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Considering Culture When Building Online Learning Communities
No full text“[I]t is not technologies, but educational purposes and pedagogy, that must provide the lead, with students understanding not only how to work with ICTs, but why it is of benefit for them to do so” (Kirkwood & Price, 2005, p. 257). Especially in the current context of a worldwide pandemic, when all post-secondary instruction has moved online, critical to success is the ability for students to develop competencies to navigate online spaces and understand how to participate in and develop identities in online learning communities. Recommendations for the effective use of online learning recognize that instructors must deliberately structure interaction patterns to overcome the potential lack of social presence online, but also that students have the opportunity to participate in online discourse equally or equitably. This short presentation outlines some of the arguments and recommendations in current scholarship for using a critical lens, and one specific to Indigenous worldviews, to design online learning communities that are inclusive of diverse learners, make space for multiple epistemologies and cultural contexts, and foster agency and equity within online discourse. I will detail some of the challenges that students from non-dominant cultural contexts face and then describe how various theories for knowledge construction can be relevant for Indigenous learners
Like our Students’ Experience: Moving Faculty Development Online
No full textAs the TRU community moved to working remotely and teaching virtually, CELT’s coordinators of learning and faculty development moved programming online. Through these experiences of transitioning spaces and learning, we focused on guiding principles (flexibility, community, and reflexivity on our own teaching). We will share key learning that emerged through this experience of making lemonade (learning opportunity) from lemons (being remote and online)—learning that will continue to inform our faculty development offerings long after the pandemic is over
Rolling with the Punches: How a Research Project Persisted Through the Pandemic
No full textWith the COVID-19 pandemic bringing business-as-usual to a grinding halt, it is not surprising that many activities have been suspended indefinitely. It is certainly not an ideal time to complete a two-year research on student achievement project. However, where there is a will, there is a way! The research project sought to examine the success rate of students who have been placed into ESAL courses through their International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores, as opposed to the in-house English Placement Test (EPT). This session will outline some of the unexpected considerations and research limitations that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher will then share what she has done to mitigate those limitations to allow her project to endure throughout these challenging times. Participants will also be given an opportunity to share the research challenges they have faced and the strategies they are employing to resolve those challenges. By attending this session, participants who are contemplating beginning a project or struggling to proceed with one may be inspired to find creative ways to navigate the unfamiliar landscape of the current pandemic
Going beyond the territorial acknowledgement: Strategies for decolonizing our online classroom
No full textNote: This presentation is limited to 15 participants. Designing our online classroom is more than just putting content online or showing up on Zoom as scheduled. The inequities across British Columbia that inhibit success with online learning may affect learners anywhere at any time. In this talking circle, we will use prompts to navigate what inequities our learners may face, and how we can create holistic-centered online learning environments that support our learners. Bring your ideas for this participatory session
Effects of Simulated Grazing on Fire-Treated Mine Tailings for Restoration
Full text linkThe alterations caused to the landscape while mining operations extract necessary materials are unavoidable but not completely permanent changes. Through dedication to the communities they border, mining companies have progressed the science of reclamation and are beginning to restore once wild places to more natural looking environments. In the early days of reclamation, aggressive agronomic vegetative species were used to establish vegetation cover to prevent erosion and act as the framework for eventual succession to a more natural pre-disturbed state. In practice on some sites, these agronomic species are becoming monocultures which are utilized by small mammals and ungulates but are not being displaced by planted native grasses to fully reclaim an area to its natural form. The use of prescribed burning to bring disturbance to a landscape and provide space for native grasses has had some positive results but more might be done to help these grasses become established more permanently. Herbicide works to reduce competition for nutrients and water uptake but without removing the dead material the leftover litter layer would still prevent small native grasses from obtaining light. I intend to look at the possibility of using simulated cattle grazing as a means of added disturbance to provide space for seeded native species to grow and eventually lead to early successional change to re-establish a pre-disturbed natural state on a dry tailing storage facility
Sensitive Detection of Parts-Per-Billion Levels of Nisin in Dairy Products by Capillary Electrophoresis
