Archives: Team

Adam has been involved in education as a high school teacher, instructional designer, and for the past eight years as a professor and program coordinator for the School of Business at St. Lawrence College. Recent accomplishments include being part of a team that received funding to develop and present a micro-credential pilot at the e-Campus Ontario 2020 Micro-Certification Forum, being selected for the St. Lawrence College Leadership Development Program, and leading a team that received the internal Award of Merit for their action research supporting the institutional internationalization plan. Adam lives with his wife and two children in Kingston, Ontario.

Dr. Elizabeth Childs is a professor and Program Head of the MA in Learning and Technology program in the School of Education and Technology at Royal Roads University, Canada. She works and consults with a variety of sectors nationally and internationally to design, create, and implement online and blended learning; foster online communities, and use a design thinking approach to consider digital learning environments in a range of cross- sectoral organizations. Elizabeth is interested in the design, creation and implementation of flexible learning environments that incorporate the affordances of information and communication technology (ICT) and provide learners with increased choice, flexibility and opportunities. With expertise in educational technology, instructional design, adult education and online learning, Dr. Childs’ research interests include openness and open pedagogy; creation of, and engagement in, online learning communities and digital habitats; design thinking and maker pedagogy; and, models for training and professional development.

Heather McTavish (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of Ontario Tech University where she received her MA in Education. Her thesis focused on the online learning roles of college and university librarians in Canada. She also received a Master of Information Studies degree from the University of Toronto and has held many positions across academic, government and school libraries. She is interested in information literacy instruction, online learning in libraries and librarians’ teaching role.

Dr. Jia Li is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. She received her doctoral degree from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto and conducted her post-doctoral research work at Queen’s University. She was a Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2011 to 2012, and a John A Sproul Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley from 2018 to 2019. Her teaching and professional experience include instructional design and assessment of technology-assisted educational interventions using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Dr. Li research agenda focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to address challenge areas in education by leveraging digital technologies, data-driven innovative language and literacy interventions using new technologies to support the development of academic reading and writing skills for linguistically diverse students. These include diverse urban students from low-income families, university English language learners and Indigenous youth. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Fulbright Canada. The results of her work have been published by journals including Computers & Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Language Learning & Technology, and Computer Assisted Language Learning.

Laurie Corrigan is Superintendent of Learning/Special Education with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, Ontario Canada. Her responsibilities include oversight of both special education services and mental health and wellbeing. She was previously Superintendent of Learning/Information Technologies, Faith and Equity where she oversaw the development of the board’s Equity and Implementation Plan, the development of the Technology Enabled Learning Plan, and Families of Schools. Laurie received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Trent University, a Bachelor of Education from Brock University, and a Master of Education in Digital Technologies from Ontario Tech University (formerly University of Ontario Institute of Technology). She has completed a number of research publications and peer-reviewed papers in the area of safe schools and digital privacy policy. She is completing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto and her research interests include equity at the intersections of Ontario school policy.

Dr. Peter Holowka is passionate about digital transformation and technology leadership, particularly in education. His doctoral research was in cloud computing adoption and organizational leadership in K-12.  His professional work and academic research aim to support teaching and learning by transforming the educational environment. He has received multiple awards for leadership and academic excellence. In 2020, he was recognized as Member of the Year by the CIO Association of Canada, and currently serves as the Vice President of the Vancouver Chapter. Beginning his career as a network and web design specialist, Dr. Holowka also advises a number of independent/private schools, businesses, and not-forprofit organizations.