University of Guelph hosted OJS journals
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Plurilingual practices in Higher Education: An analysis of student perceptions from a South African University
No full textThis study describes student perspectives on the teaching and learning of a newly introduced University language acquisition course. It identifies three basic components of teaching and learning, namely teaching approaches, teaching and learning resources, and assessment of learning. The study focuses on how students perceive these basic components of teaching and learning by investigating how 1st-year students at a university in South Africa perceive the teaching and learning of the Sesotho First Additional Language (FAL) course (a newly introduced course in the university). Hence the objectives of this study are to establish the views of 1st-year Sesotho FAL students regarding the teaching approaches used by the lecturers presenting the course; the teaching and learning resources used in the course; and the quality of assessments applied in the course. Guided by complex dynamic systems theory, the study employs a survey methodology. A questionnaire comprising both close-ended belief statements as well as open-ended statements for students to respond to was administered to 51 study participants purposefully selected. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS, while qualitative data were analysed by the researchers themselves. Results emerging from the data reveal that 1st-year students generally find their lecturers’ teaching approaches and assessment methods satisfactory; however, they perceive the teaching and learning resources used by their lecturers in teaching Sesotho as inadequate. This finding points to the need for further dialogue broadly on the quality of teaching and learning, quality of assessment criteria and the availability of teaching and learning resources provided for presenting newly introduced courses in higher education institutions (HEIs); and specifically on the level of preparation of lecturers in these courses tasked with the teaching and learning
Rural Futures - Mobilizing Knowledge and Sustaining Partnerships at the University of Guelph
No full textThe future of rural places, people, and environments is critical to the province of Ontario. Launched in 2022, supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the Rural Futures initiative explores ways to amplify the knowledge mobilization of rural research conducted at the University of Guelph and rural-based organizations across Ontario. This poster shares insights collected from rural partners, an inventory of student and faculty-produced rural research generated at the University of Guelph, and plans for future knowledge mobilization activities.
Dialogues with rural partners illuminated valuable insights into the barriers preventing rural knowledge from reaching its intended audiences. While their knowledge-related needs differ significantly, every respondent noted the need for deeper collaboration between rural actors and a resource to help identify and facilitate opportunities for rural Ontarians. The project team has also collected and analyzed thousands of rural-related research items generated at the University of Guelph since 2010, identifying 5,112 articles. As a centre for rural knowledge, the initiative intends to build on these insights from the University of Guelph by supporting new knowledge mobilization activities. As part of this process, the research team is currently constructing an online pathfinder site that will act as a repository of rural research and a tool to help connect rural partners across Ontario to knowledge-based resources. These initial projects will continue to build on each other, strengthening Ontario’s rural communities and the agri-food sector in the process
From Clay to Crop: Demystifying Agriculture in Northern Ontario
No full textNorthern Ontario’s Clay Belt has long endured the reputation of having poorly drained soil and a climate unsuitable for agriculture; its northern location has been characterized as remote and isolated, thus lacking in social and economic opportunities often sought by prospective farmers. These common conceptions have limited the expansion and retention of farms in the region as farmers turn away from the Clay Belt due to perceived challenges. While studies have dispelled the myths of soil and climate barriers to farming, social and economic stereotypes persist, and continue to deter growth in Northern Ontario’s agricultural sector. Despite increasing agricultural viability due to a warming climate, and affordable land prices, 4.4 million acres of the Clay Belt with high-quality soil remain largely underutilized. The Northern Agriculture project in partnership with Hearst University, the Province of Ontario, and OMAFRA seeks to identify the real and perceived barriers through research and knowledge mobilization, with the goal of encouraging and supporting diverse agricultural activities in the area to enhance local food security. The researchers have created toolkits for farmers, municipalities, and the province to provide resources and tips that boost agricultural viability and establish synergies between stakeholders. The project also published the ten “myths” of agriculture in Northern Ontario to inform stakeholders and prospective farmers of common misconceptions and to demonstrate the contrary by highlighting environmental, social, and economic assets in northern Ontario. These core documents will guide further Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) activities on social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn), and organization websites (OMAFRA, Ontario Agri-food Innovation Alliance). Through knowledge-sharing on these platforms, the project aims to change the current discourse on agriculture in Northern Ontario to help establish it as a desirable region for agricultural development
