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 
  • Entrepreneurial teaching and learning 
  • Participatory pedagogy 
  • Mentorship and Leadership 

 

  • Farrow, R. (ed.), Ashman, M., Baff, D., Bozkurt, A., Dubien, D.,   Eldridge, B., Elias, T., Iniesto, F., Jacobsen, M., Jhangiani, R. S., Johnson, K. R., Johnston, S. L., Katz, S., Khetarpal, M., Mayisela, T., McGreal, R., O’Reilly, J., Peramunugamage, A., Pete, J., Pitt, B. & Vladimirschi, V. (2024). The GO-GN Guide to Doctoral Supervision. Global OER Graduate Network / Open Education Research Hub. https://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/go-gn-guide-to-supervision/
  • 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 

  • Nowell, L., Johnston, S. L., Dolan, S., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, D. L., & Oddone Paolucci, E. (2024). Educators’ perceptions and experiences of online opportunities to foster caring professions’ students in developing virtual caring skills and competencies: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Nursing. https://doi.org/10.2196/64548
  • Nowell, L., Dolan, S., Johnston, S. L., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, D. L., & Oddone Paolucci, E. (2024). Students’ perceptions and experiences of online opportunities to develop virtual caring skills and competencies: A sequential explanatory mixed methods study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Nursing. https://doi.org/10.2196/53777
  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2024). Examining the foundation: Scaffolding “soft” skills from entry to graduation in an undergraduate business program. Collected Essays on Teaching and Learning (CELT), 15(1). https://doi.org/10.22329/celt.v15i1.7859

