Saturday, June 15
IN PERSON at Campus de Longueuil of Université de Sherbrooke
Current Eastern Daylight Time (click for more info)
8:30 - 9:30 | Unconferencing Breakfast (Continental Breakfast Provided)
La Source
Internet Radio Feeds Available: Audio Stream 1 Audio Stream 2 Audio Stream 3 Audio Stream 4
9:30 - 9:45 | Conference Welcome, Announcements, & Land Acknowledgement
La Source
9:45 - 10:00 | Break
10:00-11:00 | Concurrent Session 10
Session 10.1
Session 10.2 | Addressing Inequity
Room 3665 (Session B)
10:00 - 11:00 | Designing and Implementing a Framework to Centralize an Accessibility Resource Index Focusing on Teaching & Learning
Practice
Shehroze Saharan, Christopher Laursen & Sara Fulmer | University of Guelph
The Accessibility Resource Index project addresses the challenge of decentralized accessibility resources within educational institutions. This open-access initiative aims to centralize accessibility resources and streamline access for educators to vital information on accessibility and accommodations. This project consists of two main components: (1) the Framework and the (2) Exemplary Model. Hosted on an Open Educational Resources (OER) Library, the Framework provides a clear guide for indexing accessibility resources, adaptable for any educational and professional needs. The Exemplary Model, developed using e-learning design software, serves as a practical example of the Accessibility Resource Index focusing on an Ontario post-secondary institution as a use-case. This not only demonstrates the index’s application but also inspires other institutions to implement similar accessibility measures. By consolidating these resources into an OER, the project champions the democratization of knowledge and promotes more inclusive teaching practices. It represents a significant step towards reducing educational inequities and enhancing the accessibility of knowledge for faculty, instructors, and educational developers while simultaneously offering a scalable solution for broader educational challenges.
11:00 - 11:30 | Break
11:30-12:30 | Concurrent Session 11
Session 11.1 | Wildcard & Transitions of Online Learning and Teaching
Room 3675 (Session A)
11:30 - 12:00 | Triads to Complete Capstone: e-Portfolios
Practice
Christine Ho Younghusband | University of Northern British Columbia
For one graduate program at a small research university in British Columbia, completing a digital portfolio is one option for capstone to demonstrate learning and conclude the program. The portfolio option includes developing a WordPress site, articulating one’s learning through the lens of a guided question, and a presentation of the portfolio to a committee. The student and committee members are led by a faculty supervisor. Completion of this capstone can be an isolating experience. In one term, two graduate students were left without a supervisor and needed to complete the program that term. One faculty member supervised three graduate students at one time. Over time, the three graduate students formed a triad, or small learning community, where they supported, peer-assessed, and collaborated in an ongoing way to complete their portfolios. The outcomes were personalized and unique to the learner. This presentation is a program evaluation that investigates the value and impact of triads during capstone and portfolio to invite back humanity into the capstone and portfolio experience.
12:00 - 12:30 | Impact of Higher Institution-organised Training and MOOCs on Academic Staffs’ Innovative Skills Acquisition
Research
Adebowale Oluwasegun Adebagbo, Ibraheem A. Abdul & Kazeem Adetunji Sodiq | Yaba College Of Technology, Lagos
Teaching and learning innovations focus on improving knowledge content, pedagogy, instructional resources, learning environment and learning outcomes. Using technologies to provide sustainable impacts is good but adopting innovative digital pedagogical resources to facilitate instructional activities for shared future is challenging because of digital skills required. Lacking this knowledge could cause inappropriate integration for pedagogical practices, and problems to learners. In this research, among the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that the academic staffs used to acquire the digital skills for online learning were the Commonwealth of Learning MOOCs (Technology Enabled Learning MOOC and Open Education Resources MOOC). Considering trainings and the standards, this study investigated innovative/pedagogical digital skills acquired by the academics who participated in the higher institution-organised trainings, compared to those who participated in Massive Open Online Courses in Nigeria. Purposive sampling method was used for the descriptive survey. A validated questionnaire ASOLICQ (0.86 reliability coefficient) was used for data collection. Data were analysed using Frequency count, Percentage, Correlation and Chi-square. Findings revealed a significant difference between levels of skills acquired by the academic staffs trained with the two methods. From the findings, recommendations emphasised provision of quality assurance, engaging hands-on practices, participatory learning reflection sessions and friendly monitoring.
