Fanshawe College recently implemented an institution-wide curriculum initiative called “Job Skills for the Future.” The job skills were developed through consultation with local employers and draw from the contemporary discussion of ‘future-ready skills.’ The job skills were integrated into every program at the College with the goal of better preparing graduates to reflect on and articulate their workplace readiness. To implement this initiative, the College’s Centre for Academic Excellence (CAE) enacted a three-phase rollout. In phase one, CAE facilitated curriculum workshops with every program team to discuss how faculty can meaningfully teach and evaluate the job skills. In phase two, Curriculum Consultants at CAE created centralized teaching and learning materials for each of the job skills to support faculty as they integrate the initiative into their curriculum. This presentation focuses on phase three, in which CAE worked with faculty champions to conduct a study assessing whether the centralized curricula designed to teach specifically about the job skills are effective in enhancing students’ abilities to reflect upon and accurately articulate the skills. The presenter will situate the research question in relation to recent teaching and learning scholarship, and will discuss the project’s methodology and analysis. The primary finding of the research project, triangulated by students’ self-proclaimed confidence levels; the researcher’s analysis of the quality of student responses; and faculty’s impressions of the students’ learning, is that delivering the curriculum materials developed in phase two of the initiative improved students’ knowledge of a given job skill, and their ability to articulate it.

During this panel discussion, the presenters will discuss their co-authored paper, “Strengthening Digital Teaching and Learning Pedagogies for Trades, Vocational, Educational, and Training Practitioners” as well as the implications of these findings for the future of trades education in Canada. Trades instructors work in a spectrum of low-technology to high-technology and low-pedagogy to high-pedagogy. The findings of this study provide a roadmap for a deeper conversation regarding TVET. Digitalization during the pandemic lowered silos and offered opportunities for institutes and industries to collaborate and innovate. The bones of apprenticeship are structurally sound, yet research finds that TVET is in need of renovation. Digital pedagogy offers the tools for such a re-envisioning, assisting in developing a more robust, creative, innovative, and, ultimately, more pedagogically effective system.

This panel will present examples of innovative simulation-based education models currently in use in the college system. We will touch on the design approach and integration into educational programs as well as how faculty and students are supported while using these learning and training modalities. The panel will also provide insights into the value of simulation-based education as an effective method to enhance student competencies. Finally, the panel will reflect on how simulation-based education is becoming a must-have tool to address today’s labour market challenges such as labour shortages and skill gaps.

Through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Global Skills Opportunity participants have gained applicable skills and knowledge, and have developed new collaborations. Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture will provide three examples where COIL opportunities have amplified learning experiences at both partnering institutions: Rhodes University, South Africa- African Wildlife Ecology Course; PWANI and RIAT Universities, Kenya- Certificate in International Aquatic Rearing Practices; NSDC and Sir Arthur Lewis College, Saint Lucia- Skills to Access the Green Economy CBET technical skills. Competency-based education training (CBET) was initially delivered through COIL and proficiencies amplified through in-person training. Innovative pedagogical approaches have allowed direct sharing of knowledge which in turn transpired to immediate applications within the classrooms.  Templates of training offered will be provided utilizing aquaculture and agri-processing as key examples.  

How can we advance teaching and learning if we are not evaluating the efficacy of what we teach and how we teach it? To evaluate the efficacy, what must we measure and what are we benchmarking against? A comprehensive academic effectiveness framework allows institutions to plan, collect, analyze, and evaluate academic data to identify and implement corrective action. Together, these steps assist in the maintenance and enhancement of academic effectiveness. In conjunction with an academic effectiveness framework, a strong research strategy will ensure new knowledge and skills are transferred from faculty to learners. Both the scholarship of teaching and learning and applied research enhance academic excellence through knowledge generation and dissemination. These vital operational efforts provide learners with opportunity to access industry insights before entering their chosen fields and assist in yielding positive outcomes that are critical to institutional direction, positioning, and sustainability. Each facilitate and support decision-making that is informed and relevant, ensuring continuous improvement remains at the forefront. This campfire offers insights into Canadore College’s launch of an Academic Effectiveness and Quality Management Framework, as well as its Research Centre Strategy, and how each of these initiatives work together to advance Teaching and Learning and Student Success.

