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Unlocking the past: equitable access to historical documents using generative AI tools
No full textThis project explores methods of improving access to historical documents for English Language Learners by supporting educators in differentiating with generative AI tools. The goal of the project was to improve student understanding of historical thinking through increasing access to historical documents by educators for English Language Learners. This is achieved by reviewing existing generative AI tools to assist classroom teachers in their differentiation of primary sources, as well as recommendations for possible growth opportunities in the field. A website has been created, found at (https://sites.google.com/view/unlocking-the-past-viu?usp=sharing) hosting comprehensive assessments of three generative AI tools in their ability to understand inputs and create differentiated versions of historical documents. A selection of differentiated resources is included in this study for educators as a reference to the potential of this technique. All resources are taken from the British Columbia Social Studies 10 curriculum and are available for educators as a reference alongside guidance on best practices when differentiating historical documents with AI for ELL students. Through a combination of literature analysis, testing and assessment of tools, and creation of sample products, this project provides Social Studies educators with the insights and best practices when using generative AI tools for historical document differentiation
Impacting Cohesion on New Virtual Teams
No full text2025The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact that a team coach practitioner has on feelings of cohesion on a newly formed virtual team. The study is focused on the experience of seven participants, all members of a senior leadership team in a regional financial services company, who participated in a three-month long team coaching intervention. Each participant took part in a semi-structured in-depth interview that emphasized uncovering the specific nuance of their experience. Employing a transcendental phenomenological approach, the interview transcripts were analyzed and a composite textural-structural statement was created about the essence of this experience. The study found that the team coach practitioner impacted the level of participation, the formation of interpersonal connections, and strengthened psychological safety. These findings imply that practitioners would benefit from taking an active role in coaching interventions, ensuring that their influence is directed for the benefit of the team
Wearable upper arm SpO2 sensor for wellness monitoring
No full textThis article was originally published as: Kinnunen, M.T., Behfar, M.H., Santaniemi, N., Happonen, T., Nguyen, D., Kilpijärvi, J., Jaako, T., Happonen, J., Russell, M.K., Clermont, C.A., Asmussen, M.J., Day, T.A., Tuomikoski, M., & Hiltunen, J. (2025). Wearable upper arm SpO2 sensor for wellness monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 72(5), 1766-1774. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2024.3521189Objective: This paper describes the full development of a sensor for measuring optical heart rate (OHR) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).
Methods: A wearable sensor with a new type of skin compatible dispensed lens was designed and manufactured. All critical optical components, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiode (PD) were close to skin and gave maximum light intensity due to minimal loss in the lens structure. Lens and optical components formed a thin monolithic structure.
Results: Suppressed crosstalk between LED and PD was achieved by using two types of dispensed material: light blocking and transparent. High signal to noise ratio (SNR) and amplitude in the alternating current (AC) part of the photoplethysmography (PPG) signal were achieved. User comfort was achieved by having a small sensor located on the upper arm. When re-training the algorithm from our first iteration, the multiwavelength PPG sensor showed an SpO2 RMSE of 2.61% with a 7-second average analysis for 25 participants. The average RMSE of heart rate over all 25 participants was 1.6 ± 1.1%.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates a sensor with a clinical grade SpO2 measurement and a highly accurate OHR measurement that is also comfortable and easy to wear.
Significance: A dispensing method provides a new way of manufacturing sensor elements for wearable sensors with increased performance with reduced crosstalk.This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant 871345
A pre-existing chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection promotes epileptogenesis and neuropathology in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
No full textThis article was originally published as: Baker, T.L., Wright, D.K., Thergarajan, P., Uboldi, A.D., Vo, A., Wilson, T., Tonkin, C.J., O'Brien, T.J., Antonic-Baker, A., Asmussen, M.J., McDonald, S.J., Casillas-Espinosa, P.M., Jones, N.C., Ali, I., Sun, M., & Shultz, S.R. (2025). A pre-existing chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection promotes epileptogenesis and neuropathology in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 128, 440-455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.026There is initial evidence that the common neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a risk factor for the development of epilepsy; however, whether it influences epileptogenesis is unknown. This study investigated whether a pre-existing chronic T. gondii infection alters epileptogenesis and neuropathology in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.This study was funded by grants awarded to SRS, MS, and DKW from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Brain Foundation
Unpacking youth privacy management in AI systems: A privacy calculus model analysis
No full textThis article was originally published as: Shouli, A., Barthwal, A., Campbell, M., & Shrestha, A.K. (2025). Unpacking youth privacy management in AI systems: A privacy calculus model analysis. IEEE Access, 13, 115780-115803. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3585635The increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in daily life has introduced substantial issues in protecting user privacy, particularly for young digital citizens. This study examines the complex dynamics of privacy management in AI systems utilizing the Privacy Calculus Model (PCM), with 482 participants: 176 young digital citizens (ages 16–19), 146 parents and educators, and 160 AI specialists. The research used a mixed methods approach to analyze key characteristics, including data ownership, user control, parental data sharing attitude, transparency, trust, perceived risks, benefits, and education. The results underscore the necessity of promoting digital literacy, establishing trust through transparent practices, and implementing collaborative approaches for privacy governance. The study emphasizes the significance of customized educational activities and regulatory frameworks that enable users to manage the trade-offs between the advantages and risks of data sharing by including varied views. This research enhances ethical AI development and advocates equal privacy safeguards for children and young adults.This work was supported by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s (OPC) Contribution Programs
Navigating educational goals and high-stakes testing: a study of public school teachers' and school leaders' challenges in Sri Lanka under the National Educational Policy Framework 2020–2030
