Who Needs Digital Literacy When We Are All “Digital Natives”? 

About two decades ago, American writer Marc Prensky (2001) coined the term “digital natives” to describe students who grew up with digital technologies. He suggested that they are the “native speakers” of the digital language of information technology.

Although the term is somewhat vague in defining students’ skills and competencies, it depicted a significant social and cultural change and its impact to students, teachers, and the American education system. As a result, many educators and researchers became intrigued and conducted research to investigate and validate the potential impact to students and its implications to teaching and learning (Bennett et al., 2008; Kennedy et al., 2008; Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017; Margaryan et al., 2011).

Putting aside research results for now, my personal and professional experiences led to a belief that the development and acquisition of any skill or competency is typically a result of intention and persistence, especially in an age where new gadgets and tools are constantly being invented and designed for specific purposes or group of users. It takes time to just familiarize yourself with the basic functions of a smartphone or a small home appliance, let alone complex systems that are designed for knowledge dissemination, collaboration, and communication.

According to Prensky’s definition, I can arguably be considered a “digital native” since I attended high school in 2003. However, at that point in my life, I had only taken one or two computer classes at school that focused on basic typing skills. I was bewildered by the dark, silent screens and did not even know how to start the machine when I entered the computer room for the first time. Therefore, it was difficult to convince anyone that I, as a high school student, spoke the native language of any technology.

Fast forward to 2016 or 2017, when I was coaching a few high school students to create a video for self-introduction. I was surprised that two of them could not even type properly on a computer. Have you seen someone dancing with one finger, and one finger only, to painstakingly search and press each letter on the keyboard? That was the reality, and it became an epiphany to me that we cannot take any skills for granted. If someone appears to be average, not even good or great, in a certain area, it is likely because they have spent some time and effort, in or outside of school.

It is no wonder that researchers seem to be resistant toward the concept of “digital natives.” Bennett et al., (2008) found a lack of evidence and called for more investigation and empirical research on “digital natives”. Kenney et al., (2008) suggested that we cannot assume that new generations know how to employ technology-based tools strategically to optimize learning experiences. Margaryan et al. (2011) argued that students may not be as connected, socially networked, or technologically fluent as previously assumed. Kirschner & De Bruyckere (2017) concluded that “there is no such as thing as a digital native who is information skilled.”

It is evident that actions need to be taken to respond not only to the evolving landscape of education, but also address the skill gap in the digital age. As an important first step, in April 2023, the B.C. Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills published the Digital Learning Strategy which lists and describes eight digital literacy competencies in detail and serves as a valuable resource for digital learning.

As an official guide, it also provides an unequivocal answer as to who needs to develop digital literacy skills. Under each and every competency in Appendix 2: The B.C. Post-Secondary Digital Literacy Framework, you will find these phrases:

  • “If you are a digital citizen, being digitally literate means…”
  • “If you are an incoming learner, being digitally literate means…”
  • “If you are an educator, being digitally literate means…”

It is clear that all of us are included in the framework, regardless of our age differences or skill level.

The challenge is, though, how to support the development of digital literacy at an institutional, program, and course level, and how to cope with the evolving nature of digital technology.

If you are eager to explore digital literacy in teaching and learning, here are a few actions you may start with,

  • Read the Digital Learning Strategy document
  • Explore the potential of using e-portfolio in your course
  • Collaborate with CTLI on simulation projects
  • Stay open and curious about new technologies, including AI-based tool

Reference

Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. (2023, April 13). Digital Learning Strategy – Province of British Columbia. Retrieved from  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/post-secondary-education/institution-resources-administration/digital-learning-strategy

Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence. British journal of educational technology, 39(5), 775-786.

>Kennedy, G. E., Judd, T. S., Churchward, A., Gray, K., & Krause, K. L. (2008). First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?. Australasian journal of educational technology, 24(1). 

Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher education, 67, 135-142. 

Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A., & Vojt, G. (2011). Are digital natives a myth or reality? University students’ use of digital technologies. Computers & education, 56(2), 429-440.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, digital immigrants. marcprensky.com. Retrieved from https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

An e-Portfolio for Leadership and Conflict Resolution

If you don’t have time to read this blog, here is my e-portfolio for the JI Live Associate Certificate of Leadership and Conflict Resolution.


Back in 2021, I had the opportunity to take the leadership development series and courses at JIBC through JI Live.

