Placida Dassanayake

Placida Dassanayake

Pronouns: she/her

Positions

Assistant Professor (Teaching)

Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Co-Director Master of Data Science and Analytics Program

Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Contact information

Email

placida.dassanayake@ucalgary.ca

Background

Credentials

Academic Staff Certificate in University Teaching and Learning , Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary,

TEACH Program – Teaching Effectiveness and Career Enhancement , Texas Tech University Graduate School,

Educational Background

PhD Mathematics , Texas Tech University, USA , 2014

MSc Statistics, Texas Tech University, USA, 2012

BSc Mathematics and Statistics , University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka , 2008

Research

Areas of Research

Data Science and Analytics, Educational Research: Teaching and Learning, SoTL

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
DATA 602 Statistical Data Analysis Winter 2024, Fall 2024
DATA 607 Statistical and Machine Learning Winter 2024, Summer 2024, Winter 2025
STAT 213 Introduction to Statistics I Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Winter 2025
DATA 443 Statistical Machine Learning Fall 2025

Projects

Mathematics in motion: Reassessing Mathematics Education Using Contextual Learning

Driven by the belief that education becomes meaningful when students see its relevance to real life, this project seeks to reduce the disconnect between abstract mathematical theory and its practical applications. With a strong focus on learner engagement, the project reimagines curriculum design in two university courses:

  • STAT 213 – Introduction to Statistics I (Faculty of Science)
  • SUSE 307 – Numerical Methods and Computing Tools for Sustainable Systems Engineering (Schulich School of Engineering)

We integrated contextual and application-based learning approaches that empower students to apply mathematical knowledge to real-world challenges, particularly in sustainability, data science, and engineering.

 

Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Grant Recipient – Innovation and Development (2024 - 2026) 

Publications

  • Developing a Contextual and Application-Based Instructional Approach for Mathematics Education in Engineering Programs. Jayasinghe, P. A., Dassanayake, P., Oliveira, A., Kroll, A., Jayathunga, I.. American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 132nd Annual Conference. (2025)