Dr. Shawn Wilkinson
Dr. Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University where he teaches Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure. His teaching philosophy centers around engaging undergraduate students in project-based learning preparing them for a career in therapeutic recreation and leisure services. Dr. Wilkinson believes the application of theoretical, and research related knowledge in-situ provides students with unique opportunities to foster critical thinking skills and develop a comprehensive understanding of clinical and community recreation settings.
His teaching practices also have a direct link to community development. Recently he created a project aimed at implementing leisure education in afterschool programs for elementary aged children in Montreal. He formed a partnership with the Before and After School Enriched Daycare Program (BASE) of the English Montreal School Board. This unique community-based partnership requires undergraduate students enrolled in a Leisure Education course to provide mentorship and leisure education services to children in the afterschool program. The project aims to increase leisure education and physical activity for children in afterschool programs across Montreal. The project utilizes an innovative teaching approach where undergraduate students receive training in program design and delivery and senior level undergraduate students receive training in program supervision and assessment.
His research dossier focuses primarily on the role that leisure, leisure education and physical activity play in the lives of persons with mental health problems. For the past fifteen years he has conducted research aimed at improving the lives of persons with mental health problems (i.e., ADHD, Schizophrenia, Depression, Traumatic Brain Injury) living in the community. His graduate work investigated the perceptions of physical education students teaching children with ADHD in a community-based service-learning project. During that time, he was also part of CHAMPS research that explored the physical activity experiences of children with ADHD and their families. His doctoral work centered around enhancing the community leisure experiences and leisure education of persons with schizophrenia. The mixed methods research he conducted during his graduate studies positioned him to better understand community recovery and the role that leisure and physical activity interventions play in enhancing the health and well-being of community residents.
His current research collaborations center on enhancing the sport and exercise participation of persons with traumatic brain injury living in the community. He recently served as Co-Investigator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grant funded research project investigating the co-creation, implementation, and evaluation of a community-based peer-run physical activity program aimed at enhancing the lives of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. He gained first-hand knowledge of how people with moderate-to-severe TBI experience disability and engage with physical activity and exercise in the community. He looks to expand upon this line of research to better understand the leisure education and physical activity needs of persons with TBI transitioning into the community post inpatient rehab.