This program is designed for staff and faculty at JIBC, and typically starts with workshops such as “Your Leadership Style” and “Practice Labs” through which participants review and discuss their DiSC profiles and reflect on different aspects of leadership. Upon completion, participants may enroll in the JI Live Associate Certificate program that consists of the following courses,

  • CRES 1100 Foundations of Collaborative Conflict Resolution
  • CRES 1200 Resolving Conflict on the Front Line
  • LEAD 1100 Lead Yourself First
  • LEAD 1101 Leading Through Relationships

When I attended this program, JIBC, as an institute, didn’t have a tool to support e-portfolio or digital literacy. Therefore, all my work and reflection were buried in the learning management system and a “PD” folder in my Mac Pro.

Since the moment I completed the associate certificate program, I thought about sharing something I learned or reflected on through the program, but it was difficult to decide which part of my journey deserved the most attention, given how rich and profound the program was to me personally and professionally.

With the pilot of PebblePad at JIBC, I decided to design a simple e-portfolio to share my journey. By doing so, I was able to retrieve documents buried in my computer, refresh myself with all the learning that happened back then, select and edit pieces that were meaningful to me, and somehow gauge my growth before I started this program. This e-portfolio will also serve as a reminder for my personal and professional development.

So if you are curious, here is my e-portfolio for the JI Live Associate Certificate of Leadership and Conflict Resolution.

An Almost Complete Journey of JIBC’s Fire Investigation Simulation

How it all started?

Back in October 2020, we had a conversation with instructors and leaders from JIBC’s Fire Fighting Program and learned that practical firefight training can be costly, dangerous, and only available at specialized locations.

Taking fire investigation as an example, instructors need to purchase used furniture, set up scenarios such as a kitchen or a bedroom in shipping containers, burn them, and then put the fire out. Only after all these steps can students enter and investigate the cause and origin of the fire. In addition, it is reported that sometimes the burn patterns do not turn out as expected.

Bedroom in a Cubicle

Bedroom in a Cubicle


A Journey of JIBC’s Fire Investigation Simulation

Early Prototyping

  • In early 2021, we partnered with a team from Centre for Digital Media and created a working prototype for fire investigation over a period of 13 weeks. The CDM team on this project did an excellent job capturing their design and development process on their blog.

  • Additionally, within the handover package, the team provided a well-designed infographic to illustrate the main features of the simulation. Kudos to the team again for exceeding our expectations.

Piloting the Simulation

  • As our ultimate goal is to integrate this gamified simulation into the firefighting program, we decided to pilot the simulation in an upcoming course section.

  • Kavita and Dennis from our CTLI team designed an HTML page that includes all the necessary information for the learners.

Pivoting Based on User feedback

  • Through the pilot, we collected and analyzed students’ feedback and found that one of the main issues is that students had a hard time downloading, installing, and accessing the simulation, especially for MAC users.

  • Even for those who were able to access the simulation, the simulation can be choppy depending on the performance of users’ computers. In short, our analysis suggests that we need to address the accessibility and usability of the simulation.

  • While users acknowledged the potential of this fire investigation simulation, a better solution is needed. Upon discussions with our team, we decided to convert it into a web-based simulation while improving its usability within the simulation.

A New Direction

  • With a limited budget, we worked with a CDM alumnus, a software engineer with a passion for health and education simulations, to convert the simulation into a more accessible web-based solution.

  • The first prototype of the web-based solution was completed in July 2022, followed up with user testings that aim to assess its accessibility and usability.

  • User testing suggests that simulation loading and responding speed, navigation and wayfinding are key areas for improvement, along with other minor adjustments needed. For a more detailed testing report, please refer to Fire Sim User Testing Report – Aug 2022.

What Next?

Design is a craft and sometimes a never-ending process. We have identified a list of achievable changes to improve user interaction and overall user experience. We are also hoping to pilot the web-based fire simulation in an upcoming course and continue to collect feedback from users for improvement.

What are the lessons learned?

  • Pivoted a few times, from the original idea of a VR application, to computer-based, and then finally web-based, we learned again that a good design needs to be firstly accessible and then usable.
  • User research is a critical task that should never be overlooked, as the False-Consensus Effect suggests: we are not users and we should not assume users will behave similarly.
  • Looking at the big picture, this simulation has a powerful impact on the overall course design: assignments and relevant instructions need to be adjusted accordingly; instructors will play a key role in supporting students when a new tool is introduced.

