Ryan’s research program explores how health professionals engage in self-regulated learning, with a particular focus on the cognitive, behavioural, and social factors influencing their learning. He uses theories from educational psychology to understand how to conceptualize and measure how learners’ goals, strategies, and beliefs influence their learning processes and outcomes.
The ultimate goal of his research is to translate this understanding to design training environments that prepare clinicians to be effective in their future lifelong learning. He typically situates his studies in the contexts of healthcare simulation and other technology-enabled education, and has also expanded to study how learning in these settings transfers to workplace-based learning.
His additional research interests include: skill retention and transfer, translational simulation, validation and assessment, quality improvement, data-driven health professions education, and experimental research designs.

The Wilson Centre generates high quality and innovative interdisciplinary education science to propel transformations in health professions education.
Jaimie Coleman
PhD Graduate Student
Thesis: Self-regulated learning to assist students to manage complexity using virtual simulation games
Supervisors: Ryan Brydges