Jan Sobocan
Jan Sobocan is a proud University of Windsor Alumnus (MA Philosophy). For the past several years at The University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Education, Jan has instructed teacher candidates in Educational Foundations and lectured on Educational equity. She also taught teacher qualification courses for UWO’s Continuing Teacher Education program (History, Law, Politics, Economics, Philosophy, Individual and Society). Jan received the highest rating from the UWO Faculty of Education review committee for three years (2004-2007), The University Student Council’s Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence [for exceptional ratings from all students in 12 categories (2009-2010)], and the Student Council’s Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award for distinction in teaching (2009-2010).
Much of Jan’s PhD research, publications and conference activities have focused on the nature of critical thinking, its role in citizenship education, and the assessment and evaluation of higher order thinking. As part of curriculum, teacher education and language and literacy research groups, much of her conference work has centered on The Ontario Secondary Literacy Test, Technology and Education, Teacher Education, and International/Civic Education. In developing new styles of assessment and evaluation, and as part of an instructional Social Foundations Team and Exam committees, Jan has played a key role in planning teams responsible for assessing and evaluating instructional design and enhancing learning environments through re-development of curriculum and course resources. Jan has developed a standard on-line curriculum and criteria for assessment and evaluation for 150 professional development qualifications courses. She has been a course writer/reviewer for the Ontario College of Teachers and has reviewed critical thinking curricula, research grants, testing projects and textbooks world-wide.
Jan is currently interested in researching and writing about Teacher Education and Mastery teaching in relation to blended on-site and on-line learning. Her current research project and workshops draw on principles from Critical Thinking Education and Assessment: Can Higher Order Thinking Be Tested (Sobocan & Groarke (Eds…) and highlights ways in which truly interactive technology and multiple rating test items can be used to inspire independent critical thinking as well as to enhance/supplement pedagogy.