I’m Alison Turner, Community Liaison at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education. I provide strategic and operational leadership for K–12 partnerships and Field Experience, lead the team responsible for practicum advising and placement operations, and oversee processes supporting approximately 2,000 annual placements for more than 1,000 pre-service teachers across 450+ schools.
Previously, I served as a Learning Specialist in Educational Technology and Program Design with Rocky View Schools and as a Sessional Instructor at the University of Calgary. With experience spanning K–12 classrooms, instructional leadership, educational technology, and higher education, I bring a collaborative, systems-oriented approach to leading people, programs, partnerships, and learning.
My work includes instructional design, professional learning, change leadership, and the development of scalable learning experiences and systems that respond to the evolving needs of educators, organizations, and learners. I am especially interested in how thoughtful design, technology, and strong relationships can remove barriers, strengthen practice, and create meaningful change.
My Mission
To be an educator and leader who is always learning.
To ask, “What if?” and “How might we?”
To help others make meaning — not simply make progress.
To design and lead with care, creativity, and curiosity.
At the heart of my work is one guiding question:
How might we design learning to be better — for everyone?
I hold a BFA in Developmental Art, a B.Ed. in Secondary Art, and an Interdisciplinary M.Ed. focused on Educational Technology, Universal Design for Learning, and Design Thinking for Innovation. My graduate research explored how cohort learning environments influence engagement and motivation — insights that continue to inform how I approach learning design, professional learning, collaboration, and organizational change.
When I’m not working in education, you’ll often find me gardening, walking my dog Norman, or planning my next family travel adventure.
Selected Research & Publications
My research interests include professional learning, technology-enabled education, learner engagement, and the design of effective online learning environments.
Anderson M., Turner, A., Brown, B. (2021, Oct 1). Designing Online Professional Learning to Support In-Service and Preservice Teachers Adapting to Emergency Remote Teaching. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/jaid_10_3/designing_online_pro/simple
Alison Learns 