Dr. Elizabeth Charles has worked in the field of educational technology for 32 years. In that time she was a member of the faculty in the photography department, researched pedagogy, and holds the position of Manager, Learning Community at Dawson College in Montreal, QC. She is the co-director of Supporting Active Learning & Technological Innovation in Science Education (SALTISE), an association committed to stimulating learning by understanding, and potentially altering, the pedagogy surrounding technology in education (About Us, 2019. Para. 1). Dr. Charles has received the PAREA grant five consecutive times, enabling her to continue studying the pedagogical effects on educational technology for learners.
Dr. Charles’ work intrigues me because of her focus on the impact technology has on students’ learning, rather than on promoting the latest technology or teaching paradigm. In my experience, educators can become blinded by the shine of new tools losing sight of the impact of the application. Dr. Charles looks past that shine to see how the tool may improve learners’ experience. According to her LinkedIn profile, she completed her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees while working at Dawson College, meaning that she has experienced both sides of education at the same time, allowing her to test concepts and tools as she learned them.
While Dr. Charles’ research encompasses diverse topics and areas such as science education and pedagogy of changes in the classroom, she stays true to her focus on the why behind the technology or learning style. Dr. Charles believes strongly in the strength of community and working with communities of practice to introduce change (2012 Recipients. n.d. para. 4). In addition to her research, she led collaboration between colleges and universities to promote conversations surrounding social constructivist pedagogies and technology. By working with both educators and learners, Dr. Charles continues to contribute to the field of educational technologies. I am looking forward to following her work.
Dr. Elizabeth S. Charles (Loop. n.d. para. 1)
References
Conference Proceedings. (2019). Changing classroom designs: Easy; Changing instructors’ pedagogies: Not so easy… . Retrieved from https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.4789696
ISLS Repository. (2013). Taking DALITE to the Next Level: What Have We Learned from a Web-Based Peer Instruction Application?. Retrieved from https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/1225
Linkedin. (2019). Elizabeth S. Charles. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-s-charles-ba119b6/
Loop. (n.d.). Elizabeth S. Charles [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/386663/overview
SALTISE. (2019). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.saltise.ca/about/about-us/
STLHE SAPES. (n.d.). 2012 Recipients. Retrieved from https://www.stlhe.ca/awards/college-sector-educators-award/2012-recipients/
Hey Kathy,
Thanks for the great post. I agree with your appreciation for this talented individual and pioneer for EduTech in general. I wholeheartedly think that it is critical for educators to be well informed on the impact their pedagogical and technological marvels have on their students. Do they actually help the student or are they just the latest and greatest technology craze. I am curious to what Dr. Charles would think of Alan Kay’s ‘Dynabook.’ Check out my blog if it interests you: https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0114/ode-to-alan-kay-pioneer-to-edutech/
Cheers
Mark
Thank you Mark. According to what I read about Dr. Charles she does like to look at technologies and see how they can help learning. I too would be curious about her thoughts on Alan Kay’s Dynabook.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for introducing me to the work of this individual.
As an online educator, who is simultaneously working through an MA in the field of education, I really appreciate how you point out the fullness of the perspective that such a circumstance can bring.
If there’s anything we learned from Weller, it’s that a technology is only as good as those applying it, regardless of how well aligned it may seem. I completely agree that application and impact are the more intriguing aspects of ed-tech research.
I too was impressed when I saw the timelines and realized that she worked while did both her master’s and Ph.D. degrees. I’ve been have this conversation with co-workers that there is a lot of value in going through what students experience while teaching since it offers the opportunity to know what the it feels like on both sides of the fence. Thank you for your thoughts.
Hi Kathy,
In my blog post about the lessons learned from edu tech, I mentioned that the application of a certain technology is not what matters, what matters is associating it with the proper pedagogical approach. The pedagogical approach is created by us humans! Dr. Charles provides a great example of those people who understand this!
Thank you for sharing!
I love your point that humans create the pedagogical approach, not the technology! Technology is the tool, and it’s the educators who must know how to use it and how it will affect learners, that is one thing that really interested me about Dr. Charles. She is always looking for the why.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for introducing me to Dr. Charles, I’m very intrigued with the links you posted and am going to dive a bit deeper. I completely agree, it’s so easy to get swept up with the new shiny toy and not realize that it might not be benefiting your students.
~Leigha
Hi Kathy, Dr. Charles work highlights the importance of asking the right questions and engaging learners and teachers in the edtech conversation. The ubiquity of digital tools in our lives makes it so easy to just use the latest tools and apply them in the learning environment. It is not because of being reckless but perhaps the notion that technology will almost solve the challenges in the learning environment. Thank you for sharing her work with us.