An Outsider Perspective: Deconstructing “Your English is Really Good.”

This piece is a personal, reflective narrative posted on an issue on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at JIBC.


“Your English is really good.” This is one of the compliments I hear quite often, especially from acquaintances, teachers, and peers who noticed me and became curious about my background and experiences. As far as I can recall, people tend to use this compliment as a probe to continue the conversation, followed by casual questions such as “where did you study?”, “where are you from?”, or “why did you move to Canada?”, sometimes over a glass of wine or cheese platter.

Interestingly, in the last couple of years, these compliments or questions are less common, particularly at the workplace. I pondered and reckoned that there may be a reason behind it: either I started sounding more like a Canadian, or people are worried that those questions or compliments can be offensive or even illegal. After all, there are more recommendations, policies, and even prohibitions in place nowadays, which is also a type of progress as people and organizations are becoming more cognizant of the matter of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). But policies can often feel onerous and difficult to interpret, and when that happens, people tend to freeze their minds and hide in a reality of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

Central to the debate about compliments such as “Your English is really good” lies in the ambiguity of its connotation. For example, one may interpret the expression as “I see that you are not one of us, but somehow you managed to speak just like us.” To some extent, it can be an acknowledgement of the diversity in the room, but it can also be interpreted as a statement of exclusion. As a result, many leaders or teachers tend to avoid these topics and resort to something safer, for instance, food or weather. The dilemma is real. But I couldn’t help wondering if we are also ignoring people’s identity and cultural background by avoiding these topics. Yet, if we were to initiate conversations on these seemingly “sensitive” topics, what might be the best approach? And as leaders or teachers, how should we communicate with the increasingly diverse body of students, staff, and faculty?

In a way, I find it difficult to answer these questions succinctly and justly, let alone sharing what might be the best, as the subject of discussion can be relative depending on the context and audience. But perhaps I could l try to collect some personal thoughts through an “outsider” narrative, and hopefully with that, you will find it easier to continue your own analysis or reflection.

As a first-generation immigrant in Canada, I was born and raised in a rustic and underdeveloped county in southern China and, obviously, I hold a typical Asian name and look. Over the years of drifting in this “global village”, I decided not to have an English name for work and study, mostly because I have difficulty finding a sense of belonging with the names available in the English language. In short, my brief background basically tells you two things: 1) it is humbling for someone like me to speak of diversity and inclusion, as I can be ignorant due to my limited understanding and perspective of culture and diversity; 2) my appearance and my name perpetuate a vivid image of an outsider or a foreigner in a country founded by European settlers, regardless of my lived experiences in Canada.

Despite all the current policies or prohibitions at the workplace, unlike what you might have been imagining, I am not offended by questions like “where are you from” or compliments like “Your English is really good”. In fact, I am glad to receive compliments that validate my years of study and effort, and I am also more than happy to speak about my culture, identity, and stories of drifting and navigating in this “global village”. Similarly, when someone shares their unique stories, I often find it fascinating as I always hear things that I am not aware of.

However, as we tread through these muddy swamps, some questions may feel like a double-edged sword that reminds me of my otherness. To be clear, “otherness” is not something embarrassing in my opinion, but simply a part of one’s identity. But conversation could go sideways, especially when a question is asked in a way that is not expected or not respectful.

Looking back into my experiences as an outsider, I find it helpful to be authentic yet tactful, meaning you can display your curiosity or appreciation toward your students or colleagues but it is critical to be mindful about how to frame your questions and decide when and where to have certain conversations.

And if I may, here are some thoughts for discussion for those who are pondering on how to interact with students or colleagues from different backgrounds:

  1. Don’t stop being curious. It is normal to be curious about people’s backgrounds and experiences, and it is important to acknowledge that people are different. So do find the time to get to know people around you.
  2. Instead of asking directly “where are you from?”, you may encourage people in your class or your team to share their stories on certain topics. Information flows through stories and you can connect the dots.
  3. Choose the right occasion to ask personal questions, for example, a coffee shop, especially if there are restrictions or prohibitions in your organization.
  4. If you are concerned about offending people, ask for consent before approaching personal questions. For example, “Do you mind if I ask a question on…” or “please say no if you don’t feel like answering it…”
  5. Lastly, be as genuine, caring, and empathetic as you can when asking “sensitive” questions. People may open up more than you expected if there is a level of trust, empathy, and respect.

