Feature Image Jessica

Life at SAIT

Since joining SAIT in 2012, Jessica has held various roles at the Reg Erhardt Library, including Instructional Coordinator, eLearning Librarian, and Open Educational Resources (OER) Librarian.

Jessica also instructs bibliographic description, cataloguing, and library technology classes within the SAIT Library Information Technology program.

Education

Jessica has a Bachelor's in Biology from Purdue University and a Master's in Library Science from Indiana University. She has continued to expand her expertise with an Open Licensing Certificate from Creative Commons and a Methods and Statistics in Social Sciences Certificate from Amsterdam University.

Professional accomplishments

Jessica's teaching and program work has been recognized throughout her career, including being a:

  • nominee for the SAIT Student Association (Saitsa) Instructor Excellence Award (2023)
  • recipient of the Saitsa Marcel Carpenter Award (2021) for outstanding dedication to Saitsa and the SAIT community
  • recipient of a SAIT CISCO Chair Award (2016), where she used the funding to explore the impact of an embedded librarian on student performance, retention, and research confidence
  • recipient of the Award for Excellent Integration of Technology (2010) from Ivy Tech Community College’s Instructional Technology Centre.

Jessica is also very active in the national and provincial open education resources community and has served as Chair of the Open Education Alberta Consortium.

Research interests

  • Open Educational Resources (OER)
  • Institutional OER policy development
  • The academic library’s role in open educational practices
  • Emerging models of OER program implementation

Publications and presentations

  • Norman, J. (2023, October). Handle with Care: How OER Policy Development can Influence Institutional Practices. [Presentation] Open Education Global Conference 2024, Edmonton, Alberta.
  • Coller, K. E., Johnston, S., Kanewischer, B., Norman. J. (2023, September). Use, Implementation, and Design of Open Educational Resources in Post-Secondary Institutions. [Presentation] Atlantic School of Business Annual Conference (Open track), Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • Brailey, M., Gunn, L., Hurrell, C., Lawson, R., Norman, J. (2022, March). The OEA Story: Leading the Way in Open Textbook Publishing, [Panel Discussion] Open Education Symposium 2022, online.
  • Brailey, M., Hurrell, C., Jensen, K., Norman, J. (2021, October). “Open Education Alberta” [Presentation] Access 2021 Conference, online.
  • Norman, J. (2021, March). 5 Lessons from OER Policy. [Presentation] Open Education Symposium 2021, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
  • Norman, J. (2019, May). Creating a Sustainable OER Program. [Presentation] Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Annual Meeting, Olds, Alberta.
  • Norman, J. (2019, April). Scaling up OER: Creating a Sustainable Program at a Polytechnic Institute. [Presentation] Cascadia Open Education Summit, Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Desmond, D., and Norman, J. (2018, May). OER Myth Busting. [Presentation] SAIT Faculty Showcase, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Horgan, C. & Norman, J. (2018, May). Handle with Care: How OER Policy Development can Influence Institutional Practices. [Presentation] BCcampus Festival of Learning Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia.
  • Norman J. (2018, March). Alberta OER Institutional 'Round Up' Webinar. [Panel Discussion] OEWeek 24-Hour Web-a-thon sponsored by Creative Commons OE, Ontario.
  • Norman, J. (2016, May). All Things Google. [Presentation] Alberta Association of Library Technicians Conference, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Norman, J. (2016, March). Developing an Embedded Librarian Program at a Polytechnic Institute. [Presentation] Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Annual Meeting, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Norman, J. (2015, May). Embedded Librarians: Using D2L to Support Students’ Research Activities. [Presentation] SAIT Faculty Showcase, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Mullins, J., Alexander, K., Miller, L., & Placke, J. (2012, May). Save Your Place: Holding Space for Librarians in First Year Experiences. [Panel Discussion] Academic Libraries of Indiana Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Placke, J., & Pho, A. (2012, February). Make Your Course ‘POP!’: The Use of Embedded Technologies for Improved Student Learning. [Presentation] Indiana Adjunct Faculty Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Rubenstein, A., Placke, J. and McFarland, E. (2011, October). Creating Information Literate Students: Understanding the Science in Lay Literature. [Presentation] League for Innovation in the Community College STEMtech Conference.
  • Placke, J. (2008, May). Improving Student Success through Information Literacy: Faculty/ Librarian Partnerships. [Presentation] Ivy Tech Teaching Excellence Symposium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

  • Coller, K.E., Johnston, S., Norman, J., Kanewischer, B. (2023, September). Use, Implementation and Design of Open Educational Resources in Post-Secondary Institutions. [Invited Talk] Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • Vinden, S. Flinn, C., Carson, T., & Norman, J. (2019, May). OER in the Trades. [Invited Talk] National Council of Deans of Apprenticeship, Trades and Technology Meeting, Nanaimo, British Columbia.
  • Brailey, M., Meinke, B., and Norman, J. (2019, January). OER Policy Redux. [Panel Discussion] Monthly Office Hour Series by Rebus Foundation, Quebec.
  • Van de Vord, R., Meinke, B., and Norman, J. (2018, July). Developing OER Policy: A Webinar. [Panel Discussion] Monthly Office Hour Series by Rebus Foundation, Quebec.

  • Norman, J. (2017, May). Impact of an Embedded Librarian on Students’ Academic Performance at a Polytechnic Institute. [Poster] WILU (Workshop for Instruction in Library Use) Conference, Edmonton, Alberta.
  • Mannan, S. & Placke, J. (2006). Reinventing Library Instruction: The Ivy Tech Story. Indiana Libraries, 25(4), 37-45.
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, Region 3.

Visit Natoysopoyiis Resource Centre