Sonja Johnston's profile photo

Life at SAIT

Dr. Johnston teaches in the BA and BBA programs and has been with SAIT since 2018.

She is an innovator, collaborator, researcher, and champion of the student experience. Her dedication to helping students create the social impacts they care for is evident repeatedly through her relentless commitment to student learning and overall development.

Dr. Johnston pioneered the revised Business certificate, diploma, and degree capstone experiences with her colleagues — incorporating contemporary work-integrated learning and content into the curricula. She has also worked to redesign the instruction and design of several existing courses at the School of Business.

She is also serving on the Teaching and Learning Catalyst Team, which is working hard to create a framework for teaching and learning excellence in applied learning for the School of Business.  

Education

Dr. Johnston has an MBA (Project and Strategic Management Specialization) from the University of Calgary. She is pursuing a PhD in Educational Research (Learning Sciences Specialization) at the University of Calgary, with expected completion in 2024.

Professional accomplishments

Dr. Johnston is a member of several research and conference associations across Canada and a passionate community service advocate. Students and administrators have recognized her teaching and learning skills, given that she is the recipient of multiple Instructor Excellence Awards.

In line with her commitment to student excellence, Dr. Johnston has produced several quality peer-reviewed scholarly activities and research works.

Research interests

  • Interdisciplinary learning design
  • capstone and workplace readiness
  • design-based research
  • entrepreneurship teaching and learning
  • participatory pedagogy
  • co-design 

  • Kanewischer, B., & Johnston, S. L. (2024). (A)I’m a believer, but (A)I’m also responsible: How generative AI tools can strengthen confidence and self-efficacy and foster academic accountability in a capstone course. In S. Mahmud (Ed.). Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. pp. 93-111. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0240-8.ch006 
  • Kanewischer, B., Johnston, S. L., Lyndon, J., & Glancey, M. (2023). Emotional discomfort as a catalyst for breaking through students’ self-perceived capabilities. In P. Kumar, T. Culham, R.J. Major, & R. Peregoy (Eds.), Honing self-awareness of faculty and future business leaders: Emotions connected with teaching and learning. Emerald Publishers, pp. 7-21. 
  • Hill, S. L., Johnston, S. L., Seitz, P., Twomey, S., & Vergis, E. (2022). “Teacher leaders in the making”: A response to COVID-19 in practicum. In P. Danyluk, A. Burns, S. L. Hill, & K. Crawford (Eds.). Crisis and opportunity: How Canadian Bachelor of Education programs responded to the pandemic. In Canadian research in teacher education: A polygraph series (Vol. 11) [eBook]. (Chapter 15, pp. 245-254). Canadian Association for Teacher Education/Canadian Society for the Study of Education.  

  • Johnston, S. L., & Nicol, J. (2023). Serendipitous Synergies: Learning in Capstone, COVID, and Collaboration. League For Innovation in the Community College, Innovation Showcase. Learning Abstracts, April 2023, 26(4). https://www.league.org/learning-abstracts/serendipitous-synergies-learning-capstone-covid-19-and-collaboration  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Glancey, M. (2022). Integrating mentorship in workplace-integrated learning curriculum. Papers on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, 5, 34-41. https://doi.org/10.11575/pplt.v5i.73163   

  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2023). Performing entrepreneurialism: Reimagining the art of the pitch with undergraduate business students [Best Student Paper Award]. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada – Management Education (Vol. 44).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023). Reframing business capstone: Could skills gaps be a system problem versus a student problem? Work in Progress accepted for inclusion in the Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada – Management Education (Vol. 44).  
  • Lee, C., & Johnston, S. L. (2023). Navigating capability scaffolding along the management foundation in a Bachelor of Business Administration Program. Work in Progress accepted for inclusion in the Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada – Management Education (Vol. 44).   
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023). Enhancing entrepreneurship education: Using badges, open learning, and micro-credentials. Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on Education, Business Stream.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Jacobsen, M. (2022). Design strategy plus pandemic serendipity: Technology-enhancement in entrepreneurship education using open learning. Open/Technology, Education, Scholarship and Society Association Conference Proceedings, 2(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.18357/otessac.2022.2.1.20  
  • Campbell, H., & Johnston, S. L. (2023). Playing in the space of business: Building community with undergraduate business students using drama. Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on Education, Business Stream.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). Coaching, consulting, and co-design: Seeing business capstone through practicum glasses. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada – Management Education, Vol. 43.  

