The Diversity Challenge in Higher Education

This commentary focuses on considering the work of Michalski et al in the context of Ontario Colleges.

Editorial

This editorial gives an overview of our new issue, which deals with community, connections and diversity in education.

Connections/Communities Impact on Online Learning

Building a sense of community within online learning environments has taken on greater significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, where online learning has become essential given the suspension of in-person classes around the world. Theoretical concepts such as the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework (Garrison et al., 2000) and the Fully Online Learning Community Model (VanOostveen et al, 2016) offer a conceptual basis for understanding the importance of online communities. A method of measuring virtual communities is necessary to track both their development and identify curriculum and instructional practices that foster and maintain their success. Rovai’s Classroom Community Scale (2002) and other measurement tools were found to be critical for measuring student connectedness and learning, and how virtual communities can meet the educational needs of students. Furthermore, analyzing the implications of technology on user perception and sustainability of virtual communities is crucial. Widespread and equitable access to emerging technologies have enhanced multimodal forms of collaboration and interaction. Overall, online communities may prove to be beneficial to online learning, by eliminating the sense of isolation often felt in traditional distance learning classrooms and decreasing the attrition rate of online students as a result. Keywords: community, online learning, technology, measurement, connections

Acquiring Digital Proficiency in Teacher Education

In this commentary, we look at digital technology use in teacher education and practice, theoretical foundations, definitions, and digital competence frameworks in an educational context. With rapid changes in the domain of technology classroom teaching, teachers need to learn and adapt quickly. We argue that a more comprehensive approach to understanding how student-teacher learning with technology is needed.

When Competency is not Enough: The Case for Digital Agency

This piece comments on an article that proposes a new term for describing people's comfort and skill levels in working with technology: digital agency.

Effects of Simulation Fidelity on Learning Transfer

This paper examines, via literature review, the relationship between simulation fidelity and transfer of learning to the operational environment. This paper focuses on the application of simulation to medical, maritime and aviation training. The literature showed that, contrary to intuition, novice learners derived little benefit from high-fidelity simulation. There were even some indications that high-fidelity simulation could impair transfer for novice learners. The literature showed that expert, or near expert, learners required high-fidelity simulation for effective transfer. The literature also showed strong evidence that cognitive skill transfer required high levels of cognitive fidelity, but was mostly unrelated to physical and functional fidelity. There was little information regarding the link between psychomotor and procedural skill transfer and cognitive fidelity. Keywords: Simulation, fidelity, learning transfer, skill transfer

Internationalization in Ontario Colleges

Internationalization of Ontario colleges is a strategic mandate from both the federal and provincial governments to address declining domestic enrollment, labour market shortages, and the evolving needs of 21st century post-secondary students. The growth in numbers of international students in Ontario colleges has been particularly rapid over the past five years, and existing literature on internationalization and Ontario colleges was limited. Therefore, a careful review and analysis of policy at both the federal and provincial level can help Ontario colleges understand what policy has done to create the current environment for internationalization, anticipate how policy will impact the future of internationalization, and support decision making as colleges try to find success in this continuously changing landscape. The results of this review and analysis of policy surrounding internationalization in the Ontario College system indicate a probable need for additional research, funding, training, and policy changes to ensure a sustainable future. Keywords: internationalization, international students, Ontario colleges, higher education policy

Developing Coding Structures For Becoming Affect-Savy in the Fully Online Community Model

This study aims to provide support for the efficacy of the Fully Online Learning Community (FOLC) Model by examining communication between participants within a series of recorded online focus groups and by investigating the behaviours that are undertaken by participants. A coding system based on body language expressions is proposed as an outcome of this study and the affective domain of the participants is analyzed through facial expressions, body language and content (words) employed. Findings suggest that affects (emotions) have a preeminent role in the social presence in FOLC environments. Positive emotions are easier to detect as individuals exhibit them without masking, with some possible exceptions arising from personal dispositions and cultural inferences. Negative emotions can also be detected through a combination of facial expressions and body language coding. However, findings were not consistent for determining sadness and surprise states and further studies will have to explore ways to differentiate these affects from others. The instigations set forward by the participants and affective responses to the behaviours of instigators provided support for the empirical study about the efficacy of facilitation and interactions within fully online learning environments.

Editorial: Renewal and Reinvigoration

This editorial explains how JEI is a Phoenix rising, welcomes readers and future authors and describes the content of the issue.

Empowering Adult Learners through Blogging with iPads and iPods

Current statistics indicate that 48 per cent of Canadians over the age of 16 struggle with low literacy skills (Canadian Council on Learning, 2008). The federal government has deemed the development of digital literacy proficiencies amongst Canadians a national priority as this country moves toward a digital economy (Government of Canada, 2012). This research project examined whether adult learners with literacy challenges would feel empowered as a result of creating content for a blog through the use of digital technology. The researcher attempted to understand the impact that blogging and using different types of technology could have on an individual’s self-esteem and whether those feelings of empowerment would encourage an adult learner to pursue further education. Although this research project only ran for a period of six days at a literacy program, there was a noticeable difference in how the participants viewed themselves after they created digital content. Further findings from this project also indicated that there is a gap in research dealing with the impact of digital technology on adult literacy.