Dr. Harrison Campbell, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education in the Faculty of Education, began his academic journey at the University of Alberta, where he graduated with Distinction in his Bachelor of Education. He then returned to Calgary to teach English Language Arts and Drama across elementary, junior high, and high school levels. His passion for teaching and the arts led him to pursue a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Learning at the University of Calgary. His doctoral work, a post-humanist case study, explored how integrating drama into secondary English Language Arts classrooms can deepen student literacy by moving learning from the page to the stage. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D) and was named a Pre-Doctoral Killam Laureate by The Killam Trusts.
Since joining St. Mary's University in 2020, Dr. Campbell has brought his dynamic approach to literacy education to life on campus. His 2022 article Finding What is Real by Making Believe: Performing Student Literacy Experiences, published in The English Journal, was honored with the Arts Researchers & Teachers Society Outstanding Publication Award.
In 2024, Dr. Campbell expanded his educational impact internationally by attending the prestigious Barcelona Conference on Education, hosted by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR). Inspired by a conversation with a fellow arts-based researcher from the U.S., Dr. Campbell embraced the opportunity to present his research in a European context, connecting with global scholars and bringing back fresh perspectives to share with the StMU community.
Among the many enlightening sessions he attended, one focused on mastery-based assessment stood out. It offered insights into how student feedback can be meaningfully used to improve learning outcomes. "It was lovely to connect with colleagues also taking on that work and to examine examples of their rubrics," he shared. These insights have already informed his teaching practices in St. Mary's classrooms.
Dr. Campbell's encounter with Jamaican educators where drama is a required subject from kindergarten through grade twelve further deepened his commitment to arts-integrated learning. The rich cultural setting of Barcelona also left a lasting impression. "Barcelona can teach us the importance of respecting the places we find ourselves in, no matter where in the world they happen to be," he reflected.
Dr. Campbell inspires students with his global insights, passion for the arts, and innovative approaches to literacy education and continues to shape the future of teaching by helping learners find their voice both on the page and on the stage.