It’s Now: Designing and Using Immersive Simulations for Learning

Virtual reality (VR) or immersive VR simulations for learning is no longer something to be imagined or planned in the future. If you have not done a project like this yet, the best time to start is now. 

About two years ago, I had the chance to present “Virtual Reality for Public Safety Training” at JIBC Open Symposium. After introducing relevant pedagogical significance, examples, research on effectiveness, and future opportunities, I landed on a question for the audience, “What would be the problem you want to solve with emerging technology like VR?”

The responses were fueled with enthusiasm and revealed a wide range of applications and practices that JIBC could benefit from. Just to name a few:

  • “simulate a patrolling scenario in downtown eastside”
  • “access correction centers and walk around the buildings”
  • “build empathy by living and acting like someone else”

As we can see, common to these scenarios are things that we feel difficult to design or simulate effectively in the classroom. Bailenson (2019) pointed out that high-fidelity 3D environments like virtual reality have the capability to simulate scenarios that are:

  • Impossible: you cannot change skin colour easily, but in VR you can inhabit avatars with different skin colours with profound results.​
  • Expensive: you cannot easily fly your whole school to Machu Picchu.​
  • Dangerous: you would not want to want to train emergency landings by crashing real airplanes.​
  • Counterproductive: you should not cut down an entire forest to instruct on the problems of deforestation.

The primary differentiator for high-fidelity immersive simulation technologies is that it creates a strong sense of presence and enables embodiment.

  • The concept of Presence has a  long history in psychology, Witmer and Singer (1998) defined it as “the subjective experience of being in one place or environment even when physically situated in another”.
  • Embodiment, on the other hand, means “our process of learning and understanding are shaped by the actions by our body, such as gestures”. (Johnson-Glenberg, 2018)

While presence manipulates or alters how our brains perceive the world around us, embodiment allows us to physically rewire our learning from a behavioural level. Scholars suggest that well-designed 3D simulations address some critical pieces in learning from a pedagogical perspective. Dalgarno and Lee (2010) listed five major affordances of 3D virtual learning environments:

  • Spatial knowledge representation: facilitate learning tasks that lead to the development of enhanced spatial knowledge representation of the explored domain.
  • Experiential learning: facilitate experiential learning tasks that would be impractical or impossible to undertake in the real world
  • Motivation and engagement: facilitate learning tasks that lead to increased intrinsic motivation and engagement
  • Improved transfer of knowledge and skills: facilitate learning tasks that lead to improved transfer of knowledge and skills to real situations through the contextualization of learning.
  • Collaborative learning: facilitate tasks that lead to richer and/or more effective collaborative learning than is possible with 2‐D alternatives.

Learning these theories provided us with a foundation of how we may move forward with high-fidelity simulations. But designing and customizing simulations for specialized areas in public safety remains a challenge as it requires a wide range of expertise such as content knowledge, programming, 2D/3D modelling, animation, user experience design, and user interface design. A collaborative, interdisciplinary team is the key to the development of accessible and usable immersive virtual learning environments. 

Fortunately, over the last two years, we were able to identify some internal partners at JIBC who are interested in developing simulations, and also had the opportunity to collaborate with a few highly skilled teams from the Centre for Digital Media.


Here are some video demonstrations for these award-winning projects:

Produced by LifesaVR team at the Centre for Digital Media


Produced by FlashoVR team at the Centre for Digital Media


https://youtu.be/_DvdOPLUGLg

Produced by Team Caramel at the Centre for Digital Media


Reference

Bailenson, J. (2019). Experience on demand: What virtual reality is, how it works, and what it can do. W. W. Norton & Company.

Dalgarno, B., & Lee, M. J. (2010). What are the learning affordances of 3‐D virtual environments?. British Journal of Educational Technology41(1) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.01038.x

Johnson Glenberg, M. (2018). Immersive VR and Education: Embodied Design Principles that Include Gesture and Hand Controls. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 81. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2018.00081/full

Witmer, B. G., & Singer, M. J. (1998). Measuring presence in virtual environments: A presence questionnaire. Presence7(3), 225-240.

Assessment Design: Perspectives and Examples Informed by UDL

Many of you are probably aware that I have been working with my colleagues on a series of UDL workbooks and workshops over the past year and a half, and finally June 2021 witnesses the completion of our last workbook that focuses on assessment design.

