Concurrent Session 2

Tuesday, April 29
1:25–2:20 pm ADT

These sessions will be offered in a dual delivery format.  The following presentations will take place online, but with dedicated collaborative spaces available on the Dalhousie campus for those who want to attend in person. 

Virtual Room 1

Viewing Room: Marion McCain Building, Room 1102

1:25–2:20 pm ADT

Amplifying Impact: Using Podcasting to Build Connections and Disseminate Knowledge in Higher Education
Panel/Team Discussion (55 minutes)
Tasha Richard (Dalhousie University)

  • This session explores how podcasting, an innovative and accessible medium, can transform teaching and learning by fostering connections within, between, and beyond institutions. Drawing on the Harvesting Impact podcast project from an undergraduate sustainable agribusiness course, we will demonstrate how podcasting engages students in knowledge co-creation, connects them with industry professionals, and amplifies their learning to broader audiences.   

    The discussion will highlight the theoretical and practical foundations supporting podcasting in education, as well as strategies for designing and implementing student-led podcast projects. Attendees will hear perspectives from a faculty member, a student participant, and a podcasting professional, offering practical insights and lessons learned.   

    Participants will leave with actionable strategies for leveraging podcasting to enhance student engagement, promote interdisciplinary connections, and build communities across diverse contexts in higher education. This session is ideal for educators seeking innovative approaches to enrich learning experiences and amplify their students’ voices.

    Keywords
    Podcasting  Experiential Learning  Knowledge Dissemination  Community Building  Higher Education Innovation

Virtual Room 2

Viewing room: Marion McCain Building, Room 1130

1:25–2:20 pm ADT

Getting Through It Together: Building a Community to Foster Support and Belonging
Panel/Team Discussion (in-person or online) 55 minutes
Professor Patrick Maher (Nipissing University), Anita Acai (George Brown College), Melanie Hamilton (University of Saskatchewan), Heather Carroll

  • This session will share a suite of seven guiding principles for building community: (1) create space; (2) avoid and resist formal roles; (3) maintain confidentiality and build trust; (4) allow members to self-determine their level of engagement; (5) embrace a group process that is emergent and organic; (6) find congruence in values; and, (7) acknowledge the evolutionary nature of the collective (Acai et al., 2024). The principles are based on work conducted within the ISSOTL Fellows program; whereby six Canadian scholars reflected on their individual and group experiences, across the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of our session, we plan to share these principles with attendees but will also invite guided reflection and audience discussion.

    Keywords
    Community building, support, resilience, wellbeing

Virtual Room 3

Viewing room: Marion McCain Building, Room 1116

1:25–1:50 pm ADT

Designing Inclusive Futures: Embedding EDI in Work-Integrated Learning Programs
Research presentation session (25 minutes)

Presenter: Wendy Cukier (Toronto Metropolitan University)
Non-presenting authors: Lindsay Coppens, Katlynn Sverko, Sangeeta Mehta (Toronto Metropolitan University)

  • Work-integrated learning (WIL) provides students with skills development and employment experience, but inequities persist, particularly for equity-deserving groups. WIL is often criticized for not incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), leading to programs that employ a one-size-fits-all approach to supporting all students. This session explores the impact of EDI-centred WIL programs at a Canadian institution. These programs promote equitable access while addressing employer needs through free professional and digital skills training and work placements. They also offer customized wraparound supports, such as career coaching.

    Findings from an analysis of registration and pre- and post-program survey data highlight successes. Since 2014, these programs have engaged 2610 individuals, with 1433 identifying as women, 799 identifying newcomers, and 1772 identifying as racialized.

    Outcomes showcase program effectiveness, with 1811 individuals trained and 1610 placed in roles. Findings underscore the need to incorporate EDI in future WIL programs to support pathways for equity-deserving groups.

    Keywords
    EDI, inclusivity, work-integrated learning, equity-deserving groups

1:55–2:20 pm ADT

"It fostered a really communal environment": What happens when you combine experiential learning and contract grading?
Research presentation session (25 minutes)
Ainsley Goldman (University of Toronto)

  • With the growth of experiential learning, there is ongoing discourse about how to assess it most effectively. Contract grading has recently emerged as an approach to assessing student learning broadly, though it is not widely used in experiential learning. This qualitative research study was conducted in a small, upper year visual art course that included experiential learning in the form of field trips and an industry project, and used contract grading in the form of assessment. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings are discussed through the lens of Nell Noddings’ pedagogy of care.

    The findings indicate that the combination of experiential learning and contract grading had many impacts on students, extending Noddings’ concept of reciprocity to a ‘pay it forward’ approach. In combining these two approaches, students went on to impact on others, including their peers, the industry partner, and broader society.

    Keywords
    Experiential learning, work-integrated learning, pedagogy of care, contract grading, relational