Dr. Shannon Welbourn

Assistant Professor / Tech Ed Program Coordinator (EdD, OCT, MEd, BEd, BA Honours)

Office: BBC 244
905 688 5550 x3636
[email protected]

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Dr. Shannon Welbourn, EdD, is an Assistant Professor and Technological Education Program Coordinator in the Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Studies, at Brock University. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Technology and Leadership, with research examining the alignment of policy and procedures with the unique structures and needs of Technological Education programs. 

Dr. Welbourn’s academic interests and research include makerspaces and creative learning environments, mentorship, equitable assessment, trauma-informed practice, adult learning, equity, workplace culture, and gender-based violence in trades and educational settings. She has a growing emphasis on supporting second-career adults transitioning from industry into teaching. Using experiential and instructional design-based approaches, her work explores how hands-on learning environments can support STEM integration and the engineering design process for secondary students and teacher candidates. 

Committed to teaching excellence and institutional service, Dr. Welbourn has served on Brock University’s Senate, Academic Review Board, and Student Appeals Board. She is also a Faculty Fellow in Accessibility, where her current work focuses on developing equity-centred, UDL-informed approaches to program communication and learning design for adult and non-traditional learners. As program coordinator, she works collaboratively to support program development, inclusive practices, and continuous growth in teacher education. 

Research Interests and Activities

  • Equity, workplace culture, and gender-based violence in trades – preparing future educators to foster inclusive, safe, and equitable learning ad work environments. 
  • Accessible and UDL-informed program design – developing equity-centred approaches to program communication, course materials, and learning experiences for adult and non-traditional learners. 
  • Experiential and creative learning environments – exploring hands-on, design-based approaches to support STEM integration and the engineering design process and applied learning in secondary and teacher education contexts. 
  • Mentorship and adult learning – supporting second-career adults transitioning from industry into teaching through professional growth, identity development, and pedagogical guidance.  
  • Trauma-informed and equitable assessment practices – designing assessment strategies that recognize diverse learner needs and promote inclusion in Teacher Education.

Professional Affiliations and Accreditation/Certification

  • Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) 
  • Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) 
  • Canadian Association for Action Research in Education (CAARE) 
  • Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE) 
  • JVET research community promoting Vocational Education and Training  
  • Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) #635834
  • Ontario Council for Technology Education (OCTE) 
  • Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (SSTEP) 
  • Technology and Teacher Education (TATE) 
  • Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA)

Recent Publications

Welbourn, S. (December 4, 2025). Preventing gender-based violence in trades is both a labour issue and an education one. The Conversation Canada. https://doi.org/10.64628/AAM.ftwhcgvns 

Khirwadkar, A., Welbourn, S., & Figg, C. (2025). Early childhood education student-teachers experiencing virtual math makerspaces: organizing playful learning environments. International Online Journal of Primary Education, 14(3), 88-98. https://doi.org/10.55020/iojpe.1672265  

Welbourn, S., Khirwadkar, A. & Figg, C. (2023). Virtual makerspace experiences for early childhood educators: Design-based research to support quality makerspace design. In E. Langran, P. Christensen & J. Sanson (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1608-1613). New Orleans, LA, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/222037/.  

Khirwadkar, A., Welbourn, S., Figg, C., & Pelchat, K. (2022). Virtual makerspaces: Effective learning environments for developing preservice teachers’ TPACK for teaching elementary mathematics. In Jacobsen, M. & Smith, C. (Eds.) Online Learning and Teaching from Kindergarten to Graduate School (pp. 491-525). Canadian Association for Teacher Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40509        

Welbourn, S., Di Cesare, D.M., Jaipal-Jamani, K. & Figg, C. (2021). Cheerleading our Colleagues: Supporting the Social-Emotional Wellbeing During Mentoring of Emerging Technology Learners in Higher Education Faculty. In E. Langran & D. Rutledge (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE Interactive Conference (pp. 473-477). Online, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). October 2021 

Figg, C., Khirwadkar, A. & Welbourn, S. (2020). Making ‘Math Making’ virtual. Brock Education Journal, 29(2), 30-36. doi: https://doi.org/10.26522/brocked.v29i2.836  

Khirwadkar, A., Figg, C., Welbourn, S. & Pelchat, K. (2020). TPACK for teaching elementary mathematics through math-making virtual makerspaces. In T. Bastiaens & G. Marks (Eds.), Proceedings of Innovate Learning Summit 2020 (pp. 482-488). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/218840/  

Figg, C., Jaipal-Jamani, K., DiCesare, D., & Welbourn, S. (2020). Teaching in the virtual reality of 2020: Building TPACK knowledge of higher education faculty. In T. Bastiaens & G. Marks (Eds.), Proceedings of Innovate Learning Summit 2020 (pp. 98-107). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/218788/ 

Figg, C., Jennifer, R., Welbourn, S., & Pelchat, K. (2018). Using informal learning of makerspaces to enhance Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). In E. Langran & J. Borup (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 2037-2040). Washington, D.C., United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). (ISBN 978-1-939797-32-2). 

Research and Project Funding

  • 2024 – R&D Grant to support math makerspace research ($1,000). 
  • 2023 – DSIF Grant to support development of specialized technological education resources ($4,480) 
  • 2021 – CEWIL Grant to support technological education candidates ($68,900) 

Courses Taught

  • EDBE 8G11 Teaching Green Industries Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G12 Teaching Communications Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G13 Teaching Construction Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G14 Teaching Technological Design I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G15 Teaching Hospitality and Tourism I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G16 Teaching Manufacturing Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G17 Teaching of Health Care I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G18 Teaching Hairstyling and Aesthetics I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G19 Teaching Transportation Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8G20 Teaching Computer Technology I (Gr. 9-10) 
  • EDBE 8P73 ICT for Teaching and Learning: Intermediate/Senior 
  • EDBE 8R21 Teaching Green Industries Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R22 Teaching Communications Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R23 Teaching Construction Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R24 Teaching Technological Design II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R25 Teaching Hospitality and Tourism II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R26 Teaching Manufacturing Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R27 Teaching of Health Care II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R28 Teaching Hairstyling and Aesthetics II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R29 Teaching Transportation Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R30 Teaching Computer Technology II (Gr. 11-12) 
  • EDBE 8R70 Practicum for Professionalism, Law and Principles of Teaching in Ontario: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8R73 ICT for Teaching and Learning: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8R74 Professional Collaborative Communities: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8R75 Practicum for Professional Collaborative Communities I: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8R76 Practicum for Professional Collaborative Communities II: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8Y08 Teaching Digital Learners in the Digital Age Primary/Junior/Intermediate 
  • EDBE 8Y92 Professional Collaborative Communities I: Technological Education 
  • EDBE 8Y94 Professional Collaborative Communities II: Technological Education