Maureen Leyland - MA in Learning and Technology (MALAT)

Since graduating I have used my Masters degree in many respects. I have consulted with Therapy Online, worked with the University of Toronto’s School of Social Work to design and deliver an online course in cyber-counselling, and consulted with other health care groups to plan their e-learning strategies.

I remain an associate faculty member at RRU, co-teaching a course on online facilitation and community building skills in the Master of Arts in Learning and Technology program.

I chose Royal Roads because I liked the innovative programs and the distributed learning model.

My RRU highlight experience was attending the residency. The opportunity to work with people from diverse environments over a two-year period was very motivating. Learning how to work together to complete assignments in a virtual team with members across time zones and from different professional fields was another highlight of my learning at RRU.

Though there were some challenges managing all the postings on the learning portal, I learned not to let it worry me too much and soon found myself learning a whole new set of computer skills.

My major project was an assessment of whether a team of multi-disciplinary healthcare providers can complement face-to-face teaching for parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, using a distributed learning model. The model was an effort to better support families across B.C. using current educational technologies.

My RRU research and course work has helped me to see the potential for enhanced use of computer technology in the social work and counselling fields. This use is irrespective of geographic location, helping to remove the past problems of geographic and time barriers.

Maureen Leyland, Master of Arts in Learning and Technology (formerly MADL - MA in Distributed Learning), class of 2001-3.  Independent e-learning consultant and RRU Associate Faculty.