New teaching chairs to focus on innovation in online teaching
North Bay, ON – Nipissing University is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Teaching Chairs focused on online teaching, an area of heightened importance in today’s pandemic environment. Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and Dr. Mark Wachowiak, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, have been named Teaching Chairs in Online and Virtual Lab/Studio Experiences.
“The demand for innovative approaches to online learning has increased as a result of the pandemic and the new Teaching Chair additions hope to improve the experience of virtual and online learning for both faculty members and students while providing state-of-the-art learning opportunities,” said Dr. Patrick Maher, Dean of Teaching.
Teaching Chairs are faculty who have demonstrated teaching excellence and a desire to advocate for and support evidence-based teaching innovation. Dr. Sandra Goldsworthy is a nurse education leader who is recognized as a simulation and critical care expert, researcher and author. She is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and is passionate about improving patient safety and provider preparation through simulation.
"The pandemic has provided an opportunity to reimagine education strategies for teaching and learning, particularly in the virtual simulation environment. Virtual simulation provides us with an innovative approach that is highly engaging for students while at the same time fosters confidence and competence in practice," said Dr. Goldsworthy. "The Teaching Chair in Online and Virtual Lab/Studio experiences will offer a tremendous opportunity to build capacity among faculty in the delivery of state-of-the-art teaching and learning technologies."
Dr. Mark Wachowiak is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics and is a graduate program faculty member in Kinesiology and Environmental Science/Environmental Studies. He is the Nipissing University site leader for the SHARCNET high-performance computing consortium, which is part of Compute Canada. His research interests include biomedical and geospatial computing, computational mathematics, data science, signal analysis, simulation, and innovative pedagogical technologies and approaches in online learning.
“Although virtual labs and studios offer many benefits, there are also many challenges that need to be addressed to optimize learning in these virtual environments,” Dr. Wachowiak said. “By investigating the technological limitations of virtual labs and how to compensate for them, we are able to tailor learning outcomes accordingly and promote a more personalized learning environment.”
Both Chairs will begin their respective 1.5 year terms on January 1, 2021.
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Contact:
Meghan Venasse
Manager, Communications
Nipissing University
705-474-3450 ext. 4615
meghanv@nipissingu.ca