Session 11.2 | Addressing Inequities
Room 3665 (Session B)
12:00 - 12:30 | Survivors of Complex Trauma as Adult Online Learners
Research
Hilary Schmidt | Thompson Rivers University
Complex trauma is both a product and a source of significant multidimensional inequality, including profound disruption to survivors’ educational trajectories. Nonetheless, little research has been conducted on trauma-informed educational practices for adult/postsecondary or open/online learners, and educational researchers have largely ignored the perspectives of survivors, contradicting the key principle of collaboration within a trauma-informed approach.
This qualitative instrumental collective case study explored how adults with a history of complex trauma experience postsecondary open/online learning. Findings included participants’ struggles with executive functioning, challenges regulating emotion and dealing with a heightened perception of threat, re-experiencing trauma, negative beliefs about the self, and difficulties navigating relationships. These trauma impacts affected not only participants’ learning and course experience, but also their experience of applying, registering, and accessing financial aid. Nonetheless, participants are demonstrably skilled in managing impacts of their trauma and are driven to learn, placing the highest intrinsic value on education. Top priorities for implementation of trauma-informed educational practices identified by participants included establishing safety; trust and transparency; and empowerment, voice, and choice. Implications are discussed, including enhancing equity and inclusion for survivors of complex trauma and assisting open/online postsecondary institutions in meeting their unique needs through implementation of trauma-informed educational practices.
12:30 - 1:30 | Lunch Break
There are multiple options in the Main Floor food court and an outside patio on the third floor where we can gather for lunch.
1:30 - 2:30 | Concurrent Session 12
Session 12.1 | Addressing Inequities | En Français
Room 3675 (Session A)
Practice
Franchir les obstacles : Améliorer l’accessibilité grâce aux ressources éducatives libres dans l’apprentissage intégré au travail
Andrea Krasznai | eCampus Ontario
Le projet d’apprentissage expérientiel d’eCampusOntario, le Consortium d’apprentissage expérientiel francophone de l’Ontario (CAPFO), rassemble les institutions postsecondaires francophones et bilingues de l’Ontario pour combler une lacune : le manque d’opportunités d’apprentissage expérientiel dans les environnements francophones et bilingues. En utilisant la plateforme Riipen, nous offrons aux membres du CAPFO la possibilité d’augmenter le nombre d’opportunités disponibles pour leurs apprenants au-delà des frontières géographiques de la province.
Dans le cadre de ce projet, une nouvelle lacune a été mise en lumière : le manque de ressources en français pour les professeur.e.s souhaitant s’impliquer dans l’apprentissage intégré au travail. eCampusOntario a créé des ressources éducatives libres (REL) pour soutenir les professeur.e.s dans le développement de leurs connaissances en matière d’apprentissage intégré au travail. De plus, une enquête de recherche a été menée dans le secteur francophone de l’Ontario pour dévoiler les tendances et les défis, désormais disponibles sous forme de rapport REL dans la bibliothèque ouverte d’eCampusOntario, la plus grande bibliothèque ouverte au Canada.
Au cours de notre session, nous fournirons des informations sur ce qu’est le CAPFO et mettrons en lumière les exigences particulières de la communauté minoritaire franco-ontarienne engagée dans l’apprentissage intégré au travail (AIT). Nous aborderons ensuite les ressources éducatives libres (REL), comment elles peuvent améliorer l’expérience des professeur.e.s dans l’AIT et dévoilerons quelques conclusions clés de notre rapport. Finalement, nous fournirons à notre public un guide REL afin qu’ils puissent initier l’expérimentation et la création de leurs propres REL.
Session 12.2 | Sustaining Positive Change
Room 3665 (Session B)
What I Wish Someone had Told Me: Insights on building sustainable impact with open education
Terry Greene | Trent University
Apurva Ashok | The Rebus Foundation
Carley McDougall & Amanda Grey | Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Hugh McGuire | Pressbooks
Veteran leaders of groundbreaking open education projects and programs reflect on key lessons they have learned (and continue to learn) about community-building, establishing sustainable support systems, and demonstrating impact with open education. This session brings together visionary minds representing different contexts of open education, ranging from system-level initiatives and multi-institution collaborations to institution-level capacity-building and program-level learning design transformation that empowers students using open pedagogy. This session will facilitate organic dialogue between panelists and members of the audience using a modified, participatory “fishbowl” format. Tapping into the rich experience represented at OTESSA convenings, a portion of the panel session will use the “open fishbowl” format that invites audience members to tag into the discussion to ask questions, share comments or insights.This participatory session will surface the creativity and collective wisdom that come from sharing what we glean in failures and successes on the open education journey.