Jill McSweeney
Assistant Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and Assistant Professor of Wellness
Department: Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
Email: jmcsweeney@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5765
News & Notes
Education
PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies (Environmental Health Psychology), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
MA, Health Promotion, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
BA (Hons), Psychology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Employment History
2021 - 2022: Educational Developer (Programs Team Lead), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2022 - 2023: Adjunct Professor (Health and Human Performance), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2019 - 2022: Educational Developer (Schorlarship of Teaching & Learning | Learning Spaces), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2015 - 2019: Educational Developer (Student Development), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2013 - 2015: Graduate Teaching Associate, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Courses Taught
Leadership Positions
2019 - 2022: SoTL Canada (Executive member)
2018 - 2022: Dalhousie University Arts and Social Science Research Ethics Board (Member)
2015 - 2020: Ethical Practices and Development, Special Interest Group of the Educational Developers Caucus (Co-Chair)
2015 - 2020: Teaching Assistant and Graduate Student Advancement Group (Vice Chair)
Current Projects
Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the work experiences of educational developer.
This project surveyed educational developers across Canadian post-secondary institutions during the pandemic to examine how work/life balance, relationship building, and professional practices were impacted during the quick shift to remote teaching. Submission to the International Journal of Academic Development forthcoming.
Partnering disciplinary diversity with measures of scholarly quality in the SoTL.
This project applied a 100-item assessment tool to 3 years of SoTL publications to assess how measures of scholarly quality are represented in the field of SoTL, and how are tensions between methodological approaches and disciplinary epistemologies are addressed. Under review with The International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Understanding the impact of the pandemic on creating, facilitating, and supporting equitable learning environments at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
This is a cross student-as-partners collaboration with six Canadian institutions examining the institutional policies, pratices and structures the enable and/or support equitable learning. Students, faculty and administrators were recruited to share their experiences via surveys and interviews. Book chapter forthcoming.
The use of student ratings of instruction for research on teaching and learning.
This multi-phase project explores the use of course evaluation data for research purposes, the ethical implications for it's use beyond teaching development, and the institutional structures that enable or limit it's application for scholarship.
The ethical principles of the scholarship of educational development.
Many of the approaches to the scholarship of educational development (SoED) involve working with humans as participants, yet little is known about how key principles of research ethics should be applied to this area of scholarship. Looking to the field of SoTL, this work explores how similar ethical contexts exist within SoED (e.g., dual relationship of practitioner-scholar) and applies critical reflection to understand how these principles should guide what, why, and how we engage in this work.
Grants Awarded
Explorance Faculty Grant Award (2022).
Project title: Exploring how student ratings of instruction data are being utilized for research on teaching and learning.
Explorance Faculty Grant Award (2021).
Project title: Understanding the use of student ratings of instruction (SRI) data for research purposes.
Educational Developers Caucus (2019).
Project title: Assessing and enhancing the rigor of SoTL research across disciplines.
Publications
Ostrowdun, C., Scholz, K., Chittle, L., Tran, L., Woolmer, C., McSweeney-Flaherty, J., Barrette-Ng, I., Carroll, H., Sibbald, K., Aizenobie, A., McCollum, B., Rowland, C., McBride, B., & Foster, C. (2022) Supporting equity in online learning during COVID-19. In Online learning, open education and equity in the age of COVID. Athabasca University Press.
Joy, P. & McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M. (2022). Pedagogy of the Mother: Exploring Friere’s philosophy of co-productive learning in RuPaul’s Drag Race. RuPedagogies of Realness: Teaching and Learning in RuPaul’s Drag Race and its Paratextual Cultures.
Joy, P., & McSweeney-Flaherty, J. M. (2022). Moving Dietetics Forward with Queer Pedagogy: A Post-Structural Qualitative Study Exploring the Education and Training Experiences of Canadian Dietitians for LGBTQ Care. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Goldbold, N., Irving-Bell, D., McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M., Schlesselman, L., Smith, H., Torcivia, P. (2021). The courage to SoTL. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 9(1), 380 – 394.
McSweeney, J.M., Rainham, D., Johnson, S., Sherry, S., & Singleton, J. (2019). Indoor nature exposure and influence on physiological stress markers. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-15.
Le-May Sheffield, S., McSweeney, J.M., Joudrey, S. (2018). Understanding the impact of the graduate teaching associate position on the career development of Educational Developers. International Journal of Academic Development.
Kenny, N., Elkhoury, E., Fujita, N. Hall, S., Hoessler, C. McSweeney, J.M. & Popovic, C. (2017). Drawing on the principles of SoTL to illuminate a path forward for the scholarship of educational development. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 8(2).
Le-May Sheffield, S., McSweeney, J.M., Panych, A. (2015). Exploring future teachers’ awareness, competence, confidence and attitudes towards learning and teaching online: Incorporating the blended/online experience into a Teaching and Learning in Higher Education course for graduate students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 45(3), 1-14.
McSweeney, J.M. (2015). The making of superheroes. In (Eds) Head, K.J. & Blessinger, P., Teaching as a Human Experience: HETL Anthology. Cambridge Scholars: U.K.