  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2023, Nov 23-25). Cultivating a coaching culture through co-creation: Reframing design of diploma capstone [Oral Presentation]. 2023 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Mount Royal University), Canmore, Canada.  
  • Lee, S. J., & Johnston, S. L. (2023, Nov 23-25). Pair - “Re-Pair” - Submit: A journey in collaborative formative assessment [Oral Presentation]. 2023 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Mount Royal University), Canmore, Canada. 
  • Johnston, S. L., & Janes, D. (2023, Nov 23-25). Growing scholarly activity in a challenging garden: A case study of mentorship, planting, and growing scholarship plan(t)s [Round Table]. 2023 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Mount Royal University), Canmore, Canada. 
  • Coller, K., Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2023, Nov 23-25). Use, implementation, and design of open educational resources in post-secondary institutions. [Round Table]. 2023 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Mount Royal University), Canmore, Canada. 
  • Nowell, L., Dolan, S., Johnston, S., Jacobsen, M, Lorenzetti, D., & Oddone-Paolucci, E. (2023, Nov 8-11). An evidence-informed framework for developing virtual caring skills that can be applied across various contexts [Paper Presentation]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Utrecht, The Netherlands. 
  • Jacobsen, M., Johnston, S. L., Shandro, T., & Paquette, A. (2023, Nov 8-11). Amplifying graduate student voices in online supervisory development [Paper Presentation]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Utrecht, The Netherlands. 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Nov 8-11). Reimaging skills gap: Reframing authentic student learning experiences with business capstone [Poster Presentation]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Utrecht, The Netherlands. 
  • Weatherbee, R., Sears, D., Matthews, M., Ballantyne, E., Coller, K., Johnston, S. L., Kanewischer, B., & Dever, R. (2023, Sept 22). Artificial intelligence in management education [All-Conference Symposium]. Atlantic Schools of Business Conference, Halifax, NS, Canada.  
  • Coller, K., Johnston, S. L., Kanewischer, B., & Norman, J. (2023, Sep 21-24). Use, implementation, and design of open educational resources in post-secondary institutions [Professional Development Workshop]. Atlantic Schools of Business Conference, Halifax, NS, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L., Kanewischer, B., & Pannu, G. (2023, Sep 13). Co-creating capstone value with industry using consultation and coaching [Presentation]. 2023 Alberta Corridor Technical Symposium, Calgary, Canada. 
  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2023, Jun 13-16). It’s about time! Scaffolding skills in an established business degree program to better support the future of work [Conference Presentation]. Society for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) 41st Annual Conference, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.  
  • Nowell, L., Jacobsen, M, Johnston, S., Lorenzetti, D., & Oddone-Paolucci, E. (2023, Jun 13-16). Fostering the development of virtual caring competencies through an evidence-informed framework. [Interactive Workshop]. Society for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) 41st Annual Conference, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.  
  • Dever, R., Coller, K., & Johnston, S. L. (2023, June 3-6). AI in management education: Resist, submit, or embrace? [Symposia Panel]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2023 Conference, Management Education, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2023, Jun 3-6). Performing entrepreneurialism: Reimagining the art of the pitch with undergraduate business students. [Paper]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2023 Conference, Management Education, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Lee, C., & Johnston, S. L. (2023, Jun 3-6). Navigating capability scaffolding along the management foundation in a Bachelor of Business Administration program. [Conference Presentation Work in Process]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2023 Conference, Management Education, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Jun 3-6). Reframing business capstone: Could skills gaps be a system problem versus a student problem? [Conference Presentation Work in Process]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2023 Conference, Management Education. Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Irvine, V., & Johnston, S. L. (2023, May 27-Jun 2).  Wait… What? Examining SSHRC funding structures and processes with a focus on its implications on equitable access for educational researchers. The Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association (OTESSA) Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2023, Jun 3-6 in person, May 31 virtual). Performing entrepreneurialism: Reimagining the art of the pitch with undergraduate business students. [Conference Presentation Full Paper]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2023 Conference, Management Education, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Carson, R. (2023, May 27-Jun 1). Driving and navigating the graduate school experience – Kick the COVID excuses to the curb. Canadian Committee of Graduate Students in Education (CCGSE) [Professional Development Workshop]. CSSE Conference. York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, May 27-Jun 2). Creating capacity for capabilities: Using professional development within learning design in capstone. [Practice-Oriented Presentation]. The Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association (OTESSA) Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada.  
  • Jacobsen, M., Johnston, S. L., Shandro, T., & Paquette, A. (2023, Apr 26-28). Leveraging graduate student voices in online supervisory development. Conference on Post-Secondary Teaching and Learning, Taylor Institute, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, April 3-4). Experiential Online Learning in Collaboration with Industry. Experiential Learning in Online Courses 2023, Virtual Symposium. https://eonline.ca (Hosted by University of Ottawa).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Mar 23-24). Skills gap: System or student problem [Presentation]. Tapestries of Learning Symposium, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S.L. (2023, Feb 11-12). Empathy as Foundation for Thriving Bonds of Grad Students [Poster Presentation]. University of Calgary 7th Annual Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada. https://gsa.ucalgary.ca/peerbeyond 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Feb 11-12). Reimagining framing and design in capstone using DBR [Talk Presentation]. University of Calgary 7th Annual Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada. https://gsa.ucalgary.ca/peerbeyond 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Jan 23-25). Winning in open learning relationships: A partnership in higher education with industry. Cannexus23 Career Development Conference [Poster Presentation]. CERIC’s 17th Annual Conference, Ottawa, ON, Canada.  
