I specialize in teaching the theory and application of geographic information systems (GIS) to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Toronto. I have taught several GIS courses that draw students from a wide variety of disciplines. I also offer four online GIS courses through Coursera that are massive open online courses (MOOCs).
I am also the Academic Director of the Arts & Science Online Learning Academy, which supports instructors in teaching high quality online and hybrid courses.
As a full professor in the teaching stream, I am a full-time, permanent faculty member specializing in teaching. I have a strong interest in teaching and learning with technology and associated pedagogical development, and I sit on several related committees at the university.
Our department is one of the oldest and largest geography departments in North America, with over 2,500 undergraduate and 200 graduate students enrolled in geography courses each term on the downtown (St. George) campus. The University of Toronto is Canada’s largest university, with over 75,000 students enrolled across three campuses.
I was recently interviewed by Daniel O’Donohue for the MapScaping Podcast, where we talked about GIS education with a focus on current trends, advice for those just getting into the field, and how GIS can be taught online. You can listen below or through your favourite podcast app!
GIS courses
I have taught GIS courses from introductory to advanced, as well as at the graduate level. My goal is for students to learn both skills and theory that they can connect to their own interests.
I teach courses in online, hybrid, and in-person formats. I believe in the power of educational technology to increase learning access, equity, efficiency, and effectiveness.