Morgan Alford

I am developing a research program that will explore how narrative identity pedagogy can enhance wellbeing, belonging, and long-term engagement among students in the life sciences. While this work is in its early stages, my goal is to investigate how narrative practices (e.g.: reflective storytelling, identity mapping, etc.) support students in connecting their personal values, lived experiences, and career aspirations to their learning. I aim to use a mixed-methods approach to examine how narrative practices impact on resilience, inclusivity, and purpose across diverse undergraduate communities. Alongside this emerging research direction, I am actively engaged in several scholarly teaching initiatives. In collaboration with colleagues from Western Canada, I am expanding Open Patho (https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/pathology/), the first open education resource (OER) in Pathology. Open Patho is currently being used in 11 unique courses in allied health professional programs at three institutes (UBC, UBC-O and BCIT). We are interested in understanding whether OER design can influence adoption of resources into learning environments, and how interactive quizzes may impact on higher-order learning. I am also currently working on improving accessibility in undergraduate teaching laboratories. While labs provide meaningful experiential learning experiences, they may also present sensory, cognitive, or physical barriers for students with disabilities. I am interested in leveraging existing knowledge to develop, pilot, and evaluate a practical toolkit for inclusive lab design. I have experience in applying appreciative inquiry frameworks to examine alignment between undergraduate life science curricula and the professional competencies expected of graduates, with a focus on strengths-based program enhancement. Additionally, I have supported students’ career transitions and developed public-facing outreach to disseminate scholarly findings. Together, these experiences have formed the foundation of my student-centred research trajectory.

Courses: MGY 360, MGY 381, MGY 440, MGY 314