  • Jacobsen, M., Alharbi, H., Fraser, S., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., & Johnston, S. L. (2022, Jan 3-6). Online faculty development to enhance graduate supervision and student success [Paper session, #350]. 21st Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education (Business Education Stream), Honolulu, HI, USA.  https://hiceducation.org 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023, Jan 3-6). Enhancing entrepreneurship education using badges, open learning, and micro-credentials [Paper Session, #297]. 21st Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education (Business Education Stream), Honolulu, HI, USA.   
  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2023, Jan 3-6). Performing entrepreneurialism: Improving the presentation skills of undergraduate business students using drama [Paper Session, #296]. Hawaii International Conference on Education 21st Annual Conference (Business Education Stream), Honolulu, HI, USA.  https://hiceducation.org 
  • Jacobsen, M., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Fraser, S., & Johnston, S. L. (2022, Nov 2-5). Expanding an online community of practice for graduate supervisors to six Canadian universities. International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, Kelowna, BC, Canada. https://issotl.com/issotl22/ 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022, Nov 2-5). Re-viewing business capstone: Seeing the bridge from capstone to corporate through an ecological lens. International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, Kelowna, BC, Canada.  
  • Fraser, S., Jacobsen, M., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., & Johnston, S. L. (2022, Nov 1-3). Supporting faculty to support the future of graduate education: The quality graduate Supervision MOOC. 60th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS): The Future of Graduate Education: Toward Local and Global Relevance, Montreal, QC, Canada.  
  • Jacobsen, M., Fraser, S., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., & Johnston, S. L. (2022, Sep 14-16). Building a community of practice through the quality graduate supervision MOOC. 10th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Calgary, AB, Canada. 
  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2022, Aug 5-9). Seeing business through a proscenium arch: Improving business communications through process drama [Session Presentation, #925]. 10th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (TLC@AOM), Seattle, WA, USA.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2022, Jun 6-10). Scaffolding “soft” skills from entry to graduation, across programs for undergraduates in business [Conference presentation #105].  Society for Teaching and Learning 40th Annual Conference (STLHE), Ottawa, ON, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022, Jun 3-7). Coaching, consulting, and co-design: Seeing business capstone through practicum glasses [Conference presentation]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 2022 Conference, Management Education Division, Halifax, NS, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Jacobsen, M. (2022, May 16-19). Design strategy plus pandemic serendipity: Technology-enhancement in entrepreneurship education using open learning and micro-credentials [Conference Session 6.3, May 19]. The Open/Technology, Education, Scholarship and Society Association (OTESSA) Online Conference.  
  • Jacobsen, M., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Fraser, S., & Johnston, S. L. (2022, May 16-19). Graduate supervision webinar series: Open, Online, and Transdisciplinary faculty development [Conference Session 15.2, May 17]. The Open/Technology, Education, Scholarship and Society Association (OTESSA) Online Conference.  
  • Johnston, S. L., Twomey, S., Hill, S. L., Seitz, P., & Vergis, E. (2022, May 14-20). Building digital literacy for teacher educators in practicum: A holistic approach. [Paper presentation Session 4.11, May 15]. 50th Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) Conference.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Campbell, H. (2022, Apr 22). Seeing business through a proscenium arch: Improving the presentation skills of business students using drama. Roundtable on Business Pitches as Performance, sponsored by the Calgary Institute for the Humanities.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022, Mar 10-11). Reframing design of entrepreneurial education through the lens of pre-service teacher education [Presentation]. Tapestries of Learning Symposium, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022, Feb 23-25). Designing for workplace readiness in business capstone: Bridging classroom and community through consulting [Presentation]. University of Calgary 6th Annual Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022, Feb 23-25). Open learning in entrepreneurship with real business: Building a bridge with pedagogy, partnerships, and practice [Poster]. University of Calgary 6th Annual Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada.  
  • Jacobsen, M., Fraser, S., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Johnston, S. L., & Taylor, L. (2021, Nov 1-5). Promoting Excellence and Wellness in Supervisory Relationships [Conference presentation]. 59th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS): Care, Social Justice, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Jacobsen, M. (2021, Oct 26-29). Enhancing entrepreneurial learning experiences with micro-credentials and open learning program. International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. https://issotl.com/issotl21/ 
  • Jacobsen, M., Fraser, S., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Johnston, S. L., & Taylor, L. (2021, Oct 26-29). Cultivating an online community of practice for graduate supervisors at two universities. International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, Perth, Australia. https://issotl.com/issotl21/ 
  • Jacobsen, M., Alharbi, H., Fraser, S., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Taylor, L., & Johnston, S. L., (2021, July 12). Cultivating an online community of practice for quality graduate supervision at Canadian universities [Conference presentation]. International Doctoral Education Research Network (IDERN) Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.  
  • Johnston, S. L., & Glancey, M. (2021, May 4-5). Integrating Mentorship in Workplace-Integrated-Learning Curriculum [Interactive session]. Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching: Mentorship in Higher Education, Calgary, AB, Canada.   
  • Jacobsen, M., Fraser, S., Alharbi, H., Reckseidler-Zenteno, S., Johnston, S. L., & Taylor, L. (2021, Feb 1-5). Interinstitutional Faculty Development for Online Graduate Supervision [Conference session]. 58th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS).  
  • Johnston, S. L., Kanewischer, B., & Minton, R. (2019, Jun 11-14). Experiential Learning: Just-In-Time, Peer Driven Collaborative Learning in Project Management [Conference presentation].  Society for Teaching and Learning (STLHE) 39th Annual Conference, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. 

