design and development of some of Canada's first active learning classrooms. I am excited by the opportunity to continue developing spaces that support the innovative pedagogy of our faculty and contribute to enhancing teaching and learning at Laurier through learning space design.

• The Laurier Teaching Podcast helps shape exceptional learning experiences for students by supporting and developing teaching excellence. Our podcast celebrates incredible teaching, tells stories about impactful educational experiences, and provides insight and a deep look at critical avenues of higher education.
• Teaching Excellence: A Laurier Conversation Series features discussions between Mary Wilson, Laurier’s vice-provost: Teaching and Learning, and recent teaching award winners. Their conversations cover inclusive education, research mentorship, experiential and engaged teaching practices, and the future of higher education.
• The Guide to Remote Teaching, Learning, and Assessment goes through the “how” and the “why” of navigating a virtual classroom with compassion, creativity and flexibility, all while maintaining a clear connections to student learning outcomes and academic success.