Mutual Aid and Third Places during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Intersections in Nova Scotia & New Brunswick
No full textRural and peripheral to the economic core of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, like much of Atlantic Canada, have been historically illustrated as economically under-developed provinces. While policy frameworks address many regional problems, Nova Scotians and New Brunswickers continue to come together in creative and innovative ways to respond to many of their needs, both at home and in their larger communities. Relying heavily on gray literature, this research explores how Nova Scotians and New Brunswickers experience “Mutual Aid”. This research illustrates the unique landscape of Mutual Aid in the region and its connection to place. It will also explore how these geographies have shifted in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, by revealing gaps in our current economic system, this research attempts to inform the way we think about community connectedness and welfare
“The Lyon in Mourning” at the National Library of Scotland
No full textThis article explores the history of the “Lyon in Mourning” manuscripts after Robert Chambers bequeathed them to the Advocates Library and how they entered the National Library of Scotland’s collections following its establishment in 1925. The article investigates the ways in which the Library has preserved, maintained, and promoted this iconic collection to the wider public, and demonstrates how vital the Jacobite relics attached to the volumes have been in engaging audiences in the history of the Jacobites
Beekeeping in Canada: Trends of Self-Sufficiency and Participation in the Global Honey Bee Trade
No full textThe Canadian beekeeping industry relies on external sources of honey bees to maintain current populations, however the outstanding benefits of locally-raised bees is widely acknowledged. Wellestablished Canadian beekeeping regimes, with geographically specific sets of productive and organizational patterns, have been slow to increase domestic self-sufficiency. Common explanations for this focus on environmental constraints of Canada\u27s northern locations that prohibit economically feasible self-sufficient commercial beekeeping. However, this study shows that rather than only environmental, biologic, and economic constraints to beekeeper self-sufficiency there are also significant social barriers deeply entrenched in beekeeping cultures. This study highlights, in particular, how the politics of hive management are shaped by choices of participating in the global bee trade or beekeeping with rootedness in time and place. I explore historical legacies of the social networks and institutions that help develop and promote beekeeping ideologies. Regional and national beekeeping networks and institutions have been key to building the industry and (re)developing the required local knowledge for self-sufficient regimes. Positive impacts of beekeeper self-sufficiency include; creating deeper ecological connections, deepening bee and local knowledge, minimizing vulnerabilities inherent in the global lively commodity market, and potential roles in national biosecurity strategies and challenging the structure of our current agri-food systems. In rural economies and an era of climate change, re-imagining democratic economies and embracing the potential to reshape beekeeping cultures and industry in socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable ways is crucial. Aside from focus on resilient socio-ecological beekeeping regimes this study points to opportunities to radically change the way we keep bees that favour bee health and beekeeper knowledge
Tourism in Rural Newfoundland: Self-imposed Public Policy Obstacle
No full textAll of the societies within the North Atlantic Zone are faced with an evolving business environment. Among the changes are more open and fluid markets for goods and services, technological change, and an unrelenting shift from primary and manufacturing industries to service-based economies. Those changes tend to create uncertainty for businesses, leading them to seek to find efficiencies, and have nimbler workforces and operations. In turn, then, workers are also sensing a decline in job stability and security, constraints on pay and benefits, and an intensification of work responsibilities. We would argue that the individuals and businesses in rural and remote villages tend to face particular challenges due to heavy reliance on a small number of industries or employers, net out-migration of young people, and fewer local training/education options, in addition to inherent geographic complications.
