M Dougherty
(they/them)
Educational Developer
About
I am an experienced teacher and educational developer. My work balances an understanding of educational technology with a commitment to human connection in learning communities. I help create online and in-person learning communities that foster the development of expert learners able to set and meet difficult goals for themselves. I also design meaningful curricula tailored to the educational contexts and needs of stakeholders.
Key Skills
I have five years of experience consulting on instructional design. I help instructors develop accessible materials and assessments aligned with their course goals.
Faculty Development
I have five years of experience providing faculty and TA development through workshops,courses, and coaching. I specialize in helping faculty articulate what is distinctive about their educational contexts and develop teaching strategies to suit.
Program Development
I have two years of experience in program development, and successfully led a program renewal initiative for a master's degree offered across seven locations. I coordinated all aspects of the program renewal, including: visioning, consultation with stakeholders, and liaising with university administration.
Teaching
My educational development work emerges from my classrooms. I have taught in higher education for over ten years, and continue to iterate and improve my practices with each class. I strive to make my classrooms equitable places that deal productively with diversity.
Instructional Design
My Portfolio
I have experience in all areas of educational development, from envisioning new courses to conducting program reviews.
Instructional Design
Faculty Development
I meet instructors where they are and help them develop evidence-backed strategies that work for their teaching style. My favourite opening question in a one-on-one meeting is: "What do you like about teaching your classes?"
Grounded in scholarship of teaching and learning, my seminars focus on building equitable, accessible classrooms tailored to specific academic contexts.
Highlights:
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Led faculty development at Emmanuel College for three years
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Taught seminars on online teaching methods
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Taught a course on remote instruction
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Taught and re-designed the PhD pedagogy course for the Toronto School of Theology
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Led a peer teaching observation group for graduate students
Program Development
I have experience with all stages of program development. You can learn more about my work below.
Visioning
Program development begins from consultation with faculty, students, and university administration.
Experience:
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Led Emmanuel College faculty in visioning sessions for a hybrid master of divinity (MDiv) program
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Consulted with university administration
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Administered student surveys on online learning
Analysis
Program analysis continues the visioning process by seeking to understand the proposed program changes from all angles.
My experience:
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Liaised with the six other locations sharing the master's program to understand its implementation across the campuses
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Analyzed curriculum maps and quality assurance reports
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Analyzed enrolment and student surveys about online learning in the pandemic
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Worked with registrars and Vice Provost, Academic Programs to understand implications of university and ministry policies
Implementation
The final stage of program development to plan for changes to the curriculum, implement those changes, and conduct program review.
My experience:
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Led a planning committee with representatives from across the seven locations that offer the master's program.
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Drafted the program renewal proposal, solicited feedback from faculty, administrators, and students. Iterated the proposal in response to feedback.
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Submitted proposal to university governance in Fall 2022.
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Conducted Emmanuel college's annual review process for three years to gather information about the implementation of all its programs.
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Streamlined the annual review process, reducing its burden on Emmanuel faculty.
Online Education Contractor, Toronto School of Theology
May 2020 - July 2020
Trained Toronto School of Theology faculty in online learning practices to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. Created a course in online learning that remains available to TST faculty.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Queen's University
July 2018 - July 2020
Designed and taught a well-received course on religion and politics in the media. Led a small team of TAs to administer course content and track student progress. Successfully implemented elements of course design allowing for multiple styles of engagement and expression.
Sessional Instructor
January 2018 - July 2018
Designed and taught two in-person courses for Ryerson University's Chang School of Continuing Education and the University of Toronto Mississauga. Revised course content and assessment methods in response to student feedback. Worked with a team of TAs to design discussion sections that increased student engagement and narrowed instructional distance.
Teaching Fellow, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
August 2011 - May 2016
Designed and taught four in-person courses and taught two online courses. Built course sites using an open-source LMS to fit instructional needs. Designed learning environments fostering high levels of student engagement and self-regulation. Assisted in delivering seven courses by tracking student progress, delivering feedback, and moderating discussion sections.
Work History
Educational Developer, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Toronto Metropolitcan University
February 2023 - present
Consults with Arts faculty on best practices in teaching and course design, oversees the Graduate Teaching Development Program.
Assistant Professor, teaching stream in History of Christianity and Instructional Design, Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto
July 2020 - February 2023
Consulted with Emmanuel faculty on best practices in online pedagogy, planned online and blended curricula for graduate education, and administered program reviews. As a faculty member, taught classes, advised students, and served on committees.
Online Education Contractor, Toronto School of Theology
May 2020 - July 2020
Trained Toronto School of Theology faculty in online learning practices to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. Created a course in online learning that remains available to TST faculty.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Queen's University
July 2018 - July 2020
Designed and taught a well-received course on religion and politics in the media. Led a small team of TAs to administer course content and track student progress. Successfully implemented elements of course design allowing for multiple styles of engagement and expression.
Sessional Instructor
January 2018 - July 2018
Designed and taught two in-person courses for Ryerson University's Chang School of Continuing Education and the University of Toronto Mississauga. Revised course content and assessment methods in response to student feedback. Worked with a team of TAs to design discussion sections that increased student engagement and narrowed instructional distance.
Teaching Fellow, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
August 2011 - May 2016
Designed and taught four in-person courses and taught two online courses. Built course sites using an open-source LMS to fit instructional needs. Designed learning environments fostering high levels of student engagement and self-regulation. Assisted in delivering seven courses by tracking student progress, delivering feedback, and moderating discussion sections.
Teaching Committee Head, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
January 2014 - January 2016
Led a development program for graduate instructors. Facilitated peer reviews of teaching and administered a peer teaching award. Identified faculty development opportunities and organized workshops such as a department-wide LMS training.
Education and Credentials
December 2019
Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Certification
Earned a gold-standard online instructional design credential focused on aligning course elements with learning objectives.
November 2019
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Associate Credential
Earned a universal design credential administered by CAST and the UDL-IRN and teaching the principles of design for accessibility.
September 2014 - June 2016
MA Coral State University
This is a concise description of your educational experience. Use this space to provide background on the degree or qualification you received, including any important recognitions received along the way.
August 2011-May 2017
PhD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
August - December 2014
Certificate, Future Faculty Fellowship Program
Completed an intensive course in instructional design administered by the Center for Faculty Excellence at UNC-Chapel Hill. This competitive program included coursework on evidence-based pedagogy, a classroom observation, and a summative assessment.
August 2011-May 2017
PhD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Designed and taught courses to meet departmental needs. Led an educational development group for graduate instructors.
August 2009-May 2011
MTS, Harvard Divinity School
August 2004-May 2008
BA, Amherst College
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