Hi, I’m Nicole.
I’m an adventure-seeker, a researcher, and a parent. All three of these things shape who I am and what I do.
Adventure-seeker.
Whether in my personal life or my career, I approach each new opportunity as an adventure. As someone who investigates how we learn in digital spaces and the impact of digital technology on learning, I consider myself an explorer of the digital realm.
I love spending time outdoors (especially hiking, skiing, and stand-up paddleboarding), VR fitness, and travel.
Some of my top adventures include hiking to the top of Mount Marathon in Seward, Alaska, camping next to the beach on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and paddle boarding on the waves of the Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona, Spain.
Researcher.
I currently work as the Executive Director for the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association. In this role, I lead the strategic and operational management of the organization. Key responsibilities include planning and leading the research program, securing funding for the organization, budgeting and resource management, and strategic planning for the organization’s future growth. I provide consultations and presentations for sponsors, partners, post-secondary institutions, and government (provincial and federal) working groups.
I also have an independent research and consulting practice. Along with working on numerous research teams, I provide consulting services to support the development of digital learning initiatives within the post-secondary education sector. Please contact me to book a discovery call to chat further about working together.
My areas of expertise include:
- Investigating and forecasting trends in the field of digital learning
- Exploring how technology use in teaching and learning is changing over time (e.g., digital transformation, flexible learning) and the implications of technology adoption
- Defining key terms related to digital learning (e.g., online learning, hybrid learning, etc.)
- Understanding how and why attitudes toward technology have changed over time
- Analyzing how people use social media as an informal educational tool
- Theoretical work on the concept of learning ecologies and how an individual’s experiences within their learning ecology impact their capacity development
- Theoretical work on the concept of digital literacy and how this intersects with the use of popular technologies (e.g., social media, AI)
I invite you to visit my publications page to learn more!
I hold a Ph.D. in e-learning from the Open University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain) and a Master of Educational Technology degree from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada).
I have a diverse background that includes training and experience in health and fitness (Bachelor of Human Kinetics, UBC), K-12 education (Bachelor of Education, UBC), post-secondary education, entrepreneurship, and social media/influencer marketing.
Parent.
I have the privilege of parenting the four best people I know. My experience raising my kids (who I refer to as my Fantastic Four) has profoundly influenced my career and my approach to research. I have experienced the motherhood penalty first-hand, and I see the potential for digital learning to support professional competency development and ultimately capacity development for mothers who have felt a need or desire to leave or pause their careers for caregiving purposes.
As a long-time (15+ years) work-at-home parent myself, I also have experience coaching other work-at-home parents to help them develop systems, hacks, and tricks for working while parenting.
In all my work endeavours, I welcome other parents to show up in a way that best suits their needs – babies in arms, toddlers playing in the background, or Zoom meetings from the car while waiting in the parking lot at school.