Her research now focuses on creating inclusive educational environments where all learners can succeed. Our conversation with Karunaweera is part of the Scholars in Education series.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD?
I grew up in Sri Lanka as a child who never really matched the definition of a “good student.” I had an idea of what being one meant: do as they say, memorize, don’t get distracted, don’t be too loud, don’t ask too many questions. But no matter how hard I tried, I just didn’t measure up to expectations. I was terrible at memorizing, talked too much, joked too much and asked way too many questions. School was very difficult for me, and for a long time, I didn’t know where I belonged.
After finally graduating high school, I started volunteering at a centre for special needs and at-risk youth, not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. For the first time, I was surrounded by people who didn’t quite fit in. I was one of the lucky ones who had tutors, special attention and support. But in a system that privileges a specific kind of learner, everyone else falls through the cracks. This realization is what brought me to education.
I pursued my undergraduate degree in Malaysia, specializing in teaching English for speakers of other languages, with a research focus on teachers’ digital competence. During my master’s at the University of Ottawa, I explored cognitive load in university teachers who conducted online assessments during the pandemic. A recurring theme throughout my work has been teaching with technology and addressing accessibility within systems shaped by structural barriers.
Tell us about your project.
This common thread in my bachelor’s and master’s naturally led me to my PhD, and to where my passion really lives today, at the intersections of accessibility and teaching with AI.
My project focuses specifically on adult high schools, which are, at their core, spaces of intentional access to education. Adult high schools are institutions that provide credit-bearing courses that allow learners 18 and above to complete their secondary school credentials towards a high school diploma.
I say that these are spaces of intentional access because they are built for learners who, for whatever reason, couldn’t obtain their high school credentials during their formal schooling years.
What I’m specifically interested in is how teachers in these spaces are using AI in accessible ways. I’m exploring accessibility practices and strategies teachers consider and enact when using AI in their teaching, and how, from the teachers’ perspectives, these practices and strategies reduce and/or reproduce barriers to participation. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in education as well as our day-to-day lives, understanding how it’s being used in spaces like adult high schools, which are, by design, committed to access and equity, becomes an imperative of its own.
What made you want to do this research?
I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with a school board in Ottawa, working across both elementary schools and an adult high school. What struck me was how differently AI was showing up in both contexts.
The complexities teachers were navigating in the adult high school context were on a completely different level. The students were often balancing jobs, families and significant life responsibilities alongside their studies. Many of them also carried very complicated histories with schooling itself, with several students having challenges with motivation and negative past experiences with school. Matters of accessibility seemed especially pressing in this context.
Who do you hope will benefit from this research?
The teachers working in adult high schools are navigating AI with students who have complex relationships with school and learning, in a context that is very under-researched. Several of the resources, professional development and policy initiatives that reach these teachers may not have always been designed for their classroom realities.
I hope my work makes visible realities that are closer to their own. I hope it sparks conversations at the administrative and policy level about what meaningful support for these teachers actually looks like. Most of all, I hope it gives these teachers language and evidence to advocate for themselves and their students in research spaces where they have long been under-represented.
At a broader level, I hope my work will benefit policymakers. AI is being pushed into educational spaces quickly and often without the nuances these contexts require. I’d hope my work contributes to the development of guidelines that are sensitive to the unique conditions of these spaces as well as the meaningful practices of these teachers.
Why uOttawa?
The decision honestly came down to one person, Professor Michelle Schira Hagerman. I had the privilege of having Professor Hagerman in my thesis committee during my master’s and the opportunity to continue working with her through my PhD was reason enough to stay on at the University. She was one of the first people in my graduate school journey who truly believed in me and my work, and that kind of mentorship is something that was and continues to be essential for my learning.
I continue to learn enormously from her, and I think the research I’m doing today is a direct reflection of the environment she’s nurtured for all her students to grow in. Her research on digital literacies, and particularly her commitment to closing digital and empowerment divides for students who have been historically underserved by systems of education, aligned very naturally with the questions I’m asking in my own research. The shared focus on digital access and her clear and thoughtful mentorship made this the right home for my project.