I have to admit that this journey is very much like finishing a marathon that I never imagined myself embarking on, yet there we are. We made it, with all the great ideas and relentless revisions from Seanna, Lynn, Dave, Helen, and myself!

So here is a brief introduction to the workbook from Dave:

“In this workbook, we consider how we, as educators, can design assessments to be more inclusive, accessible, and engaging for our students. We also include several examples from JIBC courses and consider what features and characteristics can help us recognize and design UDL assessments in our own courses.”

To access this workbook, click on the image below:

LifesaVR: Immersive Learning Experience for Paramedics

Looking into the Context and the Problem

Shortly after I joined one of the curriculum committees at the Justice Institute of British Columbia, I learned that the paramedicine program has a 100-page practical simulation book, detailing how instructors should describe each scenario for simulation practice. The students, wearing their uniforms, carrying emergency cases, often stand in the middle of the classroom and try to imagine the physical environments where they are supposed to save lives.

In school, students rely on verbal explanations from the instructors to assess hazards and determine their next steps, whereas they are expected to observe the environment, identify risks, and save lives independently in the field. It is clear that there is a gap between what is learned in the classroom and what is required in the field.

As an instructional designer, I hope to fill the gap by designing and developing user-centred immersive experiences that could potentially shift the way we learn and teach in formal and informal environments.

Setting up Achievable Goals

Working with a team from the Centre for Digital Media, our goal is to develop a working VR prototype that simulates immersive learning environments for paramedics. The prototype will provide both experiential and reflective learning opportunities for trainees to apply critical assessment and decision-making skills, leading to better response when real events occur.

In addition to the realism of the learning environment, our design includes: 1) functionalities to track, analyze, and review how trainees made their decisions during the simulation; 2) non-intrusive user interface and exemplary user experience for reflective learning; 3) and a final package that can be easily installed and used in different physical settings.

Building, Testing, and Iterating the Prototype

Through iterative design, rapid prototyping, and user testing, we created a simulation in which a young adult is struck by a vehicle and becomes unresponsive. In the simulation, the patient is found lying supine on the pavement, with obvious bleeding; there are broken glasses on the ground near the patient, and the gas is leaking; police have stopped the traffic and firefighters are at the scene to assist.

Students are required to identify all the hazards, and then use three dressings, in the correct order, from the emergency case to stop the bleeding. In order to analyze students’ decision-making processes, we also designed a dashboard that collects two sets of data: attention and reaction time. Attention, tracked through head movement, measures how long students look at an object, while reaction time measures how long it takes a student to complete a task. The dashboard is cloud-based so instructors can read the analysis and provide feedback from anywhere.

Presenting a Mid-Project Video Demonstration

Halfway through the project, we were asked to present this project to JIBC donors, faculty, and staff. Although the final prototype has evolved from this iteration, this video provides a succinct introduction to our design. I personally adore this video for its energy and simplicity. 

Designing and Redesigning the Dashboard

The team conceptualized, prototyped, and iterated the dashboard in two or three weeks. Click the image to view the final interface of the dashboard. 

Installing the Final Prototype and Putting on the Backpack Devices

Walking Through the Final Prototype

And Finally Meeting the Team

Centre for Digital Media

  • Eris Lam, Developer
  • Kyle Liu, 3D Artist | Unity programmer
  • Julia Read, Product Manager | UI Lead
  • Farbod Tabaei, Concept Artist | Game Designer
  • Sooq Won, UX Researcher | Graphic Designer
  • Yuan Zhang, 3D Artist | Game Designer
  • Robyn Sussel, Faculty Advisor

Justice Institute of British Columbia

  • Junsong Zhang, Instructional Designer, CTLI
  • Robert Walker, Director, CTLI
  • Svetlana Larson, Regional Training Coordinator, PCP
  • Eric McConaghy, Regional Training Coordinator, PCP

And a big thank you to people who participated in the user testings and provided valuable feedback.

UDL Strategies for Blended and Online Learning

Blended and online learning has become a prominent feature of our educational landscape because of COVID-19. The drastic shift in the learning environments has created challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning.

Collaborating with Dr. Seanna Tacks and Helen Lee, we developed a guide that explains how UDL principles can support both instructors and students. This guide is rich with practical tips, strategies, and examples whether you are new to UDL or a seasoned practitioner.

If you are interested in learning more about it, click on the image below to assess the guide. 

