Rate My Professor Megan Drysdale

Megan Drysdale served as a Teaching Fellow in statistics within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Otago from 2012 until accepting voluntary redundancy in late 2023. With deep roots at the institution—her parents worked there, and she lived in the now-demolished Union Court as a child—Drysdale built a diverse academic path. She earned her first degree in Psychology, pursued studies in midwifery, and returned to the University of Otago in 2005 to complete a mathematics degree. Subsequently, she enrolled in a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Statistics, during which she received an Honours and Masters Scholarship. Her transition to the department marked the beginning of her contributions to statistics education.

In her role, Drysdale tutored undergraduate students, notably in STAT110 Statistical Methods, authored assessment questions, and played a pivotal role in enhancing statistics teaching practices. She collaborated on innovative projects, including a 2020 University Teaching Development Grant-funded initiative led by Professor Katrina Sharples, alongside Dr. Lisa Avery and Dr. Phil Wilcox. This project developed a user-friendly interface and interactive applications enabling students to engage with visualizations of statistical concepts, fostering deeper conceptual understanding. Although evaluations were affected by COVID-19 and departmental changes, the tools have been effectively used in lectures. Drysdale also co-authored the conference paper "Measuring learning within a large design research project" (2015) with Sharleen Forbes and John Harraway, assessing student progress in conceptual statistics learning through bootstrapping and randomization via dynamic software. Additional contributions include statistical support in ecological modelling and involvement in health research such as the Delivering Optimal weight gain advice To pregnant women (DOT) study. Her dedicated service has impacted student learning in statistics at Otago. Following her departure, she plans to focus on writing a novel.