Professor Jessica Pool is the Director of the Centre for Health Professions Education (CHPE) in the Faculty of Health Sciences and an Associate Professor. She leads initiatives in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), fostering teaching-focused communities of practice, research-led teaching development, and knowledge sharing in university education.
With a PhD in blended learning, her research spans the design, implementation, and evaluation of blended learning in self-directed environments. More recently, she has focused on academic development, particularly the role of SoTL in shaping academics’ professional identities as university teachers. She is the principal investigator in a registered SoTL project exploring this topic.
Jessica has an extensive publication record, including book chapters, journal articles, reports, and reviews. She is the chief editor of A Scholarly Approach to Student Success in Higher Education, with its second edition published in June 2022. Actively engaged in academic discourse, she reviews conference abstracts and proceedings and serves as a keynote speaker.
As an Associate Professor, she mentors junior academics, supervises postgraduate research, and reviews doctoral studies. She also serves on the HPEd Scientific Committee, critically evaluating scientific research proposals for ethical clearance and guiding SoTL project planning.
Beyond research and teaching, Jessica is committed to supporting clinician educators and students in developing lifelong learning skills to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape.
Potchefstroom Campus, Building G16, Room 268
