Katherine Turner

Katherine Turner combines her pedagogical training with ongoing practice in assessment and evaluation with over 35 years of theatre experience in her role as trainer and writer at the Interpersonal Skills Teaching Centre, Ryerson University.  Katherine is responsible for creating the characters for the simulations. This requires writing a detailed personal history for each character which allows the simulator (actor) to make clear choices and deliver authentic responses when interacting with workshop participants. Katherine’s role in training the simulators is to provide insight into the motivations of their characters and what they need to feel and experience to react positively or critically during the simulation. These insights also provide a focus to frame the simulator’s feedback given to the participants.

Katherine has developed simulations including: in collaboration with the Learning and Teaching Senate Sub-Committee on Inclusive Learning, Ryerson University an interactive presentation using live actor simulation called “Tuning in to the Inclusive Classroom”, Graphic Communication Management Orientation to Group Work, the Inter-Professional 8 character – Wolcott Creek Community Revitalization, the backstories for Clients in Ryerson’s Law Practice Program, characters for Social Justice Week, as well as all the characters for every OPS Learning and Development workshop and dedicated Ministry workshops that have been developed by the ISTC. Katherine most recently developed a half-day workshop with two simulated characters for the Provost Academic Leadership Program.

Katherine is a workshop Facilitator for Courageous Conversations in the Workplace as well as for various ISTC workshops developed for Ryerson students and faculty.