Professional Communication

Biography:

B.A. Theatre
York University

M.S. Instructional Design
Syracuse University

Ph.D. Education
University of Toronto

Dr. Wendy Freeman received a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2008, where her thesis research investigated the use of weblogs for postsecondary distance students.  Before coming to the Department of Professional Communication, she worked as an Instructional Designer in both nonprofit and private sector organizations.  Most recently, she worked at Ryerson with faculty as they integrated technology into their teaching. She has been Principal Investigator on funded projects that focus on the use of technology in educational settings and her research interests continue to involve the use of technology to improve learning environments. Specifically, she investigates aspects of community and culture s they affect and are affected by new technologies such as weblogs and other social media with a focus on socio-technical and socio-cultural theories.

Wendy is currently principal investigator for two projects:

1. Video Case Stories on Academic Integrity – Funded by Inukshuk Learning Partnership, October, 2008-December, 2009.

2. Exploring the Online Participatory Territory of University Students – Funded by Ryerson University New Faculty SRC Development Fund, May, 2009-April, 2011.

She has presented at many academic conferences and her paper Finding the Individual in Collaborative Online Learning Environments was Best Paper winner in the TACTL (Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning) Special Interest Group at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicago, IL in 2007.