Five Practices for Rapid Course Design and Development

Start with Backward Course Design Approach

If you start your course design with content selection, you are likely to spend a lot of time but making little progress. Backward course design approach is outcome-based and therefore efficient. It also helps us to align assessment plans to learning outcomes, and align content and activities to assessment plans.

Here are the simplified steps for backward course design:

    • Step 1 Learning outcomes: identify what students should get out of the course
    • Step 2 Assessment: determine how to assess learning outcomes
    • Step 3 Activity and Content: select content and design activities around assessment

Here is a Course Plan Template that supports backward design.

Design a Proper Syllabus

Even with tight deadlines, a syllabus should at least contain 1) Instructor information, 2) Course description, 3) Course learning outcomes, 4) Required texts and materials, 5) Course schedule, 6) Assessment plan, 7) Assignment descriptions and expectation, and 8) Course policies. A good syllabus helps everyone (SME, Instructional Designers, and Program Managers) to imagine how the final product will look like.

From a backward design perspective, it is critical to be clear on the assessment plans and assignment descriptions. For example, if you are asking students to post threads in discussion forums, you should elaborate on your expectations in the syllabus such as the length of the post, whether or not they should reply to other students, and when they should complete the tasks.

Build an Effective Process for Content Development

Course design and development usually requires strong collaboration between multiple parties. Here is what makes the process effective based on my experience and observation.

  • Use cloud tools such as OneDrive and Google Drive where possible (please check your organizational privacy policy first).
  • Adopt a clear and consistent structure for content and asset organization. Assets could include images, videos, documents, and any other files for course design and development.
  • Design your content document purposefully. The more your content document resembles the final product, the more efficient everyone could be.

Be the Product Manager

Put on your Product Manager’s hat and be clear on the requirements! Your final product is most likely a course that lives in a learning management system (LMS). To avoid surprises, here are some of the questions for you to think:

  • Is the design for a new course or integration into an existing course? A new course design usually starts from scratch while integration is a redesign based on what is already in the course. This is particularly important for online courses because the design process and the final product could look very different.
  • How will the course menu look like in the learning management system (LMS)? Is there a particular structure that everyone needs to know?
  • How is everything named in the LMS? Will your students and instructors be able to understand and tell the difference? Do the naming of your assignments align with what is in the syllabus?
  • How are your learning modules built? Simple file upload into LMS, customized HTML and CSS pages, or designed in e-authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline and Rise 360? 
  • How do learning modules open in your course? Pop-up in a new window or opens within the LMS? Open within LMS often means less on-screen space for content presentation. This may look minor but it could have a huge impact on student learning experience, especially for those who use mobile devices or tablets.
  • How do your courses move into LMS? Are they in a test environment before they go live? Are there any components that need to be imported as SCROM packages or HTML pages into your LMS? How are other departments such as IT and Scheduling involved?
  • Can you be agile? Do you have to wait for the SME to develop everything and then design the course? Think about the modules that you can design already.

Some of these questions may sound technical but it is what makes a good product manager great.

Make Technology Work for You and Students

There are multiples ways to success in life and at work. The same to technology.

  • For video recordings, Kaltura is recommended at many institutions, but if it doesn’t work for you, use your phone, your webcam, or any tool that works for you.
  • For synchronous online learning, Collaborate or Zoom is commonly used but it doesn’t mean that you or your students have to be in synchronous sessions all the time. Why not blend asynchronous and synchronous learning?
  • For courses delivered through LMS, is there any flexibility for course completion? For example, do students have to complete everything within the day if it is a 1-day course? Can the course be available for a longer period, particularly the asynchronous components? Maybe you just opened this course to more students who couldn’t register previously by doing that.
  • And lastly, always ask for help when it comes to technology.

Universal Design for Learning: A Practical Guide

In the past months, I have been working with Dr. Seanna Takacs on a project that aims to mobilize Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for faculty and staff at the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

Implementing the UDL framework can be challenging because it requires us to contextualize UDL principles, develop actionable ideas, and foster a mindset of (re)design. Considering those challenges, we created a UDL guide that integrates Design Thinking and offers actionable ideas.


Universal Design for Learning: A Practical Guide 


This guide is perfect for those who want to explore the what, why, and how of UDL. Feel free to share with your colleagues. Your feedback is certainly welcomed!

Photo from the UDL Workshop