About Me
Who Am I?
An Educator, a Cognitive Psychologist, and a Community Leader.
My background in mathematics and physics gave me a higher level of appreciation of the different models used in cognitive psychology. Coupled with my strong knowledge of statistical analysis, experience in hybrid teaching environments, and excellent communication skills, I’ve set out on an endless journey of research and education.
I believe that with enough care and preparation, even the most difficult of subjects can be made simple for the students. Teaching is not about grades and assignments; it’s about developing students academically, professionally, and personally to help them achieve their full potential.
Educational Background
I have completed an Honours B.Sc. degree and a Master’s of Arts degree in Psychology from Carleton University, Furthermore, I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in psychology specializing in quantitative methodologies.
Research Interest
My research covers a wide variety of topics within cognitive psychology including but not limited to: time perception in humans, the influence of working memory on learning strategies, learning and decision making, and the effects of Anchoring on estimates.
Highlighted Peer-reviewed Publication:
Walker, J. A., Aswad, M., & Lacroix, G. (2022). The impact of cognitive load on prospective and retrospective time estimates at long durations: An investigation using a visual and memory search paradigm. Memory & Cognition, 50(4), 837-851.
Teaching Philosophy
As a student-focused educator, I believe that teaching is not solely dependent on the materials used. Instead, it is a holistic process that begins by assessing the students’ level of knowledge, skill sets, and learning styles and preferences. This assessment is closely followed by laying out the desired learning outcomes and the corresponding assessment method for each of those outcomes. Only then are the course materials chosen. This course design and instruction method is known as the “backwards design model.” This approach has allowed me to adapt my teaching style to a wide range of audiences and to accommodate students online, in-person, and in a hybrid class setting.
Community Engagement
My journey to Canada was not something that I expected while growing up in Iraq, but it was one that I am ultimately grateful for experiencing. Living through a war, moving between 5 different countries, and going through several immigration processes allowed me to deeply reflect on some of the systematic injustices that the people from marginalized communities have to live through every day.
However, what came out of these experiences was a desire to make a change in the world and a powerful internal drive to take action. While the beginning of my story was painful, it set me out on an eternal quest of making sure that no one else had to go through that same tired cycle.