McSweeney, J.M., Rainham, D., Johnson, S., Sherry, S., & Singleton, J. (2014). Indoor nature exposure: A health promotion framework. Health Promotion International; 30(1), 126-139.
McSweeney, J.M. (2014). Reflective teaching and learning: Why we should make time to think. Teaching Innovation Projects; 4(2), Article 7.
Blanchard, C. M., McSweeney, J., Giacomantonio, N., Reid, R. D., Rhodes, R. E., et al. (2014). Distinct trajectories of light and moderate to vigorous physical activity in heart disease patients: Results from the Activity Correlates afTer cardIac hospitalizatiON (ACTION) trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 17(1), 72-77.
Warren, A., Hazelton, L., Sargaent, J., Mann, K., McSweeney, J., et al. (2014). Assessing and evaluating professionalism. Medical Teacher, 36(5), 390-402.
Blanchard, C. M., McSweeney, J., Giacomantonio, N., Reid, R., Rhodes, R. et al. (2012). Distinct trajectories of light and moderate to vigorous physical activity in heart disease patients who do not attend cardiac rehabilitation. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 34, S204-204.
Blanchard, C., Rainham, D., McSweeney, J., Spence, J., McDonnell, L. et al. (2012). Community SES, perceived environment, and physical activity during home-based cardiac rehabilitation: is there a need to consider the urban vs. rural distinction? Journal of Urban Health, 89(2), 285-295.
Presentations
Barrette-Ng, I., Woolmer, C., Ostrowdun, C., McSweeney-Flaherty, J., Scholz, K., Carroll, H., Wuetherick, B., Maher, P. (2022). Perspectives and experiences of equity in the online domain during the pandemic: A multi-institutional study of Canadian institutions. OTESSA [Online].
Moore, R. & McSweeney-Flaherty, J. (2022). Understanding the impact of a pandemic on the work of Canadian Educational Developers. Educational Developers Caucus. [Online]
Barrette-Ng, I., Woolmer, C., Ostrowdun, C., McSweeney-Flaherty, J., Scholz, K., Carroll, H., Wuetherick, B., Maher, P. (2022). Supporting equity in online learning during COVID-19. ISSOTL [Online].
McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M., Roy, B. & Moore, R. (2021). Understanding the use of student ratings of instruction (SRI) for research purposes. Bluenotes Global VX. [Online]. *Won Best Presenter Award.
McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M., Majekolagbe, B., Joy, P., & Schnurr, M. (2020). Leveraging disciplinary expertise to transform SoTL. Educational Developers Caucus. Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Ballantyne, E., Johnson, L.T., Joudrey, S., MacFarlane, L. & McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M. (2020). Exploring the disciplinary identities of educational developers. Educational Developers Caucus. Halifax, Nova Scotia.
McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M. (2020). “Naturing” our learning: The consideration of nature-based aesthetics in learning spaces. Experiential Design – Rethinking relations between people, objects and environments. Tallahassee, Florida.
McSweeney-Flaherty, J.M., & Schnurr, M. (2019). Using rigor as a bridge and not a wall: Assessing and enhancing the quality of SoTL across disciplines. International Society of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Annual Conference. Atlanta, Georgia.
Spencer, J. & McSweeney, J.M. (2018). What happens when you fail at SoTL and how we can learn from it. 2018 STLHE Annual Conference. Sherbrook, Quebec.
Johnson, A., Bouls, P., McDonald, J., Lockett, M., McSweeney, J.M. & Benoit, D. (2018). Ethical Potluck: Serving you two days in the life of an educational developer. The Education Developers Caucus. Guelph, Ontario.
Singh, R. & McSweeney, J.M. (2017). Starting the conversation: Addressing and promoting student mental health online. 2017 STLHE Annual Conference. Halifax, Nova Scotia.
McSweeney, J.M. & Joudrey, S. (2016). ‘What’s with this place?’: Understanding learning spaces through the reconceptualization of place in education environments. The Education Developers Caucus. Windsor, Ontario.
McSweeney, J.M., Le-May Sheffield, S. & Joudrey, S. (2016). Developing the graduate teaching associate. 2016 STLHE Annual Conference. London, Ontario.
McSweeney, J.M., McDonald, J., Bouls, P. et al. (2016). Investigating the professional conduct of educational developers across Canada. 2016 STLHE Annual Conference. London, Ontario.
McSweeney, J.M., Shin, R., Rainham, D., Sherry, S., Johnson, S. & Singleton, J. (2015). Understanding the influence of nature relatedness and individual perceptions on nature exposure. Alberta Recreation & Parks Association Conference. Jasper, Alberta.
McSweeney, J.M. (2015). From a classroom to a MOOC: The evolving role of TAs in higher education. The Education Developers Caucus. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
McSweeney, J.M. & Singleton, J. (2014). A framework for nature-based leisure. Canadian Congress of Leisure and Recreation Conference. Halifax, Nova Scotia.
McSweeney, J.M. & Singleton, J. (2013). Understanding the meaning of nature-based leisure across the life course. Canadian Association of Gerontology 2013 Conference. Halifax, Nova Scotia
Professional Activities
Reviewer for:
Teaching and Learning Inquiry
Canadian Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
International Journal of Academic Development