  • Johnston, S. L. (2024). Capstone Harvest: Cultivating Scholarly Change through Research Informed Developments. Faculty Presentation hosted by the SAIT School for Advanced Digital Technologies. February 5, 2024. 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023). Reimagining Framing and Design of a Business Capstone through an Educational Lens using DBR. Seminars on Design Research in Education. Hosted by Dr. Peter Nyström, Gothenburg University, Sweden. 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023). Orienting to Open Educational Resources (OERs). Mount St. Vincent faculty and staff, Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2023). My Journey to Design-based research in my Doctoral Research. SOCI 313 Introductory Social Methods at St. Mary’s University.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). Supervision and Graduate Program Student Experience Survey (SGES): Preliminary Qualitative Analysis. Graduate Students Association (University of Calgary).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). Supervision and Graduate Program Student Experience Survey (SGES): Preliminary Qualitative Analysis. Faculty of Graduate Studies (University of Calgary).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). EdD/PhD Candidates Share Tips to Prepare for the Candidacy Oral Exam. Werklund Graduate Programs in Education Students’ Association (GPESA).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). My Experience from Doctoral Student to Candidate. Guest Researcher in EDER 779.05 (Introduction to the Learning Sciences).  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2022). Borrowing Insights Across Disciplines: The Intersection of Education and Business. University of Calgary Graduate College Lunch and Learn Public Seminar.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2021). Reframing Design in Business Capstone. SAIT Academic Adventures.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2021). Integrating Coaching & Mentorship into Workplace-Integrated Learning. SAIT School of Business, Town Hall.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2020). Bachelor of Education: Digital Literacy Modules for Practicum. St. Mary’s University Faculty of Education.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2020). Integrated Capstone Design in the School of Business. Alberta Deans of Business Annual Meeting.  
  • Johnston, S. L. (2019). Been There, Done That: Success Story Panel. Banff Venture Forum. 

 

a view of the moutains and stream in between

Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.

SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.

We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Visit Natoysopoyiis Resource Centre