While tourism is an industry that can have distinct negative effects, it is understandable that, in many rural areas, decision-makers (i.e. municipal officials, individual workers, and community groups) are eyeing tourism as a tool to sustain local economies. When considering the economic feasibility of tourism to sustain and increase jobs and populations in rural Newfoundland, we believe that it is important to consider the impact of broader government decisions (such as active vs. passive labour market policies, and the degree of infrastructure investment). In this presentation, we will look at summer job policies, timing of subsidized festivals, social payment qualifications, and insufficient coordination between Federal, Provincial, and local industry stakeholders that, as a set, hinder, rather than spur on, the creation of self-sustaining tourism operations
The Shape of Community: On Ethical forms of Social Organization, From Physical to Municipal.: A Commentary on Shannon Vallor’s Technology and the Virtues
No full textThis paper was written as a commentary on Shannon Vallor’s Technology and the Virtues, and an investigation into ethical forms of organisation. Starting with a short overview of Vallor’s technosocial virtue ethics and related criteria of human flourishing, I investigate Vallor’s methodological triangulation of Aristotelian, Buddhist, and Confucian virtue traditions to argue that her focus on these ancient world frameworks imports assumptions of the shape of a community in which virtue ethics can function. To examine what shapes of community I would consider ethical forms of organisation, which are those which are conducive to a virtue framework and to human flourishing, I suggest some criteria which can be used to analyse the connections and relations that exist in different forms of organization involving humans, goods, and information. These criteria are compartmentalisation/(inter)connectedness, permanence/ephemerality, and bilateral/unilateral flow of information, which taken together specify a degree of hierarchization. I argue that ethical forms of organization tend towards a dense interconnection, relatively permanent and bilateral connections, with a low degree of hierarchization. Lastly, I suggest through analogy that there are parallels between digital and physical environments in the virtue ethics context, with a special focus on cities and some empirical work done by Strong Towns regarding the benefits of walkable neighborhoods for their inhabitants
Les besoins en matière de bibliothèque des étudiants diplômés de l’Université Memorial de Terre-Neuve : une étude de cas
No full textLibraries are important structures for graduate students in research intensive universities, such as Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). Given the complex needs of those students, it is crucial to have an updated glimpse into what works and does not work for students. The objectives of this survey were to investigate graduate students’ awareness and use of library services and resources at MUN and to explore how important and adequate existing services and resources seemed to MUN graduate students. Fortunately, the survey findings showed favourably in terms of user satisfaction, with many of the library services and resources that were rated as very important also being rated as very satisfactory. Other findings indicated that respondents placed increased importance on access to comprehensive collections of E-resources, which is not surprising given the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also found was an increased need for writing resources and literature search strategies. Overall, a recurring theme for improvement was an increased promotion of our services and resources so that we can better reach our students. The insights gained from the survey will help us target this area of improvement and direct future development of graduate student-focused services and resources.Les bibliothèques constituent d’importantes structures pour les étudiants diplômés des universités axées sur la recherche telles l’Université Memorial de Terre-Neuve (MUN). Compte tenu des besoins complexes de ces étudiants, il est essentiel de bien comprendre ce qui fonctionne et ce qui ne fonctionne pas pour eux. Ce sondage avait comme objectifs d’examiner la connaissance et l’utilisation des services et des ressources à MUN par les étudiants diplômés et d’explorer comment importants et adéquats sont perçus les services et les ressources par ces mêmes étudiants. Heureusement, les résultats du sondage se sont révélés favorables en termes de la satisfaction des utilisateurs où plusieurs services et ressources de la bibliothèque jugés très importants ont été évalués comme étant très satisfaisants. D’autres résultats indiquent que les répondants accordent une importance accrue à l’accès à des collections de ressources numériques exhaustives, ce qui n’est pas surprenant compte tenu des conditions liées à la pandémie de la COVID-19. Le sondage a également montré un besoin croissant pour des ressources en écriture et pour des stratégies de recherche. Dans l’ensemble, un thème récurrent à améliorer consiste à promouvoir davantage nos services et ressources afin de mieux rejoindre nos étudiants. Les résultats de ce sondage nous aideront à cibler ce domaine d\u27amélioration et à orienter le développement futur de services et de ressources destinés aux étudiants diplômés