Curriculum and pedagogy are my fields of interest. I have been an educator as a Science, ESL, Arts and Anthropology teacher since 1998. I started with the Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Genetics in Iran; and traveling as an international rural educator, I found interest in Anthropology, Social studies and Environmental education in international indigenous communities. I enjoy working with teachers in practicum settings and communicating and interacting with different generations and cultures towards improving learning and teaching.  Over the years I have researched active and dynamic integration of technology (with a focus on animation and decolonizing network systems) and museum learning in teacher education as well as multicultural education.

My students ages have ranged from 6-63 years old in diverse communities and places in Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Canada. These experiences have inspired me to explore more in knowing about potentials and issues of concern in education field as I seek to know more about the design and implementation of curriculum and ethical education methodologies based on cultural conditions for teacher education.

Shaw, Ashley. (in progress, Spring 2016). Forthcoming. Ph.D. Dissertation.

I’m fascinated by questions around the impact new media and digital technologies are having on individuals and cultures, and the influence social media is having on the identities, practices, and epistemological understandings of young people.  In particular, I’m interested in how students are using these resources to construct complex digital learning ecologies to support both formal and informal learning, and the tensions encountered between their actual practices and the expectations and proscriptions of society and educational organisations.

Zhao, Jennifer. (in progress, Spring 2016). Forthcoming. Ph.D. Dissertation.

My research interests include learning theories, distance and mix-mode course design, web-based learning and teaching, medical simulations in Virtual Worlds.