No full textNisin is a polycyclic antimicrobial peptide produced by the gram-positive bacteria, Lactococcus lactis. Due to its antimicrobial properties and low toxicity, nisin is commonly used in the food industry as a preservative in alcoholic beverages and foods such as meat and dairy. Nisin is currently the only lantibiotic that is FDA-approved for use as a biopreservative, however, changes in temperature, pH or interactions with other ingredients can cause nisin’s activity to degrade overtime. For this reason, it is crucial to be able to quantify and monitor the stability of nisin throughout a product’s shelf life. In this project, a technique called micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) will be employed to separate and quantify nisin in dairy products. An additional technique called large volume sample stacking technique (LVSS) will be investigated in order to improve the sensitivity of the method. The method will be optimized by testing parameters such as sample solvent composition, buffer pH, injection pressure, switch-polarity time and voltage. The results of this research will be compared to previous work using MEKC to detect nisin in dairy products. The successful development of this method will be useful to both food and beverage industries as it provides a simple and cost-effective way to monitor nisin levels in a wide variety of products including canned vegetables, fish, milk, cheese and wine
The Need for Multifaceted and Sustainable Management Strategies: Fire, Forestry and Range
Full text linkAs ninety-four percent of British Columbia is Crown land owned by the Provincial Government, there are considerable overlapping resource needs within the natural resource sector. As much of British Columbia’s Crown land management is multifaceted, understanding the dynamic landscape is integral to sustainable ecosystem management. Additionally, British Columbia has historically received significant large-scale wildfire activity. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of these disturbance events moving forwards, making fire management even more vital. This study aims to understand how methods of fire fuel management influence range management activities on Crown land, such as forage production, in addition to creating a better understanding of the variables influenced by fire fuel management. As many cattle tenures within British Columbia directly overlap with forestry tenures, understanding the influences that the forest industry has on the cattle industry, and vice-versa, is important for proper inclusive ecosystem management. Forage availability is the main factor that influences the number of animals that can be put out on range, and this directly affects ranching profits. This study specifically considers cattle; however, the importance of forage can be applied to any domesticated animal or wildlife. The results of this study will benefit the overall scientific development of multifaceted approaches towards resource management of our Crown land
A Global Scale Analysis of Bergmanns Rule for All Extant Bat Species
Full text linkI will be presenting my findings on a global scale analysis on an ecogeographical rule called Bergmann\u27s rule for all extant bats. Bergamann\u27s rule involves the correlation between body size and latitudinal location of the species. The significance of understanding body size evolution is that it explains and influences an animal\u27s life history. Understanding body size evolutionary trends impacts our ability to predict and protect biological diversity on a global scale. Studies of body size evolution and population structure are often critical components of endangered species conservation and management plans.
We have constructed our own phylogenetic tree to assess body size data collected over 4 months, and statistically analyzed the data to represent the correlations seen for Bergamnn\u27s rule in bats. This is not know to have been done before for a global analysis of bats
Breaking the Cycle: The Implications of a Recovery House and Resource Hub for Women Experiencing Criminalization
Full text linkThis research project was conducted in affiliation with Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and the Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society, as a part of the TRU community development research grant. The goal was to gain more in-depth insight into how recovery houses and resource hubs could help women who have been criminalized.
To begin, a literature review was conducted on women experiencing criminalization and their needs and concerns. Through this review, five main themes emerged. These were the overrepresentation of Indigenous women, the fragmentation of their healthcare experiences, the need to renegotiate their relationships, the challenges of community reintegration, and additional barriers such as employment and housing. Consideration is given to two subsets of this population, older women and transgender women. Consideration is also given to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has on women who have been criminalized.
Second, a literature review was conducted regarding recovery houses and the benefits and challenges associated with them.
Third, a literature review was conducted on the existence of resource hubs. Due to their limited nature, this review was expanded internationally.
The information acquired in these three sections was then compiled into a list of recommendations that mirror the five main themes of concern for women experiencing criminalization. The vision of the recovery house and the resource hub is to work collaboratively to address these five areas of a woman’s life, to provide holistic care, and to ensure no woman falls through the gap
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