911³Ô¹Ï

Biography

I stand in two worlds: my Métis roots come from the Okanagan McDougall family originally from the Red River Métis community who moved west in the mid-1800s, and my Irish/English roots come from the Falloon family who settled on a farm in western Manitoba in the 1870s. 

As an instructional design specialist in the Centre for Educational Excellence, negotiating the diverse perspectives from my ancestry plays a role in helping to bridge understanding across the two worlds of online and in-person learning. My day-to-day work involves supporting instructors and departments from the various faculties and campuses of 911³Ô¹Ï to help improve learning and teaching experiences through a range of activities aimed at capacity building, whether alongside individual instructors or collectively with academic units. This includes facilitating workshops and cohort programs, collaborating on course development, partnering on teaching/learning inquiry projects, and participating in working groups focused on institution-wide priorities, among other activities. 

My academic journey has traversed paths of learning, teaching, design, and research in the area where culture, education, and technology intersect. Prior to joining 911³Ô¹Ï in early 2021, I spent eight years as teaching faculty in an English for Academic Purposes program at Red River College. Alongside teaching, I served in an instructional design capacity, revising courses into a blended format, and also managed an online learning project developing and testing customizable digital literacy training as an open access offering. 

I hold an MA in Learning & Technology from Royal Roads University (2018) in Victoria, where my research focused on multiple cultures and digital learning technologies in postsecondary education, and a BA in Intercultural Studies with a TESOL Certificate (2002). In 2025 I began my doctoral studies in the Educational Technology and Learning Design PhD program in 911³Ô¹Ï Faculty of Education. Areas of interest in my research and practice are related to culturally inclusive learning environments, decolonizing and Indigenizing postsecondary online learning, and the pursuit of greater educational equity.

Conference Presentations

Holland, T. & Lorraine, B. (2026, April). Impact of a peer assessment exercise on student learning in a large enrolment online course. SoTL project presented at the University of Calgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning’s Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, Calgary, AB.

Lorraine, B. (2026, March). Decolonizing educational technology and learning design. Systematic literature review presented at SAGE 23rd annual Indigenous Graduate Student Symposium, Vancouver, BC.

Lorraine, B. (2025, June). Reframing technical & pedagogical togetherness: Peer assessment & the spirit of DIY. Practice-oriented session presented at the meeting of Open/Technology in Education, Society, & Scholarship Association, Toronto, ON.

Lorraine, B. (2024, June). Sustaining community: Insights from collaborative approaches in blended course design. Practice-oriented session presented at the meeting of Open/Technology in Education, Society, & Scholarship Association, Montreal, QC.

Lorraine, B. (2024, June). Cultural dimensions of ethics in design: Indigenous knowledge & online course media. Ethics in design showcase session presented at the meeting of Open/Technology in Education, Society, & Scholarship Association, Montreal, QC.

Lorraine, B. (2024, May). Education Technology User Group, Spring Workshop 2024, Vancouver, BC.

Lorraine, B. (2023, May). Intentionality, community, & well-being: Re-imagining blended course design. Practice-oriented session presented at the meeting of Open/Technology in Education, Society, & Scholarship Association, Toronto, ON.

Lorraine, B. (2021, May). What is the 'right' blend, anyway? Practice-oriented session presented at the meeting of 911³Ô¹Ï Symposium on Teaching & Learning, Burnaby, BC.

Bowman, P. & Lorraine, B. (2017, June). Implementing post-secondary immersion. Practice-oriented session presented at the meeting of TESL Canada, Niagara Falls, ON.

Freelance Writings

What’s in a Name? On Métis Identity (2019, Red Rising Magazine)

Activities

Outside of my passion for education, I am a singer-songwriter and occasional freelance journalist, participate in a variety of sports and recreation, and spend time outdoors as much as possible.