  • Johnston, S. L., Coller, K., & Pannu, G. (2024). Teaching, leading, learning: Building student mental models [Oral Presentation]. Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2024 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. November 7-9. Banff, Alberta, Canada 
  • Johnston, S. L., Coller, K., Lee, C., & Jones, M. (2024). Using open strategy to develop excellence framework in teaching & learning of applied [Oral Presentation]. Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2024 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. November 7-9. Banff, Alberta, Canada 
  • Johnston, S. L., Miller, A., Strampel, K., Lane, M., Sipes, M., & Hamilton, M. (Oct 28-31, 2024). International threads: An exploration of SoTL careers and journeys of leadership [Paper Presentation]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Annual Conference, French Lick, Indiana, USA. 
  • Hamilton, M., Sipes, S., Johnston, S. L., Miller, A., Strampel, K., & Lane, M. (Oct 28-31, 2024). Navigating SoTL leadership: Insight from an Academic International Collaborative Writing Group (ICWG) [Workshop]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Annual Conference, French Lick, Indiana, USA. 
  • Johnston, S. L., Coller, K., Lee, C., & Jones, M. (Oct 28-31, 2024). A collaborative teaching excellence framework: Student voice in partnership [Paper Presentation]. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Annual Conference, French Lick, Indiana, USA. 
  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2024, July 2-4). Preparing students for workplace futures: Using personal and professional development plan as curriculum in a diploma course. Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2024: Future-Focused Education: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact [Theme 1 – Future Focused Education], Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
  • Johnston, S. L. (2024, July 2-4). Coaching students for tomorrow’s careers through today’s practitioner-partnerships. Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2024: Future-Focused Education: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact [Theme 6 – Employability], Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
  • Stocks, C., Grant, G., Hamilton, M., Johnston, S. L., Lane, M., Miller, A., Sipes, S., & Strampel, K. (2024, July 2-4). Building sustainable future Higher Education through SoTL Leadership: An international perspective. Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2024: Future-Focused Education: Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
  • Johnston, S. L., Coller, K., & Jones, M. (2024, July 1-2). Open strategy for bottom-up design: By faculty, for faculty, with faculty [poster]. Open Strategy: Taking Stock and Moving Forward. University of Oxford & University of Zurich, Switzerland. https://www.business.uzh.ch/en/research/professorships/om/media/Open-Strategy-Workshop-2024.html
  • Johnston, S. L., Campbell, H., Grieman, J, (2024, Jun 22-23). Performing Entrepreneurialism: Reimagining Fine Arts with Undergraduate Business Students [Panel]. 2024 CYP Children, Youth, and Performance Conference. York University and Young People’s Theatre, Toronto, Canada. 
  • Hamilton, M., Grant, G., & Johnston, S. L. (2024, June 11-14). Resilience of leadership roles in SoTL across higher education in Canada [Round Table Discussion]. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Annual Conference, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
  • Lee, C., & Johnston, S. L. (2024, June 11-14). Investigating the impact of OERs and open pedagogy on student engagement in higher education [Presentation]. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Annual Conference, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
  • Johnston, S. L., & Lee, C. (2024, June 11-14).  Using personal and professional development plan as curriculum to prepare students for work futures [Presentation]. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Annual Conference, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
  • Lee, C., & Johnston, S. L. (2024, June 11-14). Coaching in curriculum to build competencies - professional and personal development at a course’s core [Pre-Conference Workshop]. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Annual Conference, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
  • Dolan, S., Johnston, S. L., Nowell, L., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, D., & Oddone-Paolucci, E. (2024, Jun 13-17).  Enhancing e-learning opportunities to expand professional students’ virtual caring competencies [Multipaper Session]. Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE). Montreal, Canada.
  • Lee, C., Coller, K., Johnston, S. L., Norman, J. (2024, May 28-June 3). Open access, open minds: Integrating OERs into course curriculum [workshop]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Annual Conference. Theme: A bridge to partnership. Montreal, Canada.
  • Coller, K., Weatherbee, T., Johnston, S. L., Sears, D., Deal, N., & Kanewischer, B. (2024, May 28-June 3). Shining light on AI: A symposium on the use of artificial intelligence in post-secondary education [Symposium]. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Annual Conference. Theme: A bridge to partnership. Montreal, Canada.
  • Coller, K., Deal, N., Johnston, S. L., Kanewischer, B., Sears, D., & Weatherbee, T. (2024, May 28-June 3). Practical use, implementation, and assessment of artificial intelligence [Workshop]. Management Education Division. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Annual Conference. Theme: A bridge to partnership. Montreal, Canada.
  • Johnston, S. L., Stephenson, D., & Kanewischer, B. (2023, May 30). Calling together the WILling – sharing scholarly starts, stories, and successes [Concurrent Presentation] 
  • Johnston, S. L., Bent, T., & Fech, T. (2024, May 27-28, accepted). ARIS, Business Students, and Capstone: The ABC's of Collaboration and Work-Integrated Learning [Presentation]. SAIT Teaching and Learning Showcase, Calgary, Canada.
  • Grant, G., & Johnston, S. L. (2024, 29 April-1 May). Beyond the Classroom. Theme: Advancing Teach, Learning, and Student Success. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Calgary, Canada.  
    Johnston, S. L., & Mahoney, E. (2024, 29 April-1 May). Successful Synergies: Magnifying impact through collaborative partnerships for place-based design and innovation. Theme: Growing Talent. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Calgary, Canada.
  • Jacobsen, M., Johnston, S. L., Butler, T., Paquette, A. (2024, April 24-26). Graduate students speak out on ideal supervision and where improvement is needed. Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, Calgary, Canada.
  • Johnston, S. L. (2024, Mar 25-26). Exploring case-based learning and case creation in a course pilot using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). GO-GN Workshop, Cork, Ireland.
  • Johnston, S. L. (2024, February). From curiosity to innovation: Exploring ResearchGPT in a research methodology course. Werklund Sessional Instructors Symposium. Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
  • Johnston, S. L. (2024, Feb 21-22).  Capstone Design with a Student-Centred Core. [Conference Poster]. University of Calgary 8th Annual Peer Beyond Graduate Research Conference, Telus Spark Science Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 
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.

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