Expectations regarding the ethical evaluation of research conducted by students within a course framework are clearly set out in the policy statement issued by the three federal research agencies, namely the Ethics of Research Involving Humans 2 (2022). These benchmarks, although explicit, pose various application-related challenges. During this discussion session, the main aspects of ethical evaluation will be addressed, including the evaluation criteria; participants’ consent; commitments to confidentiality and privacy; and research risks. In their response to the questions raised and to lead the discussion, the guest speakers will set out the main issues and will propose suggestions to support faculty members, professional staff, and managers in the development of “introduction to research” pedagogical activities, which take place in various academic programs and must comply with ethical principles governing research with humans. In addition, the presenters will lead a discussion on potential scenarios involving the ethical evaluation of research with humans conducted within the framework of a college course.

This presentation will examine Vanier College’s partnerships with the Kumuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. For the first time since March 2020, students, teachers and staff are working with our partners on the ground in Africa – in fact during this presentation Vanier students are completing their internship requirements in Nursing, Environmental and Wildlife Management, and Animal Health Technology. With the support of CiCan and Global Skills Opportunities, we have transformed our international internships and mobility programs from the more traditional where often only a few could participate, to one where both local on-campus and physical mobility are appreciated and experiential learning techniques are used to grow everyone’s knowledge of the world and its many issues whether they be environmental, economic, health or cultural. Pre-departure training has taken on a new life where reality scenarios can be seen and heard from those living them, not just actors pretending to conquer challenges. Our digital intelligence has flourished and is helping us get to the next level of social and cultural intelligence through our Linkr share page. Live streamed or pre-recorded brief messages from Africa will be available during the presentation. While somewhat similar at first, each project has grown: with Namibia focusing on environmental and sustainability related pre-departure training, and Malawi focusing on health and culture, using Intercultural Competency Training among other methods. Whether student, teacher or staff member, all players at Vanier now feel they work and support our partners in Africa.

In fall 2019, Montreal’s 12 public colleges decided to jointly develop a project aimed at providing colleges with rapid access to a predictive analysis tool based on artificial intelligence (AI) to better support students in their academic success. This led to the creation of the project “AI at the service of academic success”. Once the concept was developed, the private enterprise who provides the Montreal colleges with integrated management software (IMS) became an integral part of the planning committees. This collaborative endeavour—the first of its kind—not only provided an opportunity to jointly develop the tool but also to resolve any hurdles along the way, in addition to raising stakeholder awareness of the importance of ethics in AI projects. While the pandemic did have an impact on the data with respect to students’ academic success, particularly with regards to course grades, the project resulted in the creation of a pilot screening tool designed to identify students at risk of failing. This tool is used by academic success specialists at four Montreal-area colleges. This session will focus on the various project governance principles, including the multi-disciplinary nature of the committees and compliance with EU guidelines on the responsible use of IA. Presenters will share how the project stakeholders worked together to ensure the success of the implementation process. Participants will be provided with a practical overview of the tool that was developed and how it is currently being used.

Closed Session for CICan and WFCP Member Institution Boards ONLY

“How can college and institute boards reach the highest standards in ESG/SDG Governance?”

This session offers an opportunity for Governors (members of cégep, college and institute boards) from across the country to network and discuss issues of common interest. The session will be focused on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) /Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) governance for college and institutes boards. There will be an opportunity to share best practices, challenges and learnings from across the country.  

The Indigenous Education Affinity Group advises on the issues related to Indigenous education in PTET around the world and provides input on position and research papers related to Indigenous education and skills development. This Affinity Group also identifies recommendations to the WFCP membership on how to advance Indigenous education in PTET, provides guidance for the development of Indigenous education events and meetings, and promotes the role of PTET in Indigenous education.