No full textThe present study aimed to explore the specific challenges faced by public school teachers and school leaders in Sri Lanka as they attempted to implement the directives of the National Educational Policy Framework (NEPF) 2020–2030. This framework emphasizes a balance between fostering student-centered learning approaches and preparing students for academic success through high-stakes testing. The research question of the present study asked the following: What do teachers and school leaders in Sri Lanka report as their ideas and suggestions for effectively integrating the goals of the National Educational Policy Framework into daily educational practices, in order to improve and enrich the educational experience of students; and what do these same teachers and school leaders report as recommendations for changes and improvements regarding high-stakes exams? By February 2025, five participants completed individual telephone interviews with the researcher. Before the interviews, participants provided informed consent. Qualitative data were collected, and participants were later given the opportunity to review a summary of their responses for accuracy. The qualitative data collected from the interviews were analyzed soon after all the participants approved the transcriptions. The following five themes were identified across five participants’ full interview responses: (a) Integration of National Educational Policy Goals in Teaching, (b) Impact of High-Stakes Exams on Teaching and Learning, (c) Practicality and Challenges of Implementing Policy Goals, (d) Support Needed from School Leaders, and (e) Recommendations for Exam System Reforms. The findings highlight the complex realities of policy implementation in Sri Lankan classrooms, including systemic barriers, resource limitations, and tensions between policy goals and existing teaching practices. Participants emphasized the importance of institutional support, the need for professional development, and the role of leadership in facilitating effective policy implementation. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on policy execution, teacher autonomy, and education reform, offering insights into how policy directives can be better aligned with classroom realities in Sri Lanka
From maps to impact: Envisioning a GIS-informed fire service for London, Ontario
No full textThis research investigates the performance of the London Fire Department (LFD) from 2016 to 2023, focusing on fire response times and structural fire incident rates using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study evaluates LFD’s compliance with NFPA 1710 benchmarks, which set standards for fire service response times, and examines the influence of socioeconomic factors on fire risks across 42 planning districts in London, Ontario
Strategies for Revitalizing the Humanitarian Workforce Program
Full text link2025The Canadian Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program, funded by Public Safety Canada, plays a vital role in national disaster response. However, barriers such as lack of awareness, time constraints, and inclusivity challenge hinder volunteer engagement. This study utilized mixed-methods research, including a survey of 120 participants and two focus groups, to explore these challenges. Survey findings revealed significant organizational inefficiencies, rigid policies, and financial burdens that exacerbate barriers of volunteer engagement. Focus group participants emphasized the need for improved outreach, inclusivity, and community collaboration. Recommendations include enhancing targeted outreach, offering flexible roles, increasing training accessibility, simplifying human resource policies, and developing tiered incentive structures. Additionally, a longitudinal evaluation is proposed to assess the program's long-term success beyond its current funding expiration in March 2026. These evidence-based strategies aim to sustain volunteer engagement, foster community resilience, and strengthen Canada's disaster response capacity
Farm Status: Exploring Relational Dimensions of Rural Values and Character on Southern Vancouver Island, Canada
Full text link2025In Canada's Pacific Northwest, coastal high-value rural communities face acute, conflicting challenges relating to housing supply and affordability, loss of agricultural land, and environmental change. On Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, grassroots organizations have formed around the ideas of preserving ‘rural character’ and maintaining ‘rural values’; concerns that can be defended fiercely when change is proposed. In this study I used mixed quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how Metchosin and North Saanich residents perceived ‘rural character’ and ‘rural values’. My objective was to examine the relationship between participants’ definitions and respective place attachments, worldview, and socioeconomic demographics. Results revealed that perceptions of rural values and character vary widely among residents within the same community—often to conflicting degrees—revealing the relational and situated nature of both how landscape is perceived as well as how it is defined and valued
The gardener and the well: the evolution of an educator's perspective of and reflections on inclusive educational philosophy and practice
No full textInclusion is an important topic both in the education system and in our society. What inclusion looks like and should look like in practice is widely debated among educators and non-educators alike. As a teacher, I have experienced the conflict between full-inclusion models and special education both internally and externally. This self-study uses an overarching gardening metaphor to discuss the implications of inclusive education in the classroom with teacher as gardener, guide, and facilitator of learning and growth. The gardener faces a challenge: they know that the well they source their water from is poisoned, and yet they must keep using and filtering that water to keep their plants alive. Using a transformative autoethnography methodology, this study explores the personal journey of understanding and developing a philosophy of inclusion as an Inclusive Education Teacher. Through critical self-reflective journaling practices and honest conversations with my critical friend, I examine my own guiding philosophies and beliefs about inclusion to critically identify biases, fears and limitations that negatively impact my philosophies and therefore my daily practice as an educator. This study examines research by scholars in both education and other related fields to honour diverse and cross-disciplinary perspectives, as inclusion is a topic that extends and interconnects far beyond the scope of education research. The findings of this study respond to the original research question by suggesting that neither full-inclusion models or special education programs are inherently conducive to truly inclusive education. It was concluded that rigid, dogmatic perspectives about the nature of inclusion may work against the goal of ensuring meaningful belonging and connection for all learners. In terms of the metaphor, the research found that the gardener must address the problem of the poisoned well and advocate for solutions, and they must also understand that the daily work of filtering is essential for the survival and health of the plants. The responsive gardener must both relentlessly reimagine the future and care for the needs present in the moment with the tools and resources they have now